Celebrating 690 years of forestry experience

by | Nov 28, 2014 | Featured Slider, Latest, News

Seventeen remarkable foresters from across England and Wales received Royal Forestry Society (RFS)  Long Service Awards in 2014 after clocking up more than 690 years of experience between them.

RFS President Sir Jack Whitaker says:“Presenting Long Service Awards has been an extraordinary privilege for me. It’s so wonderful to meet these people with their huge breadth and depth of local knowledge, and admire their loyalty and tenacity. It’s also a powerful testament to our industry, that both employers and employees are devoted to this love of continuity.”

The most recent to be presented were to:

Roger John Pook from the Coode Estate in Cornwall  for his 40-year award shortly before he passed away. Roger will be much missed. As well as his work on the Coode Estate woodlands, mainly around Launceston, he was a former Secretary and Treasurer of the RFS South West a founder member of a forestry training company, Kensey Training; a member and ultimately the Chairman of the Forestry Section at the Royal Cornwall Showground and a main stay of the Cornwall Countryman’s Fair  to name but a few of his achievements.

Andrew Birch who was presented with his award for 30 years service by Foxley Estate’s owner David Davenport at a meeting of the Herefordshire Division..

Three recipients had clocked up 60-year awards:

The 60-year award to Walter Start, was presented posthumously to his family. Walter had also won  awards for his work both on the Froyle Estate and at Rotherfield Park in Hampshire .

Geoff Bagley, Forestry Manager on the Willey Estate in Shropshire was the third generation of his family to have worked on the estate woodlands – following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather. He started work as an apprentice woodman at the age of 15.

Brian Lewin followed in his father’s footsteps to become Rockingham Castle Estate’s Head Forester. After National Service, Brian followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Estate’s team as a Woodsman, eventually becoming Head Forester himself as well as the Estate’s Head Keeper.

Details of all recipients are  below with more details available at  www.rfs.org.uk/awards/

 

2014 Long Service Award recipients

Geoff Bagley                                                      Willey Estate                      60years

Andrew Birch                                                     Foxley Estate                     30years

Mike Hayward                                                   Willey Estate                      40years

Norman Hutchinson                                       Swinton Estate                  30years

Brian Lewin                                                         Rockingham Castle

Estate                                  60years

Raymond Latter                                                                Beech Estate                      34 years

Jonathan Lester                                                Leeds City Council            42years

John Litman                                                        Boughton Estate              46 years

David Peacock                                                   Settrington Estate           40years

Roger Pook                                                         Coode Estates                   40years

Shaun Purkiss                                                    Zetland Estate                   34 years

Tim Sheldon                                                       Hardwick Estate                39years

Walter Start MBE (posthumous)               Froyle Estate                      60 years

John Taylor                                                         Parlington Estate              50years

Timothy Tolliss                                                  Duncombe Park

Estate                                                  30years

Richard Teasdale                                              Zetland Estate                   33years

Raymond Williams                                           Glynllifon College             30years