Amazing what a Botex can do.....

[kernowstu]

Last time I visited they still had the "Bear" and the Valmet was parked up with an Igland? on it gathering dust. I was told that the woodsman that purchased it didn't allow for any maintenance costs and blew his entire budget, and various working machines in its acquisition. I loved working there in the days of Brian Bowden, who gave me my first job, and learning from Terry & Dominic, and rob the sawyer. The new bloke did away with all that, and i think he got the boot just after i left!

 

I see you were at Tregothnan when the place was down sizing,when i was there(late 80s) they had 13 woodman,3 sawyers, full on production and maintenance of the woodlands great place to work then.

They now have a valmet set up (i think) there old set up was 7810 with cranab roof mount and T.H.Whites trailer.

[normandylumberjack]

Do you mean Terry voacs ? (big terry ) ?

 

No, Terry Cook, He was a real mentor to me, I was there from work experience aged 14, then every school holiday working on firewood and christmas trees, The then head woodsman, Brian "Billy" Bowden, said i should go to college and learn about the subject, when I returned he was handing over to a Scottsman fresh out of college that didn't like me, nor i him, so i went to work in the Maintenance dept. with the Late Big Tim Millington, painting deerpark fence, and served an apprenticeship as a Mason, before leaving to re enter forestry work.

 

I loved my time there, driving the old Zetors, massey 135, roadless major? and the like!

[WoodED]

Lovely old trailer that 1 , I remember visiting trailer manufacturers and trailers in use in forests before making the recommendation to buy it ! ages me I suppose, mmmm trailer retired me not ! p.s. see you next week ed cheers

 

ey the trailer is far from retired haha.. just not as easy as the botex as for a start mark would have to get out of his cab haha.. yes see you then jerry with your hiezohack i pressume? what days are you in?

[combined tree services]

No, Terry Cook, He was a real mentor to me, I was there from work experience aged 14, then every school holiday working on firewood and christmas trees, The then head woodsman, Brian "Billy" Bowden, said i should go to college and learn about the subject, when I returned he was handing over to a Scottsman fresh out of college that didn't like me, nor i him, so i went to work in the Maintenance dept. with the Late Big Tim Millington, painting deerpark fence, and served an apprenticeship as a Mason, before leaving to re enter forestry work.

 

I loved my time there, driving the old Zetors, massey 135, roadless major? and the like!

 

Wow that soundls like you were there in the good days , now it seems that there is very little done in house and most of it is now farmed out to contractors (some of which are crap) but the majorit of their contractors have been in the game years and know their stuff . I am envyous of both your self and Kernow Stu ! it seems like i was born in the wrong era !!!

 

do you get down this way that often ?

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[normandylumberjack]

Wow that soundls like you were there in the good days , now it seems that there is very little done in house and most of it is now farmed out to contractors (some of which are crap) but the majorit of their contractors have been in the game years and know their stuff . I am envyous of both your self and Kernow Stu ! it seems like i was born in the wrong era !!!

 

do you get down this way that often ?

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

Hi Dave, Which era were you born? I am only 30, and left about 10 years ago!

I went back about 3 years ago to visit Tim before he died, and try to catch up with the old gang, but sadly a lot had left and a lot had died. They still had the Ford 7810 with a Highland bear crane, and forwarding trailer, but a lot has changed under the new "Lord" and JJ, the old guard have long since left!

[combined tree services]

Hi Dave, Which era were you born? I am only 30, and left about 10 years ago!

I went back about 3 years ago to visit Tim before he died, and try to catch up with the old gang, but sadly a lot had left and a lot had died. They still had the Ford 7810 with a Highland bear crane, and forwarding trailer, but a lot has changed under the new "Lord" and JJ, the old guard have long since left!

 

Ahhhh well im 29:blushing: so not far behind , I went strait from school into the tree surgery industry and spent bit of time in the early days here in Cornwall and then moved to Devon before studying at Merrist Wood and working all over the country , i then moved back down to Cornwall and after going back to work for the company that first got me into the industry i set up on my own .

 

I spend a little time in the woods in north Cornwall when i was 16 during the summer i had left school , i didn't decide to stay as the firm was fairly primitive to say the least lol

[normandylumberjack]

Did you spend any time at Tregothnan?

[combined tree services]

unfortunately i didn't get the chance , i applied for a job just as the new head forester decided that operations were being scaled down . It is certainly something that i look back on and wih it had been different but on the other hand i have seen how the estate has changed and also the outhlook from the management has changed .

[normandylumberjack]

Only interested in growing tea now! I feel it was right for me as a Young man with little in the way of my own opinions, but estate life is a political place to work and you should know your place, no one got promoted, you stayed at your level and managers were brought in, given a free reign and enough rope to hang themselves, and then publicly booted out when things didn't work out. the old boys on the estate kept quiet and got on with their work except with each other. I often think that i would like to go back, but doubt i would last long!

[tommer9]

Yep, tregothnan is a fickle establishment to work for. they want it all for nowt, yesterday!