Chiltern bodging in 1934

[ArthurBottlesworth]

Found this on you tube

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP5_OJxNccY]The Chiltern Bodgers.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]

[Graham]

Lovely film. Thanks for that.

[ArthurBottlesworth]

It ocurred to me that these guys could have gone through horror of WW1

Hw good to come back to the woods after that.

[codlasher]

Thanks for putting this clip on here Arthurbottlesworth.

I can offer a tiny piece of information to add to this as Hampden Row was mentioned.

The woodland the fellows were working in was Monkton wood and at that time there were probably three gangs of 'Bodgers' working in that area.

Each tree at that time averaged 30 cubic foot. In 2011 each tree averaged 75 cubic foot. They bid on a 'fall' of trees which was 50 trees in total. These were marked by the forester at the time, a cousin of the Earl and who was experienced in timber production in India so the trees that remained were always the best as the inferior were marked in the thinning process.

If you held a leg from a mechanised copy lathe and one from a 'Bodger' you would not be able to tell the difference between the two, that was the skill level of these gentlemen.

The last of the surviving 'Bodgers' emigrated to Canada in 1964 with his family and the process became fully mechanised in High Wycombe.

Ercol still produce furniture today but their timber mainly comes from Denmark. In the heyday Monkton wood was a small part of the 30,000 cubic feet of timber processed annually in the locality, all bound for their Latimer sawmill and then into your kitchen/living room.

Unfortunately the majority of the furniture makers have disappeared from High Wycombe and unless you visit Specialists like Mr Stewart Linford, your timber will not be from places such as Monkton wood.

codlasher

[delabodge]

really enjoyed that vid,,,thanks,,,,

[Dorset Treeman]

Nice bit of history, thanks.