DEAR EDITOR,

You recently asked for ‘reminiscences’ of previous APF Demos. Here are some of mine:

APF Demo, September 1976, Longleat Estate, Warminster

  • At this time I was working for Tilhill Forestry (Marketing) as southern regional manager, timber harvesting and marketing division.
  • We decided to hire a coach and take all of our harvesting contractors for a day out.
  • Had a whale of a time, although I remember that the event was extremely wet and muddy.

APF Demo, September 1984, Crown Estate, Windsor

  • Now employed by Forest Thinnings as a divisional manager, sawn timber and added-value products.
  • It struck me that at previous APF dos rarely did any of the exhibitors engage with visitors to their stand. So, in an attempt to put this right, we decided as an exhibitor to put on a practical demonstration of British hardwood log grading, together with the sawn produce i.e. through-and-through plank, one square edge boards, fencing and pallet timber, etc.
  • The selected logs were supplied by Linnell Bros of Silverstone, Northamptonshire, together with B and K Earle, Woodcote, near Reading, Berkshire.
  • All of the products were ‘chocked’ on bearers and labelled (very smart).

We had a tremendous response, with many knowledgeable visitors extremely keen to discuss and give us their valued opinions about the grading and value of the produce.

 Kind regards,

Andy Chalmers, Managing Director

Melcourt Industries, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8RT

www.melcourt.co.uk

P.S. An old sage told me many years ago that if you stand in the same place for three days at an APF Demo, you will meet over 90 per cent of all of the colleagues with whom you have worked in your entire career. Quite true.

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