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Celebrating More Than 130 Years!

Two forest nursery workers and a former Estate Manager received long service awards during the 2022 Whole Society Meeting.

By Wendy Necar · June 8, 2022

Pictured: Celebrating 62 years! Michael Scott-Bolton with Harry Williams, Enville Estates, left, and Alistair Squire, Flintshire Woodlands, right

Michael Scott-Bolton was employed as Estate Manager at Enville Estates in 1953. He ran a team of five carrying out all aspects of forestry work from planting to saw milling. Michael was managing the Estate when Dutch Elm disease struck and had to cut down around 3,000 trees.

Although Michael was the Estate Manager, his passion was forestry. He would spend much of his free time on evenings and weekends planting trees and tending young plantations. After Michael retired from the full-time estate manager job he continued managing the forestry up until 2017 – a total of 62 years.

Pictured: David Gwillam, Prees Heath Forest Nurseries, left, with Evelyn Sharp and Barry Sumner and RFS President Sir James Scott, right

Two colleagues from Prees Heath Forest Nurseries also collected Long Service Awards.

Prees Heath Forest Nurseries owner David Gwillam described Evelyn Sharp as: “a valuable and integral member of staff who has gained exceptional knowledge helping the development of the business.”

She had joined Prees Heath Nurseries in 1984 as a nursery worker with no working knowledge but rose to become Production Manager. Evelyn’s mother Edna Clive had also worked at the nursery from 1984-2014, retiring at the age of 87!

Her colleague Barry Sumner was described as: “a loyal and conscientious member of staff with exceptional knowledge of his job.” He retired in April this year after 34 years’ service. Barry had joined Prees Heath Forest Nurseries as a general worker in 1988 and became the tractor driver and Foreman in charge of despatch.

Prees Heath Forest Nurseries has 21ha of tree production for forestry and amenity markets.

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