Two years ago I went to the previous edition of the APF show and we went back this weekend when it returned to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. The APF is the UK’s biggest show dedicated to forestry and related sectors. Despite its focus on “big forestry”, we found plenty to see as family woodland owners.
I posted more pictures last time, including one of the impressive horse logging teams in the woodland area, the pole climbing, and the woodland crafts stands. This year it had very much the same feel with the big equipment the bread and butter of the show. We had a good look at the firewood processor machines and compared them to our more manual efforts with hand held chainsaws and our Forest Master 7 ton splitter. The British Horse Loggers were back, along with the pole climbing, fencing laying, and forwarder competitions. I had chats with the people on the Royal Forestry and Forestry Commission stands, and managed to get one of Forestry Research’s Tree Trumps packs. They’re currently revising the selection of useful non-native trees with climate change in mind, with the intention of making the packs available for sale. It’s already a great educational tool.
The chainsaw carving competition attracted some of the best carvers and my favourite was “Smokey Bear” by Will Lee. You might remember I have a Smokey sign in our Log Cabin in the wood, featuring one of the US Forestry Service’s publicity images about wildfires.
Towards the end of the day the Small Woods Association held its Annual General Meeting in the seminar tent. I was confirmed as one of two new trustees of the charity.
We stayed in Evesham which was handy for Ragley Hall.
