Roger’s entire working career was with his family’s furniture manufacturing firm, Beaver & Tapley, makers of modern high quality cabinets. His wood connection is therefore more that of a user rather than a treeman. He joined the company in 1956 after Rugby School, National Service in the Navy and Christ’s College Cambridge. From then until 1998 when he sold the firm he was successively dogsbody, sales manager, managing director and chairman. He was always responsible for every aspect of the annual catalogue and even now he misses this and the design management side of running the business. He was not a natural salesman and is happy no longer to have to deal with retail customers !
In 1960 Roger became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers. He was elected to the Court in 1971 and was Master in 1988. As such he initiated a number of reforms to the Company’s structure. Now, as a Past Master and Trustee, he is still heavily engaged with the WCFM. He brings this experience as well as that of his trade career to Woodland Heritage.
His leisure activities now are sailing (he owns a 35ft ketch), travel, birdwatching, wine and music. Earlier, 1956 to 1970, he was a very active member of the Royal Naval Reserve spending his annual fortnights and more as C.O. of a (wooden !) minesweeper - "Probably the most consistently enjoyable of my several past activities."