Andy Collins

Invite a few lads from here around, set up a BBQ and a few drinks and get some varying advice. Then eat all the food and drink all the beer. You'll learn absolutely nothing from this, but it will be fun! OR get the Woodland Trust or a local Wildlife Trust around to advise you. (may be cheaper)

Life doesnt always pan out how you'd like it. I tried in the early 80's to get into the Forestry Commission, around here it helped massively if you had family already in there. I didnt get a look in. It took me til my 30's to do the job I always wanted. Stick at it, try and get perhaps a Saturday job if poss with a local company, but never give up on your dream, it'll come some day.

The FCA have covered this in this quarters magazine, doesnt appear to be a lot of wriggle room. "Work covered includes: all work directly related to the planting , establishing, maintaining or harvesting of woodland or forests primary processing of timber within woodland, for example cutting wood into length, planks or firewood, any kind of arb work carried out on woodlands, and fencing."

Some of the attitudes here beggar belief. Either get planning consent to change your use to industrial, or put up some cabins or whatever you want within planning guidelines, or sell the land. To start ranting about neighbours wont resolve the issue, only worsen it. You are the one breaking the planning laws, not them.

I agree with Graham, standards are as much part of a woodland as coppicing, post a few pics so we give a little more info.

Oh damn its already used:001_rolleyes: "Used: An item that has been previously used. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or an item that has been returned to the seller after a period of use. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections." Once the buyer collects, it will no longer be fully operational and functions as intended. I wonder if it has blown over.... damaged goods.

Welcome to the forum and good luck

Gillies Fencing doing fencing stuff

Though a fantastic saw, I'd keep the 346 on 15" or shorter, and get a 560 to run an 18".

Where in Suffolk? Greens of Hadleigh are good, Sproughton Garden Machinery in Ipwswich, Chipper-tech, Old Newton nr Stowmarket, BTS Lion Barn Ind Estate Needham Mkt, to name a few. Hope this helps. Welcome to the forum

Bit of Mowing, tree-related coz I planted the trees a couple of years ago......alright.

The Echo power pruner is fine with the standard extending pole/hedgetrimmer, but add the extra extension and you cant use the triimmer. When I unknowingly tried it stripped the top end of the drive shaft, clutch was fine. I would buy another in a flash, if my old on ever gives up the ghost, its actually an original "Power Pruner" before Echo got their hands on them, which makes it around 30years old now. Personally, I only use it for polesaw work, and its ideal. This modern junk just isnt built as well these days:001_smile:

IMO, you can harvest your crop and heap it up on ag land, then load it up and sell it on in its same state (ie thinning a woodland, stacking in yard for merchant to buy the stack) But you cant process it into logs without changing the land use to industrial (and applying for planning permission to do so)

Yep

Ah, thats young David! A resourceful young fellow, just keeps popping up everywhere!

Just got in, long day at Helmingham Hall flying the Genie around some dead Oaks, and poking a couple over

Love the wolfs head

Good stuff Rover, keep at it. The nicotine is nw out of your system, so the "need" for it has gone. The habits you have formed during your time as a smoker are still there, I found it necessary to break those too. Some use the plastic ciggy type things, I wanted to get as far away as possible from anything related to it. Try to do something else with the pen, stick it behind your ear or something. I did find the need to do something with my hands was harder to ignore than actually having a fag, the action of rolling it was changed for having a large bar of Galaxy and breaking off a small square and savouring it instead of rolling and smoking a ciggy. But it helped, now I dont need the chocolate-breaking either, and I dont have fidgetty hands. You dont realise the benefits, but if you sit down and think about it, the gains are there. Believe in it!

IMO yes. To lead by example. Recently my local radio this was discussed. Pupils are expected to wear uniform as representatives of their school, to look clean & tidy and smart. Teachers tend to be dressed casually, and a few that I can think of can only be described as scruffy. What would be wrong with them wearing a blazer/jacket with the school badge on the front pocket, (during school hours) PE staff always swanning about in tracksuits should have the school name on them. Back on topic, I admire the lad for his principles, I think on this occasion the head is wrong. As Grumpydave said, it is a subtle symbol, nothing more, and is hardly on the same level as ornamental jewellery. As for advocating punching anyone, teachers policemen or anyone else, please keep your thoughts to yourselves, not really necessary on this forum, or relevant in this particular discussion.

I think you may have a point, though its not something I've really thought about up to now. Good one Pete, I agree, its not as hard to give up as you think its going to be. A sad update: the old boy who lost his leg to necrosis passed away last week, his funeral is this Friday. his addiction to nicotine contributed in no small way to his demise. I was talking to an ex-fireman the other day who served for 30years in the London Fire Service. He quit smoking many years back, but when he started they all smoked. They had a reunion 10years after he retired, none of the smokers (who started at the same time as him) were alive to attend. Makes you think, doesnt it.

Ok, nearly at the 8week stage. I've found myself being the worlds worst ex-smoker at times, as bad as a religious zealot trying to convert the heathens:biggrin: Now I have calmed down, accepted that I dont smoke and they do, so what? Big deal. I've saved a small fortune not smoking now, I feel around 10years younger, I'm nowhere near as tired as I used to be. For anyone reading this thread, thinking of quitting, its up to you, you have to want to do it, but when you are ready, give it a try. You dont need a ciggie, you just think you do. I have been attending the smoking clinic, weekly to start now its monthly, it breaks it up into small targets so you have a visible target to aim at instead of just stopping. You wont get reprimanded for having a crafty fag now and again if you do slip, it entirely up to the individual how they do it.

Can you remind us of the cost of these set-ups please Nigel? I'm a great advocate of radio comms, it simplifies operations no end, makes for a far less stressful environment, and increases workplace safety. I suspect the cumulative time saved would soon pay for a set or two, no more trying to shout above the wind, misunderstandings etc.

Heres some pics for your delictation, to give an idea of size, the crown spread diameter is 14feet dripline to dripline, the height is 6feet 6 inches. A wee beauty IMO. Oh and it has to move to the RH marker post from its present location.

The limitations with the pmr446 is the output power, which therefore restricts the range. This is not an issue for tree surgery works, tree-ground, or line of sight stop/go boards but in the woods I've found the density of trees and the greater distances involved mean the signal breaks quicker. We've worked quite ok with standard pmr radios in the woods up to a mile apart (tractor and forwarding trailer going off to tip off) but voice transmssion starts to be hard to hear at times. For this sort of work I'm now using UK General radio (449Mhz) which does require a licence (75quid for 3years), the power output is 5watts, transmission is clear and clean, the channels dont have kids cluttering them up at holiday times, and if you buy ex-Utility radios, re-programmed to the correct frequencies, they are cheap as chips and professional grade. Whatever system you end up with doesnt really matter, what does matter is the improvement of communications on site, we are able to let each other know of dog-walkers coming into the woods, if we need assistance with a hung-up tree, or break the monotony with a quick joke, I now dont like working without them.

Interestingly, I timed it to see how long, David lit the fire at 12, while forwarding at that end, he made the fire up again at 12.30 just before he went off to off-load, and i popped down and set up the dutch oven, (pre-cooked chilli last night), set it high while I carried on cutting til about 1. So it doesnt actually waste much "production" time if you plan ahead. A good little morale booster too