Andy Collins

I care neither way, I like my iPad, every person I know who has one rates it. I know a judge who uses one to "carry" all her files into court now, on one tablet instead of volumes of paperwork. Of course there will be other tablets out there, but IMO they are mimicking what's already out there, playing catch up with the most successful system. There are hang ups with every system, which ever way you go. Apples iPad is far more capable than I really need, why would I bother with anything else?

Don't quite get why you think chippers are over priced. The money a Greenmech 100 can potentially earn you means it will earn it's keep in very little time. I don't have one, I have a little Jo Beau same sort of size, paid for itself in about the first 4 months, had it a couple of years now and it still earns its keep.

I did a load of these to sell for fireworks night two years ago, 4footers for £30 each

I keep my ear to the ground

Edit your own posts inside 10mins I've altered your post to read as you said.

They may have a duty to be totally open about the meetings, but I suspect more parish work is dealt with outside of the official meetings, in the privacy of their homes in the guise of coffee mornings and such like.

Hmmm Im not so sure if we should continuously interfere with nature in such a way? Not saying we haven't interfered before, but to create a super hybrid could lead to other unforeseen issues?

Maybe it is me who has misread the opening post, in which case I stand corrected, I then confused it with your later post. I can see how the planner may see it though. You are advertising selling logs at your property, and you have a supply of logs at your property (for your own use). They are not to know that you have logs stored elsewhere for sale. They have made an assumption based on what they can see, rightly or wrongly. Once again, apologies if I jumped in there wrongly, Simon.

Simonm, you have contradicted yourself quite successfully already since you started this thread. How can people advise you properly if you are selective with the truth? re signing, size of signs and distance from the highway, re:planning, yes you should apply for change of use. Like it or not, the plant nursery is probably with his planning consent, and you are not, who is wrong here? Ignore this stupid post of mine, see later post!

Do you not trust good old fashioned "nouse"? You know, you look at a tree, it's moving wrong, it's just not right, it has for example Perriniporia around the base. Why put off the inevitable in a high risk zone? In a woodland setting, or a pasture, fence off and leave it be if necessary. Not directed at anyone in particular.

I will get mine as usual. But not in October. Rememberance Day is an important day in the calendar, but I think it's watered down to a certain extent by wearing it for weeks on end. Only my opinion, each should do as they choose, I have a Help for Heroes band on all year round, subtle and meaningful.

Am I wrong dreaming of fit women? Or is this the "new" man, dreaming of other men? The next Bond will be thwarting his enemies with a swing of his man-bag!

Although I wouldn't word it in quite the same way as Huck, I do agree in with his family ways, my family structure is pretty much the same. It's not Neanderthal, quite, perhaps not PC in some eyes these days, but it has worked for us as a family for 25 years.

Just check with local planning department about the size of signs roadside, I know our local council have a purge on them now and again, clearing roadside clutter.

Surely things have moved on in the last few years? Costs have risen to unprecedented new highs for everyone, not just the ones running the businesses. Even the lowliest groundies cost of living are high now, running a car, food and rent costs. I was earning more as a groundie back ten years or so ago, than some climbers are getting paid now, climbers were earning more than I was. Begs the question, what has gone wrong? I think it's simply supply and demand. Too many churned out of college these days, far more than 15years ago. Too many companies chasing the same work. Too much supply, limited demand for the work. It will keep the prices down, for the employers, and the knock on is reflected in what is available to pay staff. So what to do about it? I went on my own, if you want a true idea of what bosses have to sort out so you can earn your wages, then try and earn it for yourself for one year. Some will make it, and stay self employed, others will beg for a job at any rate they can get. I would never want the pressure, the responsibility of employing several staff, in a recessive period in particular. Most bosses are playing the long game, not get rich quick, and would rather guarantee staff a ton a day, than go broke trying to meet £150 a day.

I've probably worked on every conceivable kind of tree work, in every possible scenario, and I don't believe that there is a "perfect" set-up that covers all tasks. it usually boils down to two or three blokes busting their balls to get a tree out of a garden in as few steps as possible. Usually through a piddly tiny side gate with all the usual detritus in the way, and exhaust flues from heating right at the most awkward point. We have speed lined across lawns to reduce drags and protect property, but it still has to go through a stupidly small gap at some point. We've had one of the best thought out unimogs equipped with all the gear to make the job quicker and more profitable, and had to park it out the front miles from the work. We've used Avants to clear jobs, spent more time boarding to protect lawns than it would have take to handball the stuff out. There is no easy way to do this job, it is sheer hard grunt all the way. Even on the easy jobs.

If the gate access is on a decent lawn, then it can be protected with 8x4s if necessary. Generally avoiding taking exactly the same route every drag will save too much damage. Every job is different, and is done differently, dependent on many factors.

20odd years later you've run out of cards and can't afford any more

He doesn't "give" them away, he exchanges days for £££s

I use saws day in day out, need power, reliability, high cutting speed, back up spares and service. MTD/Lawnflite ideal for the hobby/ domestic Market where you're cutting up say a barrowload of logs for your fire, or trimming up an apple tree that's blown over at the bottom of the garden, but for serious heavy duty work, no way.

Would quote £175 to cut/clear. Not worth messing around with otherwise.

My lads company are dealers for the MTD/Lawnflite range, price isn't far off dealers price. Would I buy them, no.

Where are you Pasty M? If you're near to Ipswich pop into Sproughton Garden Machinery and ask for Albert, he's very knowledgeable on everything to do with saws and will soon advise you on best route to take Inc dropping in a new link.

At the moment I'm thinking that if AAOC can get on board at least one of the companies I listed, then I'm pretty certain I can justify continuing using it for hedgetrimming indefinitely, as the fumes are a ball-ache from pump fuel. But if I have to take time out to do repeated 20 odd mile round trips to get it, then I shan't bother. It's too much hassle, too expensive to waste my time running about especially. £35

Great stuff, practising AR, everyone should do it, and practise all kinds of scenarios too. When I worked for a AAAC there was a lot of talk about it happening, but the truth was that it didn't earn money, so was never done.