Paul Barton

This looks like a great job for someone... Arboriculture Projects Assistant Full time Short term contract January to September 30 2001 £18,000 pro rata An excellent opportunity has arisen for someone looking to gain skills and experience in the arboriculture tree planting and maintenance areas of our work. Click here for a job description. As projects assistant you will support our Landscape and Arboriculture team in creating new urban woodlands and planting street trees in some of the London’s most deprived areas. As the planting season comes to an end in April, your main role will then be to maintain those projects, with regular watering to encourage successful establishment. Trees for Cities has an excellent track record on urban tree planting and part of your job will be to pass that associated knowledge and skills on to the trainees that we work with. We are looking for an enthusiastic, outdoor loving individual who can work well with people from all backgrounds, fit in easily to a busy team and be flexible to meet the challenges of tree planting in an urban environment. The successful candidate will also hold a valid UK driving licence with towing entitlement and be able to work the occasional weekend or evening with time off in lieu. Closing date: 24 January 2011 Interviews - 28 January For more details please contact [email protected] or call 020 7820 4417.

I made a conscious decision to move away from being on the tools. This decision was based on two things: money and wanting a long-lasting career. I could have actually climbed for quite a few more years and earnt more money as I became a better subbie, but I am too impatient and was ready for a change. I only climbed for about 5 years and loved it. Like others, there are many days when I wish I was up a tree. It seemed that the choice ahead of me was either a) stick with the status quo and keep earning not very much money but do what I enjoyed b) start my own business and hope to make more money - this did not seem like a good option given the number of people I worked for that assured me they weren't earning much given the hours they worked. c) do some more training and get in to the surveying side of the work. Sometimes I laugh at myself and the irony of my career: I got in to tree work because I realised that the office wasn't for me....and now I am back in an office! At least I get out of it a lot though. I have no regrets - I enjoy my work and earn more than I used to. And importantly, I can see myself doing this long term whereas the climbing work always felt like it could disappear if I slipped a disc or had an accident. I'm obviously just a great big wuss!

Hi Andy, See if you can find any records of the most recent landscape character appraisal. This will highlight key species and desirable features that you can relate your management plan to. Sounds like a good project.

I've always fancied Canada myself, they seem to have a great quality of life over there. And certain parts of South Africa...arb is still in its infancy there and I reckon you could set up a good business whilst the competition is scarce.

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I was gonna say P.tuberculosus too.

I don't understand what the maillon is for? Why don't you just clip the krab on the end of your rope to your harness bridge? I wouldn't want the bowline termination so near to the hitch. Tidy lockup by the way!!

Nope!

I would choose a 2CV. Smooth ride and pretty good in sand.

Nice one! I have also dreamt about this. We went to the planning meetings for the 'Rickshaw Run' a few years ago but ended up doing our own version in India on bikes instead. You'll have a blast! What's your vehicle of choice?

Are you serious?! Each to their own I guess...

Those are both very nice looking gates. When I have built my dream home in the country I'll buy some of those from you....

I have declined to climb trees and got out of a few. I only climbed for 5 years and was never the best climber around so it doesn't really say much. However, I respect Matt's standpoint starting this thread having seen past pictures of his climbing abilities. No tree is worth risking your life over. The risk may be real or it may not, but the only way you find out the former is when you take a fall...every climber has to listen to his instincts.

Hi Matt, See this link http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/training-education/21987-80-off-nptc-lantra-certs-warwickshire-college.html for a cheap way to get some certs. As others have said, get CS30 and 31 first and then you can start to sell yourself as a new groundsman.

Be punctual. Be polite. Be fair in your pricing. Don't ignore the phone. Spend money on a decent designer to give you a brand/identity. Ask customers for references. Good luck - it's tough at the moment!

If you already have a level 2 qualification then please feel free to apply.

Bump! Will be going through CVs this week to interview soon so please send your CV to [email protected] if you are interested.

Love this video... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Cazxj_yc&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - PEOPLE ARE AWESOME[/ame]

2010 turned out a good year in the end after a shaky start. We have moved out of the city, I have started a new job and a MSc and adopted a dog.... I like your post Stevie - a good year is about more than turnover although that always helps. I am grateful for a beautiful wife, good friends and a healthy family.

Good luck with that....have you read the new BS3998? If we want to always bide by the rules we will all have to take a DBH tape and calculator up the tree to work out how many branches of a certain diameter we can remove:biggrin:

Nice one dave.

Blimey! They must keep you busy!

Here are a couple of pics of our new dog, Jasper. We picked him up last Sunday from a local rescue centre. I am dead chuffed with him. A bit of work needed to improve his obedience but he is learning fast (and so am I!!).

Oh god, what a terribly sad story. My heart goes out to you at this very sad time.