Paul Barton

Have you done the qtra training Tony? Would be interested to hear how you found it.

Ha ha, I love the Brian Johnston clip.

The local authority person is being an ass. There is no requirement for scaled plans. A decent sketch plan should suffice. I would ring them and have a chat to see if you can establish a common sense way forward.

Unlucky mr hammer. You'll breeze it next time for sure.

Great photos John! Here is a snapshot I took on Tuesday - not in the same league but it looked great in person.

Jerry (springer).

From the Today programme this morning.....made me laugh:lol: http://vakart.org.uk/download/james_naughtie.mp3

I used to use a Leica disto, I think it might have been a D2: Leica DISTO D2 Laser measure | UK Supplier for Leica Laser Measures At work we have a laserace hypsometer. I have never got on with it for measuring tree height but still use it sometimes for measuring distances. It's a bit bulky compared to the Leica though.

I would buy a cheaper clino but also buy a laser distance measurer as well. They are useful for measuring crown spreads and distances from trees to known points on a plan which helps plot trees accurately if you haven't been given a proper topo.

The haglof digital climometer is really good and easy to use. However it is an awful lot of money for what it is. In my opinion, how often is measuring the trees height crucially important for a report? Rarely I would say. I tend to measure the first couple on site and estimate the rest once my eye is in. I have one of the suunto ones. It's nice and simple and costs about half the price of a digital one which I am pleased about as it doesn't get used all that much. My two pennies worth anyway.

That's the puppy!

It isn't called the one one one show smart ass.

Clue in the name of the show!

Our very own John Hancock is on the one show now!!

Anyone else interested?

Yup. A days notice would be ok.

Hi Dave, I have been informed that the minimum number for the course to run is 6, and we currently have 7 so should be fine. P

Bump. Some places are still available on this course.

This is only at the consultation stage at the moment. View the consultation paper at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1769286.pdf ...and comment if you don't want it to happen!

I had heard this somewhere else recently...can't remember where though! I think this is a double-edged sword. On the one hand the council do need to raise funds in order to enable their staff to actually fulfill their roles. Perhaps if a planning department can raise some money by charging for TPO apps then they can actually afford to pay enforcement officers to visit sites and prosecute those that flout the law. On the other hand as you say Simon, this could well lead to alot of people simply not bothering to go through the application process. As contractors we will need to pass on the cost of applications to our clients which is going to make our services more expensive....which may lead to customers choosing to use less reputable contractors. As usual the Daily Mail have managed to put their ridiculous spin on it though: "There would be little to stop councillors piling into cars to inspect every application - followed by a pub lunch - knowing they could pass on the full costs to the applicant. " As if council staff have the time to take the piss with going out for pub lunches at the tax payers expense. Most Tree Officers I know are stretched beyond full capacity already.

Your price is your price, simple as that. It doesn't matter whether it's a few hundred quid for a day or tens of thousands for a big contract. But that wasn't really your question....yes, it is low to poach work and undercut people. I wouldn't do it. The guy will catch a cold if he keeps doing that. It just shows that he doesn't know how to price work properly but you do.

Bear grylls book 'facing up' is a good read. Let's not forget that he was the youngest Brit to summit Everest a while back. And that was shortly after breaking his back whilst in the army. He has my respect!

I prefer watching Bruce Parry's stuff. He is obviously a solid bloke but doesn't tend to brag about it - instead he focuses on the tribes he is visiting. I haven't done any proper solo wilderness stuff - I am not sure I am made of the right stuff. I love camping and travelling to remote areas but need company!

Me too. I am really hoping to make it out to one of the American tree conferences some time and tag on a trip to see the Redwoods etc. Looks awesome.