Zenfordinner

Aye. There is much to be said for attitude and approach. Sharp employers will smell a disgruntled person a mile off. For better or for worse, we live in a market economy and stubborness,alas, will not change market forces.

An eagle coming out of the water with a big fish in its claws.

I,too, would like to find a supplier of dry logs in the Bedfordshire area. If anyone can hook me up, I shall appreciate it. Cheers.

Aha! I wondered where I had left it...

Jojam has a good point regarding the hidden costs. The cost of your employee includes 24 days paid holiday (I think it is still 24), ppe,insurance(vehicles & public liability), any damages to your equipment and client's property will ultimately be your responsiblity; if he becomes injured or ill,you cannot just sack him. Also, employees have recourse in terms of dismissal. An employer is obliged to provide a written contract to the employee within two months of the start date. Contracts might sound tedious but it gives you the opportunity to set out rules/protocol. So, you could state that holidays are to be agreed (or something along those lines, to avoid him taking two weeks off at your busiest time of year,for example). You could also include a clause that he agrees not to set up own business within x number of years. Such details could benefit you and your investment in an employee. It might, in the long-term, be worth a call to a solicitor regarding the scope of contract; and adding up the cost of holidays,ppe,insurances, and wages for a year (perhaps to start,use minimum wagefor a guage). After you figure out how much your employee will, figure out how much they will earn for you. Will they earn (increase your income,contribute sufficiently to cover your costs) their pay? Wages must be sustainable, so whatever wage you start him off, you will want to be able to increase it a little on a yearly basis (to keep up with inflation, give incentive/show appreciation). Just a few thoughts that I hope are of some use to you.

I find that soaking the swollen area in a fairly strong solution of baking soda and cool water is useful for reducing the heat and swelling (and any itchiness) of stings. An epi-pen is probably a good idea especially as one's reactions to wasp stings tend to become stronger with repetition.

I have learnt to never underestimate the amount of ventilation required for our open fire (in an old, draughty cottage), as it quickly becomes apparent if not enough fresh air is available. A few things I have learned about indoor fires etc: Make sure chimney is properly swept- the brush top should extend the top of the chimney. The colder it is outside the better the draw; the hotter the fire, the better the draw. Burning wood consumes more oxygen than one thinks. We put up a taller chimney pot when we relined our chimney to lessen the effects of turblence on the fire. Sometimes, we get a bit of back-draught but usually because fire needs stirring and room needs air. Wood burns better on a bed of ash. (You probably have a solid grate in your stove if not, worth considering filling the gaps. I used shards of fallen roof tiles).

Going back a little: Ecology is popular. Perhaps there is more awareness of ecology, which became topical some decades ago, with various groups campaigning about the extinction of animals, the destructive effects of deforestation, such as landslides, and so on. A number of these organisations used ecology to support their case, such as the group responsible for increasing awareness of a decrease in numbers of the Spotted- Owl in the late '80s. This group (whose name I forget) outlined the link between habitat and species and the knock-on effects in terms of other species including plants, etc.

because it lacks turbo injectors