John Hancock

Cycling for me.....My mountain-bike cost a cool £4500 - in 1995!!

Well done Stevie for bringing the subject up. Stress, depression and anxiety are subjects we rough, tough Arb types don’t talk about easily (especially me). I don’t have the stress of running a business, just the stress, remorse and depression associated with throwing everything I once cherished away. I’m made-up for you for beating it brother, as for myself - I still have a long way to go (cant even see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, let alone the blue-sky, clarity and sunshine I long for). Keep smiling.

Only just noticed this thread so apologies if this has already been covered…... Our guys all have to have passed the NPTC brush cutter course before using a strimmer. All guards have to be in place and not ‘modified’ i.e. moved upwards and strimmer cord lengthened. A site specific risk assessment should be filled out, together with a method statement. Part of the risk assessment would entail walking the area looking for obstructions, objects etc… If you’ve done all this then you’ve for filled your duty of care towards yourself and members of the public.

Very nice mate. I’ve never been to Scotland – always wanted to, so I guess a road-trip in the Caterham may be on the cards!

They look lovely mate, one of my favorite trees with its whiter than white peeling bark. Even better get a multi-stemed one. Beautiful!

Remove them and replace with a Betula utilis jacquemontii, it’ll give a nice contrast.

I’d like to have a look under the subsiding branch to see the amount of reaction wood and creasing underneath. I wouldn’t put the picnic rug under it, that’s for sure!

I am serious dude! No camping on site, period - still looking into the rest. If the college has plenty of accommodation why don’t we make the decision to all go there as the last thing we want is members spread all over the place.

Apparently it’s the ‘intellectual academics’ way of pronouncing it David, surprised you didn’t know that. :001_tongue:

I'm booking tomorrow - race-ya!

Hmmmmm, mine would have to be..... The Indefinite growth habits, the concepts of immortality, the misapplied concept of a finite lifespan, the phases of expansion, maturity and retrenchment, and not forgetting the accumulation of physiological wood. ....Oh-yeh, and he cant pronounce ‘fungi’ properly. haha

They did last year, 'Stumpy' stayed there when he was with Stumpbusters, he also mentioned there was a bar and......wait for it, students!

Here we have phenom and swing-bob signing up the latest member of Arbtalk….

So next time your thinking of buying trees - Buy Barchams

What a lovely day! Sunshine, lovely free food, nice setting, good company – Oh, and David Lonsdale. All we needed was a beer tent and it would have been like old times!

I think 1000 posts on Arbtalk should get you 30 CEU's.....

......... try Paul Colley Davies (Seems like a nice chap) He’s also into bush-craft in a BIG way,here is a link to his web site…. Bushcraft Adventures

Fair-play mate, I'm my own worst enemy - running around like a blue-arsed-fly all the time!

I sent an e-mail off to the Bathurst Estate today, telling the estate secretary what a fine bunch of fellows we arb-types really are and informing her of our predicament. She knows some local farmers who might be able to help……fingers crossed!

That is a down-side with the ISA, and I must admit something its easy to let slip or forget. If you pass the Tech Cert, you have it for life - But don’t forget, this whole industry is a 'continued learning’ process which is constantly changing and evolving.

ISA Cert Arb.is a good qualification and I’d never knock it, in my opinion it’s a fairly quick and easy way to get a recognised certificate. The RFS is a different little beastie in that its not multiple choice and you apply your mind a lot more in order to get the same level qualification as the ISA Cert Arb. A lot of people stop when they pass the theory exam and never go on to gain the practical units in order to make-up the full certificate, which is a shame because I think it’s a very good certificate to hold. The AA Tech Cert is different again (you have to apply mind and effort even more than the RFS Cert Arb). If you have the time and commitment then go for this one. As an employer I value the RFS Cert Arb (partly because I did it myself, together with the practical units; so I can appreciate the effort involved) It’s a good, well rounded qualification that deserves a higher status than a level 2. I then sat the ISA Cert Arb soon after and found it much, much easier. I then went on to the AA Cert Arb, again a very good qualification but I’d use the other two as preparation first. Good-luck fella!

Well done MisterTEE, good find! The pub is 5.5KM from the show ground. I wonder if there is one closer?