Rob D

Yep I mean it's making assumptions not backed up with facts - but the organisation seems distanced from those that are on the ground working or the equipment suppliers. Does anyone know anyone at CONFOR as to what they are actually like as people?

Out of interest is their anyone high up the ranks in CONFOR who is on this forum?

The whole 'CONFOR' thing seems something of a closed shop to me - do they ever ask for advice or comments from common tree folk and dealers? Each sunsequent show is always a 'massive success building on the last one!'.  I don't know any of the personalities or people that are involved - it doesn't feel very unified. If the entry could be reduced to £10 would be good... we had a street food set up on a field near me this year - massive choice and good eating for around £10-00 a go. But if running it all has large costs then maybe you have to pass that on - I looked through their company filings but I am shit at accounting and what it all means! 

And it's easy to moan about stuff without bothering to find out the facts behind it.

CONFOR I think owns the APF Ltd Company - chair of that is Ian Duncan - who it's hard not to type cast reading the below. Is it all just a case of 'jobs for the boys'? Watching vids on youtube the 'honourable lord' comes out with the usual practiced political rhetoric. When are we going to have some folk with some honest dirt under their nails making policys!

Appointed a working peer by UK Prime Minister in 2017, Ian is currently Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.  

Previously Ian was a UK Government Minister, serving in each of the territorial departments (Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland) and laterly as Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for international negotiations. Before joining the Government, he spent over a dozen years in Brussels, finally as an MEP. During his time in the European Parliament, Ian sat on the committees responsible for Environment and for Energy (ITRE). He was the Parliament’s chief negotiator on the reform of EU carbon markets and was his group’s chief negotiator on nine pieces of environmental legislation.

APF INTERNATIONAL FOREST MACHINERY EXHIBITION LTD. filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

FIND-AND-UPDATE.COMPANY-INFORMATION.SERVICE.GOV.UK

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APF INTERNATIONAL FOREST MACHINERY EXHIBITION LTD. - Free company information from Companies House...

The feedback I mostly saw on social media was that the food was pretty poor quality and silly prices and people missed the woodland demo area [I may be wrong this is just the impression I got from social media]. But I suppose better to have some sort of show than no show at all. It's hard to drum up the enthuiasm to do it these days but maybe I'm getting older!

Looks really good - not cheap as I suppose for any team you need at least 2+ sets. I'm not familiar with what else is out there and how it compares. Having used a cheap and cheerful blue tooth communicator I couldn't believe how less stressful it made the work!

A brilliant machine at a crazy price. Was so looking forward to this as pretty sure it can work off a 12v battery which in my dreams meant you could go to a milling job and have it sharpening a chain while you are still working [then swap over every 4 or 5 planks]. Doing the depth gauges as well is magic.

The person who came up with the above 'key data' should find a job in politics!

Haha! Where's Mark Bolam when you need him - he would have a field day on this.. prob on Facebook, or Instagram, or Tick Tock [I don't even know what Tick Tock is!]

Is it just me but a lot of manufacturers seem to promote themselves with homo erotic type pictures? I'm not homosexual myself [chance would be a fine thing it seems a hell of a lot simpler] but I'd like to hear other opinions? The pics above seem to be.. well..  let's keep it simple.. homo erotic. [my opinion only] so I'm not sure why Stihl would use pics when most of the men in this industry will not be homo sexual? Is this a case of emperors new clothes ie. no one wants to state the obvious or is this down to my repressed desires that have been held in check all these 47 years....

Good work Steve

Good stuff

Yep written an objection - you saying it needs to be done is good enough for me! Rob