Ty Korrigan

I call my Dad (77) every other day since Mum passed prior to the lock down. He is still angry that her operation was delayed to the point of no return due to the hospital 'reserving' spaces for a pandemic that never arrived. Last year he came over and we spend a long week touring the Somme together in the middle of a heatwave. Visited Waterloo and all the museums and sites associated with the battle. This year I hoped he would come over and tour the landing beaches and Falaise pocket but that clearly isn't to be. His two Grandchildren were all over him, he really needed a break from nursing my Mother. I made the crossing just before the latest quarantine for a week, the first time since frontiers closed in March. I'm only 2 hours by road and 5 hours by ferry and can see clearly that I will be making the crossing far more regularly and perhaps with a child in tow. Stuart

Dragging oak branches up slope today was made difficult by the carpet of acorns under foot. A lone small oak which failed. There was extreme loading on some of the branches, a slight touch of a saw and BANG! Stuart

Single male climbers come and go I find. Boredom and loneliness outside of work being the main cause. I feed and water them when possible but cannot be their buddy outside of work, cruising bars and visiting meth dens. Having family in France and a social activity or sport will certainly help stabilise and integrate him. I hope it works out. Stuart

@Mick Dempsey Will your nephew join you in France for a work experience? Stuart

I'm also a product of the Jack Kenyon 10 week Merrist mill. I was pretty crap and insecure for a while though tip top in the science part being a Merrist horticulture student in the early '90s. I went out climbing at the weekends and evenings at my own pace to try and get my head around exposure and work positioning. It was a very mixed group of students. I was the oldest with many being around 19. Some sent there as last resorts by social services and exasperated parents, others by their employers, a few like me paying their own way as a change of career. One student even ended up on an environmental quango and addressed the House of Lords. I recall a lecturer shooting squirrels with an air rifle during lectures. He had a table set up in the woods with peanuts on it and a target. One unlucky tree rat ended up skewered down onto the rooftop aerial of a students car. Another student arrived for class complaining of a burning smell from his car. His boss had wedged a dead duck in the manifold. There was a student of colour on another course. He got ribbed by a lecturer for losing control of a tractor whilst winching. The tractor was pulled up and over onto it's side. The video may still be on Youtube today. The student made a complaint against the lecturer using the race card which resulted in the lecturer being suspended. We as a class wrote a letter of support for the lecturer. I left Merrist as a mediocre climber but understanding the basics. With practice I've understood more and remained a fairly mediocre climber but there are many trees well suited to a man of my skill level so earning a coin has never been a problem. For the ones beyond me, there are hungry subbies. I've been back since for courses, love it there. Stuart

Ty is Breton for house. Korrigan is a Breton sprite, elf type creature. It was the name of my old house near Corlay in Brittany. Stuart

You kept that quiet...lol!

Toxic or Sour Mulch - Wood Alcohol | University of Maryland Extension EXTENSION.UMD.EDU

Specifically 50% maple, field maple I think and hornbeam In full leaf, very warm conditions. Chipped into a pile on site. Overnight, the garden was heady with the unmistakable fumes of alcohol. The client, a teetotal was very amused. I was surprised, I've noticed this phenomenon before but nowhere near as strong I did a quick google and found an article from America which mentioned this and it's toxicity for plants if used as a mulch due to levels of acetic acid. Any-one more info on this? Stuart

That... is clearly a miniaturised mobile V2 launching platform... Stuart

Although I've never had any issues with woodchip combusting, I do get the occasional customer comment that their woodchip pile is smouldering. It never is though. We know that. However, it got me thinking after learning a local biomass company has suffered severe fires in their rather large chip piles which proved very difficult to extinguish, that there might be a 'critical mass' where pyrolysis occurs. I found this article which I'm saving for my 5 hour ferry crossing tomorrow: Low temperature ignition of biomass - ScienceDirect WWW.SCIENCEDIRECT.COM Biomass is an especially reactive fuel. There have been large... Any-one had any experience of fire in woodchip piles? Stuart

I'm sorry, I've no wish to derail an interesting discussion on trucks but... The homicide rate for Morocco is 1.42 per 100'000. This is on a par with most E.U countries. The U.K being 1.2. South Africa being 36, USA 5 and the US Virgin Islands a staggering 50 Stuart

I find the Vanguard Efi to be a user of oil. I've not measured the rate but it often catches me by surprise just how low the oil has dropped between blade changes. Might just be mine of course... Stuart

Honestly, Scotspine, your unworldly opinions are toxic and of no real value. I am comfortable with my real world on hands experience of life travelling the less trodden roads. I believe 99.99% of people mean me no serious harm. Stuart

The homicide rate as well as other crimes is lower than many E.U countries. One of the suspects was arrested in Smimou not far from our place near Essaouira. Yes, savage murders and wildly reported but Morocco is still safer than many UK cities. The social contract is tight in Morocco. I can knock on almost any door and expect help, water, food, a place to rest. I am greeted with smiles and open arms wherever I go. Maybe they are laughing at my uncut hair tight immodest lycra shorts. Stuart

I have cycled into the Sahara from our home on the coast and next year hope to travel deeper still. I'd like to ride down to Timbuctu if the situation ever calms. Whilst the interior of disputed Western Sahara, Mauritania and Mali remain 'difficult' much of Moroccan held territory is quite safe as is the coast. To add, I feel safer in Morocco than many cities in France or U.K. Stuart

Both have a rustic wooden push shovel which looks like it was hand made by a Sussex Weald Bodger which is a nice accessory on a €30k machine...

TP175 is a well built machine. I like the ease of maintenance and access to all areas. Like the TW it is less top heavy than my 150p and sways less. The fuel and hydro tanks being low down. A clutch in the form of a servo which tightens the 4 drive belts at the push of a button. It has 3 down sides for me though. Narrow infeed and a sensative, gangly, sticky out stop bar. Even the rep struggled with feeding and blamed my lack of branch prep. I replied, "this a test and much the same branches used for the Wolf" Sadly the 26hp diesel after the 35hp of the TW just didn't quite get my juices flowing. The TP does have a strong reputation for reliability... The TW230 was a shock to the system after using a GM150p It reminded me of our GM200 which was most excellent for the short time our company owned it. I'm in the UK next week and will be returning the 150p to GM for repairs so maybe I'll be able to sniff out an Evo demo. Stuart

I had the TW230 35hp on demo yesterday. Afterwards I thought " that is how a chipper should be..." Then today, the TP175 which though very well made has a clumsy stop bar and only 26hp plus a narrow infeed. I'll try an Evo next. Stuart

Still smarts today losing it to the liquidateur... Stuart

Partisans hide in the mountains and shoot Germans. I rather like Germans, they make reliable chippers... Stuart

Not the €10k quoted locally... I've seen new tipping units, Ford one stop with alloy sides for sale for around £1k online. Obviously no greedy boards. I'm in the U.K for a couple of weeks taking my chipper back to GM for warranty work and thought I'd see about the tipping unit whilst I was there. I can get it welded locally of course. My man who can is also a woodsman here and we occasionally work together. Stuart

I had a 7.2t Iveco Daily with tool box, regular steel tipping unit with alloy plank sides, tarp roof which had a 3.7t capacity. Use of alloy would have made it close to 4t Stuart

Hello, I've a 2007 Iveco double cab whose tipping unit is becoming a bit rotten. It is also quite a heavy unit too not that it matters now I've 5.5t springs fitted. My question for the members of the Parish is. "Where to go to find a fresh compatible USED tipping unit on the South coast of England?" I'm not looking for a fancy new £10k custom alloy body here due to the age of the truck. I admit, I know little about the subject but can see ram and hinges position being rather important. If it proves too much of a fag, I'll get it patched locally. Thanks Stuart