Thea

Scrap that, have since climbed in a TreeMotion and found it way more comfy!

yeah, thats that facebook group thingy I hardly ever bother with cos arbtalk always seems to swallow my internet time up!

When you get excited 'cause someone's given you a keyring as a gift and its a tiny metal stihl chainsaw complete with moving chainbrake. When you've gone to a car show in a friends classic car and the first thing you do is look up and suggest they park somewhere else 'cause the mature tree they've just parked under if full of dead wood. When more than one of the books in your pile of bed time reading is about trees. When you're booked to go to a major VW rally the same weekend as someone organises a climbing weekend and without hesitation know you'd rather be climbing trees!

Count me in, Cumbria or West Yorks

My baby:

Hello! I'm also female and sort of slender (34" hips) and have just started climbing. The only harness I've used is a Tree Magic but it fits well and is very comfy.

Go surfing! (or for less excitement there's always the eden project and lots of other gardens and similar)

My suggestion to anyone with a bad back or any other muscular/skeletal strain or injury would be to go and get treated by a Bowen therapist. Failling that see an osteopath.

I haven't got them booked but hopefully in the not too distant future yes

Loved the course, passed both CS30 & 31 yesterday, well chuffed!

What is it with Springers? My sister can't keep hers out of the water or the mud either!

CS30 & 31 at Askham Bryan including course, assesment & PPE hire is setting me back £495. I thought that seemed a fair bit 'till I read this thread! I'm glad I don't have to pay nearly as much as some of you guys are Thankfully I also enjoy camping so thats keeping down my accommodation costs for the week

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/surface_pressure.html Helps keep an eye on those low pressures

Thanks Rowan for the vote of enthusiasm! I did actually book to do the course today (they needed a quick decision 'cause other people also wanted the place) and now I'm actually quite excited. Can't wait to get started! Now all I need is for someone to offer me a job...

The Askham-Bryan college have emailed me saying they've had a cancellation for their 5 day CS30 & 31 course and assesment in the middle of June and would I like the place. So how many of you think I should go for this and how many think I should wait?

Thanks guys for your comments so far! Just wondering, if i was going to do the short courses to start with instead of the NVQ would it it be more useful to a potential employer to do CS30 & 31 or CS30 and the brushwood chipper one? Also, please excuse my ignorance but what is line clearance and why is it considered 'the dark side'? Oh yes, and I'm 24 if it makes any difference.

Hello all, I come from a backround in horticulture but am looking to get into arboriculture. Full time study not an option financially and also from a wanting to learn some useful practical skills to get me started point of view I would prefer to get stuck straight into work. An option I had been looking at was to do the NVQ level 2 Apprenticeship with the Askam Bryan college at York. Plusses - most of the training done in the work place, includes several NPTCs, course for me is free. Minuses - Stuck on £60 per week training wage for 2 yrs (not even minimum wage?!!!), long drive to York for block release college attendance. Second option was to fund taking NPTC 30 and 31 myself and then see if I could get employed and save up to do more at a later date. Through my enquiries though it seems like there are some companies who will take on trainees and give in house training, which also seems like a good idea. Has anyone had any experience of any of the above and could tell me a bit more? Or has anyone got any other suggestions I've not thought of yet? Any opinions or guidence will be greatly appreciated as I'm feeling just a bit clueless!