monkeybusiness

I need to speak to my accountant about the finer details (I'm under the impression that it will be a tax free tool allowance payment in addition to their wages, paid for each day that they provide working saws). That's how it worked many moons ago when I was employed by Tilhill and supplied my own saws. The idea is certainly not to punish the lads - it has to be economically viable from both sides (and this way they effectively end up with their own saws paid for by the company). I'm happy to supply saws that they then pay for from their daily allowance, so there won't be any up-front costs. It is pretty standard practice with several firms in the utility industry - I'm just trying to get a feel for rates. I'm not concerned by HSE etc - it's no different to how we already operate really. Lads are trained and competent, undertake daily recorded PUWER checks - if they turn up with saws that aren't fit for purpose they won't get paid their daily allowance. Yes they will have to provide files/chains/bars etc - I'd imagine it might extend the working life of files and chains a bit too somehow... This all needs to be included within the allowance.

We're having a bit of an issue with employees not looking after our kit as well as hoped... I'm contemplating going back to the old skool and paying the lads a daily allowance to provide their own saws (company to provide fuel and oil, as well as blower/big saws etc when necessary). What's the going rate being paid to employees to provide their own ground saw and climbing saw? All PPE/climbing kit etc will continue to be provided by the business - this is just a rate for 2x saws. PM me if you'd prefer - I won't share any 'secret' info. Cheers in advance you beautiful people!

I think Evans is great - it took big balls to get involved with top gear and he stepped up to the plate. There was no way he would be able to succeed as there was a massive undercurrent of resentment towards him from the press, which fired up the numbskull Clarksonistas who were never going to give him a chance. (FWIW I think Clarkson is a genius and he pretty much invented the infotainment television that TG was at the forefront of. However, the last 3 series had become very tired, monotonous and staged and I for one wasn't sorry when that era came to an end). Evans has relaunched TG and I have to say this most recent series has (IMO) been the best that has been turned out for several years. The new presenters are brilliant - as far as I know Chris Evans pulled them all together and has been deeply involved in the overall production from the start of his involvement. He has had no choice but to fall on his sword to give the current show any chance of success - when it does return for the next series and all of the back-biting surrounding Evans dies down I would imagine it will grow into a big show with massive viewing figures. Just remember that Chris Evans's creativity will be largely responsible for any future success, even in his absence.

Could do with a bigger table on that splitter though! Great set up to be fair - nice thinking!

Ha ha! I don't think anyone was getting near the cab on the Big Feller Eddie - no way would Liebherr want any dirt getting in there! The 970 on their stand was some tool too - it should be for £450k to be fair (but that looked pretty reasonable compared to £170k for a 10 tonne Atlas Copco pecker displayed near by)!!!! Great show, and plenty of food for thought!

Yeah, I was talking to the fella from Liebherr who heads up the refurbishment team and he was rightly very proud of it as a showcase. I couldn't believe it when he let me have a go, and I was surprised how well that shear cuts through limestone too....

Saw this today - it's a beast! Lots of great attention to detail - there is a lot of really tidy work just gone into that hitch set up alone. The build pics alongside were amazing too! I was hoping to have a poke around the grapple saw but sadly no... Good luck with it Eddie, it looks very ready for action now!

Apparently the new Discovery has some sort of trailer stability software too. IME, if you are towing anything at all heavy you need a decent trailer (serviceable tyres and brakes that work correctly etc) with 50-100kg nose weight (definitely not negative nose weight) with a level or slightly high hitch (ie imposing weight on the tow vehicle's rear axle, not trying to lift it). If the trailer is heavier than the tow vehicle it is absolutely imperative that these basic rules are followed, and speed is kept low. Other than my incident recounted in the earlier post I have experienced serious snaking 3 times in 20 plus years of towing large and heavy trailers (I know it's 3 as each one was terrifying and not quickly forgotten). After each event I realised that all 3 were down to poorly distributed loads on relatively light weight tow vehicles.

We did a quick 'Advanced Towing' seminar at a client's safety briefing and the instructor advised braking hard as the trailer pendulums back into line and then getting straight back off the brakes as it swings through - exactly as you describe this helps pull things straight at the same time as shedding speed. I recently had the opportunity to try this method on the A55 heading down Rhualt hill at 50-60mph (long and steep dual carriageway with a massive bend at the bottom that you definitely don't want to hit at 90mph with a trailer on the back!) and it didn't quite go to plan. It turned out one of the tyres on the rear axle of the heavily loaded Ifor 12x6 tipper had a slow puncture and this set things off when on the overrun as I crested the hill - there was a good half mile of brown-trousered-tank-slapper action as the truck/trailer combo wanted to pick up speed due to gravity and I tried to ride it out to see if it would calm itself down. In the end I was across both lanes and the hard shoulder so went s**t or bust for the timed brake stab and it all ended in tears with logs everywhere and a rather bent pickup and trailer (but no injuries and no third parties tied up in my mess, so pretty good outcome really). I would still try the brake stab as a last ditch attempt if in the same position again as the logic behind it makes sense and I'm sure it would work in some circumstances (and probably would have done if attempted earlier in my little escapade). I wouldn't ever rush to accelerate out of a snake (unless going uphill, but I've never known a trailer snake uphill as they are being dragged and are not doing the pushing) - I think you would need a lot of power to pull anything violently snaking back into line and then you still have the issue of too much speed with something unstable that you still have to slow down on the back. To the op - I'm glad there were no serious injuries - the Toyota looks to have stood up well (I'd hate to think what a defender roof/a-pillar would look like after that sort of treatment!). Enjoy Glastonbury, everything will feel better as the weekend progresses no doubt!!!

Have the ground levels been altered in the garden? The levels around the base of the tree look odd (particularly in the 4th pic in the original post).

Nothing track based comes close to the TT for excitement from a spectator's point of view. Anything motorbike based is leagues ahead of the monotony of a formula 1 procession nowadays imo - everything about F1 is sterile and soul less. MotoGP is ace, the riders are incredible! However, those that participate in road racing are proper balls-to-the-wall committed lunatics and I would recommend everyone should go and watch it (even if you have no interest in bikes or motorsport in general you would struggle to not be blown away seeing bikes pass you within arms length with no barriers other than the odd stone wall/barbed wire fence at 170mph plus on bumpy country roads! It is MEGA!!!

If I found one of my staff (employed or self employed) doing that to me it would be game over instantly, and I would never ever offer them any work or assistance again going forwards, even if it made my life hard in the short term. Only you know if the volume of potential work is worth your while stabbing your employer in the back for (and you obviously have morals, which is extremely important in a working relationship). We as a business regularly undertake work on behalf of what in reality could be seen as our our competitors but I wouldn't look to cut them out of the job. Reputation and working relationships are built up over time and have to be valued from both sides IMO.

Petrol (or WD40 if you are feeling posh).

This is the route I'd look to take (I don't know anything about railway works though to be honest, but I'd be amazed if owning a property next to a railway line makes you liable to do with your vegetation as Network Rail see fit at your expense following their rules!). Inform them of their right to prune back to their boundary if they so wish and leave it at that. If they want them out let them come to you for permission. If the trees are structurally unsafe then it is a slightly different story though, as you could be liable if they were to fail and someone was hurt/inconvenienced. Have they informed you that your trees are unsafe?

I read the first page and this last one, but my take on it is that c2 was too expensive and missed out (possibly been messed around, put it down to experience, move on, life is too short to sweat about dickhead messer customers who change their minds). C3 was appointed by C1 to do a job and now needs to get the money out of C1 (small claims, violence, whatever). The landowner/customer's agreement with C1 is irrelevant in terms of payment between c1 and c2 if this is all reported factually.

Hornbeam would be my recommendation - grows faster than beech, tolerates poor soil, holds its leaves in winter, looks like a beech hedge. And you can buy it tall and cheap. We've successfully put it in to replace conifer hedges that we have winched out - it doesn't seem bothered by any ground conditions however poor.

Spent the weekend at Sweetlamb giving it some beans - the weather was amazing and the place is fantastic! This is coming in to the timing checkpoint

Good news that is Pete - Turners are a decent outfit.

It's a pyramid scheme isn't it? Same as that Forever Living crap?

Perfect! I'm crying!

It's near Mortomley Park - I don't know Sheffield myself TBH!

Hi We are taking out some oak and sycamore tomorrow and Friday in North Sheffield and could do with a home for the logs and chip if anyone knows of anywhere? Probably a couple of transit loads of both. Cheers Dan (07970188050)

Every time I look at my wife I consider myself a lucky barsteward tbh. She must have a lot wrong in her head...

For what they are purported to cost I'd expect it to come with a kitchen, a couple of bathrooms and nice back garden too! Awesome machine though!

Similar story here with a Mantec snorkel on my Defender - I didn't have the heart to drill the windscreen frame to fit so attached with thick cable ties to roofrack and windscreen clamp. Genuinely looked fine (it wasn't obviously bodged), stayed in place for 4000 miles at every speed possible in a Land Rover. However, one day it departed with a bang on the M6. I guess that will teach me for fitting such a tart's accessory!