Gnarlyoak

Bah, if I didnae have a busted leg I would have loved to fly in all heroic like and clear a bit of hurricane damage. But I think I would prefer to nip into the Caribbean (Jamaica/Cuba) for a working holiday than New York state! Like ELG says, post some pics of the destruction if you get a proper battering. All the best, Rick

Hmmmm, wonder where he nicked them from......

Ouch mate, feel your pain. Hope you heal fast with no long term ill effects. I second the "I wish I had taken out insurance" thought. I'm 5 weeks into recovery from a climbing accident, still practically housebound, had to resort to claiming benefits to survive and still months away from being able to return back to work. So another good heads up for all the boys and girls out there, to take care and if you are working for yourself seriously consider getting yourself some good personal accident cover. You never know when you're gonna need until you need it! And if you think you can't afford, ask yourself can you afford to live without it when your unlucky enough to have it all go Pete Tong!?!

This item is hitting the major news channels. BBC News - 'Ash dieback' fungus Chalara fraxinea in UK countryside So far the outbreak appears to have hit just one area of woodland in East Anglia. But this disease has the potential to be as serious and as devastating to ash as Dutch elm disease was in the 70's. Currently ash trees make up 30% of the tree cover across the UK. Imagine losing nearly 1 in every 3 trees you see today!! The Forestry Commission is taking the matter so seriously that they are treating it as a notifiable quarantine pest under national emergency measures. Forestry Commission - Pests and diseases - Ash dieback (Chalara fraxinea) They are also looking to bring in legislation to restrict the import and movement of ash tree material into and around the country. But please read the FC blurb about what this actually means before you all go and have a knee jerk reaction and think that you can't carry on bimbling about in your vans carrying ash woodchip, logs and timber. Forestry Commission - Q & A - Chalara legislation Sadly the only bright side to this bad news, is if the disease does take hold and proves to be as bad as Dutch elm, there will plenty of work for everyone! Though maybe not so good for firewood sellers in the future when the supply of ash logs outsrips demand!

I feel utterly deprivide now, the septic's get dark chocolate; almond & coconut flavour M&M's. Why are'nt these available in the UK DAGGNAMMIT!!

If you read the whole article to the Conclusion, it does warn you that it can be harmful to humans! So with no offence intended you were perhaps a bit naive to feel safe about using it and not worrying about "inhaling a bit here and there". Like anything else in this world, you have to read the small print, not just skim them to cherry pick the information you want to see/hear. The document itself is dated from 1996, so in reality "a heads up" thread should'nt really be necessary. The dangers have been available in the public domain for at least 16 years! Here is the conclusion paragraph from the afore mentioned document. Conclusion Glyphosate can be an effective tool in weed control programmes and is relatively less harmful than many of the products which compete with it in the market place. There is nevertheless evidence of toxic effects on humans as well as environmental toxicity, indirect environmental damage and resistance in some target weed species. Since glyphosate is being marketed as a safe and environmentally friendly product and its use is so extensive, there is a danger that damage to non-target plants including endangered species will increase. Habitat damage and destruction will occur more frequently and more instances of weed resistance will appear. Cultivation of glyphosate resistant crops will potentially exacerbate these problems. So while glyphosate provides a welcome move away from chemicals which are highly toxic to humans and other non target organisms, and from chemicals which cause direct and lasting damage to the environment, it may be introducing more subtle indirect forms of damage of which users need to be aware.

I always thought that it was the honeydew (aphid poo) deposits that this fungi grew upon.

If its been out in rest of Europe for several months how come the release in the UK is delayed for so long? I know the majority of Britain would be quite happy to NOT be in Europe, but last time I lokked we were still mired in the pan European experiment that is akin to an arranged marriage from hell. I've always thought that the UK has a much more advanced; professional and pro active tree care industry than many other countries in Europe, even the more advanced countries like France, Austria, germany to some extent. So why does takle so long for new tree care products to get here. I would of thought if anything it would be worth getting the new stuff here first so that it could be put through its paces.

I'll bear it mind mate. Got a shed load more from the quack this afternoon. Not sure they'll be many left though by the time I'm finished with 'em.

Cheers, Rob. Remind me to give you a swift kick in your shiny things next time we meet up.

Loved the rabbit glue. Not to sure if milk glue would have been much good, not after the way the floor plaster, which contained milk, started to crack up! Thought the idea of making his own glass and the way they went about it was brilliant. The window they created from it was a work of art.

Are you sure it was three dead pigs and not his wife or the unwitting victim of a gangland murder?

Many thanks to all for your kind words of support & encouragement. Tis much appreciated.

Yup, perfectly entitled to cut any overhanging branches right back to the boundary/fence line. However he is obliged by law, to offer the cut material back to the owner of the tree. Of course the back end of a cut conifer is not a nice view to have to live with, may even restrict the appeal of the property when he comes to try and sell it. Would it be possible to trim it back hard with hedge cutters on his side but at least leave it green? Maybe the old dear next is not a fan of the conifers herself, could he perhaps offer an olive branch by offering to pay to have the hedge reduced/removed?

Good afternoon all. How often do the climbers out there, who are doing the job day in & day out, who are repetitively performing the same actions in each tree when setting their anchor point, check and then double check the setting of their anchor each and every time. Does it become an autonomous action which you complete almost subconsciously each time you do it. Does the familiarity of the same action each and every time, risk you becoming unconciously complacent. Before last week I would not have stopped to think about such an existential question. Since last week I think I may have formed a different view, but then again hindsight is a wonderful thing. Last thursday morning, I was in the process of dismantling a smallish inconsequential robinia. I climbed to the top part of the tree and set my mainline up through a cambium saver. Locked my karabiner into place on my harness, and then released my side strop to move around the tree and begin the dismantling of the same. Only to suddenly find my self hurtling to the ground at an increasing speed of knots. Needless to say the impact arrival at the foot of the tree was fast, unexpected and jeez Loiuse excrutiatingly painful. The pain came from right ankle which had taken a massive impact blow on my descent. As the groundy/employer tried to disconnect my twisted rope from my harness, and through the sheets of pain, I was pulling at my rope to work out what had gone wrong. The problem when I found it was obvious and the error blindingly and stupidly basic. When passing my rope through the cambium saver, I had missed passing it through 1 of the 2 rings! WTF!!!!!!! The rest of the day became a blur of pain and morphine induced surreal nightmare. Punctuated throughout with the nagging self admonishment of how, why, stupid stupid stupid. The guy I was working for was a solid rock of support and encouragement, the paramedics, NHS trauma team and surgeons were outstanding. The outcome. I suppose I was lucky, it could have been so much worse....! Despite falling approx 40ft, was a broken right ankle. I say broken, in fact the impact I sustained in the fall, managed to smash the base of my tibia and fibula into 29 pieces, the tibia also had a helical fracture which extended up to within 3 inches of my knee. The only thing that was keep my foot (which was also dislocated) connected to my leg was skin and sinew. I spent 5hrs in surgery the following day having an "external fixator" fitted to try and stablise the broken bones. I'll have to wear this for at least 6 weeks, while the bones try to heal themselves, and form something a bit more solid than the soup they currently are. Assuming I don't have any further complication, I will then have to spend at least a further 6 weeks in plaster. If all goes well, then I will only be unable to work for the rest of this year! SO trust me boys and girls, if you want a mechanno set buy one, and double check your rope is set properly before you release your side strop. 'COS you definately don't want to do what I did and get a free one off the NHS. I've had a world of pain for the last 6 days, and 3 painful, boring months of recovery to look forward to........... To add insult to injury, the paramedic had to cut off my boot, less than two months old, and the NHS trauma team at Wythenshaw Hospital, Manchester had to cut off my chainsaw pants, less than 1 month old. The paramedic would have done it but did'nt have anything strong enough to cut thru the material. Enjoy the pics, and stay safe people.

Seeing the recent thread on, "do you work in the rain", reminds me of a question that I find myself mulling over from time to time. Do you stay in the tree during a thunder & lightning storm or do you bale out sharpish until its passed? Has anyone ever heard of any climber anywhere in the world who has been struck by lightning whilst working in a tree? I do tend to carry on unless the storm gets really close, then usually get out of the tree more to avoid the heavy downpour that usually comes with it.

Seeing the recent thread on, "do you work in the rain", reminds me of a question that I find myself mulling over from time to time. Do you stay in the tree during a thunder & lightning storm or do you bale out sharpish until its passed? Has anyone ever heard of any climber anywhere in the world who has been struck by lightning whilst working in a tree? I do tend to carry on unless the storm gets really close, then usually get out of the tree more to avoid the heavy downpour that usually comes with it.

This position is now filled. Many thanks to all those that expressed an interest.

This position is now filled. Many thanks to all those that expressed an interest.

Hope you asked for a photo of her before you replied, she's probably the size of a bus with the face of a moose!

Looking for a freelance self employed Groundsman to work on a 3 month contract starting in South Manchester at the end of this month. Initially we are looking for a commitment until the end of this year, with the possibility of further work being avaialble in Jan.2013. You will be working for a well established and respected Arb.Assoc. approved North West tree care company. Hours of work 07:30 - 16:30 Mon - Fri. Some occasional work may also be available at weekends. Must have CS30/31 & CS39 as a minimum. Driving licence essential, ability to tow legally would be useful (though not essential). Must be a grafter, reliable, self motivated, and be able to display a common sense and safe approach to conducting ground support operations with a good working knowledge of rigging systems. The successful candidate will be supporting up to two climbers. Providing your own PPE, you should be smart and presentable, able to communicate and articulate in the Queens English, not monosyllabic grunts, and be able to put in a full days work without the need to have your mobile phone crowbarred out of your clenched fist every two minutes. If the successful candidate has their climbing ticket and would like to gain more climbing experience, then we would be happy to mentor you as and when time and work restraints allow. If you are interested in this role, please reply by sending me a PM in the first instance, with details of your tickets and work experience. Please include an evening contact number and an indication of your daily/weekly rate.

I thought I saw one once, but when I got to the otherside of the woodland glade, I relalised it was only your average common or garden Bigfoot & Yeti, drinking beer and torturing a squirrel over their camp fire.

Hi Woodworks, You will need to reduce your beeches gradually over a period of years. Mature, semi mature beeches do not respond well to having their crowns removed. In fact they may well die......!

David, if you think Warwick is "Northern enough", then you really need to get out of London village more. It's much closer to London, than it is to Manchester or York or Newcastle or Glasgow or Aberdeen....... Hosted in Manchester two yrs ago, blimey.... I'll just go and warm up the Tardis. Just out of interest in that last two years how many arb events have been organised in and around London & the Home Counties, and how many events were held anywhere further north than Birmingham.

If its 5% for 1 tonne of firewood then its 5% for 1000 tonnes of firewood. Same as its 20% VAT wether you're buying 1 chainsaw or 1000. Simples!