Mark Bolam

I’d got in after an easyish but sweaty day and had just popped an ice cold Tyskie lager. My wife Ruth went out for a run but rang after about 5 minutes. She was just out of the village and ran under a 18” dia 60’ sycamore on the verge which started creaking as she ran past. 6.30, dry, no wind. She turned round and it fell across the main road, getting hung up in the trees opposite. She called me so I pulled on my stinking Pfanners and boots, grabbed the 660 out the workshop and headed up. It’s the only road out of the top of the village. I got there as an ambulance was turning round. Pulled into the middle, hazards on, and got to work. Had it flat pretty quickly, managing not to bust the post and rail underneath the hung up side. Ruth and some good Samaritans (there was a fair queue each way) handballed everything into the verges well beyond the white line. Only downside was some gyppos in a Disco who bypassed everyone and drove through near the end, just missing my saw. God how I despise those scum. If I’d seen them coming they would have had a round through their windscreen. Landowner rocks up, nice guy, but a bit of a toff. Didn’t speak to me, which was fair enough, I was muffs down and flat out, but he spoke to Ruth. He basically said it wasn’t his tree, it was Highways tree because it was on the verge. (The butt is up a shallow banking, maybe 4m back from the white line. Backing onto woodland. probably fenced off once, but no discernible boundary now). I won’t be putting a bill into anyone, I just wanted to get the road clear. The thing is, is there a definitive ownership of roadside trees, or does it vary? My local council seem very keen to give up responsibility for every single bit of ground they can get away with at the moment, but roads need verges. Who owns them and the trees that are often contained within them? Saturday night, running into Sunday now, so timewasters and conspiracy theorists all welcome.

Never again Stu! One thing I did notice today was up the yard. In the first vid that little cord pile you can see when Beth is on the loader is what my mate wanted to keep for himself. He handballed it into the trailer behind his mower tractor. The main cord I loaded into the Transit was probably 18” dia in 3-4’ lengths. I ringed it today and got it in the log store. What a mess! Sod cleaning that much dust and crud up on site. Yes, it’s more time up the yard, but I can pick and choose when I do that. Loving the loader life.

Nothing is ever perfect, is it? Different level of machines to my little Cast, but the Klou grab on that has a simple pin I can pull to switch orientation 90deg, front on, side on, or knockabout. I think a rotator on mine would give me a lift height of about 12” and I’d need to put on another couple of stone. Again. IMG_6293.MOV

I’ve often wondered about that on rotating grabs. Can you switch to a ‘knockabout’ type function if required?

I read this as ‘Curried laurel leaves’ when I was really hungry. Most disappointing thread ever.

Well they started it.

I’m pretty lucky to live in Kent, so see Spits and Hurricanes pretty regularly, but it’s always special to see the Big Dog come over. What’s really important is that the young stagers of today are often so impressed that they delve into a bit of history and realise what some of their great grandparents did. They learn about the attrition rates of crews etc. It’s sobering stuff. Great thread Dan.

The problem I have with two rope working under the current guidelines is that HSE see it as a ‘one size fits all’ policy, which we all know is bollocks. What is also bollocks is to discount it entirely. I always have two systems in the truck, SRT and DRT (I can’t be arsed to type Ddrt every time) and will normally choose one depending on the job. Some really sketchy trees I’ve used a bomber anchor and climbed on the second system just in case, and used both to triangulate on really awkward stuff, but in reality, like others have said, it’s pretty rare. Single stem connies? WTF is your second ‘anchor’ achieving? I’ll choose what is quickest and safest for me every tree I climb. I’m really glad to hear that I’m not a total dinosaur, and that most pro climbers are using their experience and brains rather than a badly thought out spreadsheet. Great thread @Thesnarlingbadger

Seeing a Lanc always reminds me of the classic exchange between Frankfurt air control and a BA 747 in the 60’s. ’Speedbird 206 cleared for take off, please proceed to runway 19’ ’Hold on old chap, I’ll just check my map to work out where runway 19 is.’ (Imagine drawly voice, mirror shades, big moustache). ’Zis is unbelievable. Have you never been to Frankfurt before?’ ’I have actually. A few times in 1944. But it was dark. And I didn’t land.’

I wondered that but couldn’t see any water!

Majestic.

Tough day taking out some dead cherries for a mate. IMG_6547.MOV IMG_6546.MOV

Newton, Maynard, please stop ruining this thread with your bloody common sense.

Is that because you have a 960mm Zubat to suit your leg length?

No abuse from me mate, I make you spot on. Still one rope and lanyard when cutting is all I’ve done/seen down here in Kent. Probably only observed on big contracts. Might explain why HS2 budget has leapt from £55bn to £100bn!

Can’t help with the work mate, I’m in Kent, but what was that nest? Buzzard?

Never. They invented these amazing things called carabiners.

Thank you very much!

https://www.tiktok.com/@mikevasquez82/video/6958789178083626246?lang=en

It really is that simple isn’t it Jack?

With respect Ed, all you’ve achieved so far is what any half decent climber would have done in the first five minutes, so don’t expect any zero’s to come tumbling off the quote. Are you removing them now you’ve started at the bottom, or are you still intent on topping them? Or an interesting mixture of both?

Yes, all a bit dull after the Nate video.

Another one to check, thanks mate.

Second hand would be a huge bonus for sure.

Yes mate, called them first. None in, don’t know when they can get them in.