Mark Bolam

You are deluded.

There’s a lot of needless rowing going on here. We’re all in the timber game, like it or not, and we pretty much all sing from the same hymn sheet. J has touched a nerve with me about littering. It’s bad isn’t it? I remember the ‘Tufty Club’ days of the ‘70’s. Littering was just considered ignorance. Now, with massive coverage on social media, I just don’t get it? My own little village in Kent has even recently developed a problem. Idle little bastards leaving their shite lying around. It’s disgusting. You can fit a bin bag in your johnny pocket, ffs. People often comment that the inside of my Transit is a mess, but that’s because me and the lads simply won’t drop litter, ever. I sort it out every Sunday into recyclable, black bag, or food waste. Other stuff I sometimes find is probably not fit for polite discussion, and @Joe Newton doesn’t even work for me yet. Recent pictures of the CLA Game Fair campsite after everyone left gave me a bit of hope, immaculate. Hyde Park eco warriors take note! The truth is Britain is truly a great place, but as others have said it’s got too many people in it, and the scummers seem to be breeding at an exponential rate. One of my favourite books is by Jon Evans ‘Trail of the Dead’, rereleased as ‘Dark Places’. It tells of the ‘Lonely Planet’ effect, where guidebooks tell people brilliant places to go, which are then ruined within a couple of years by hordes of people going there. Don’t assume it doesn’t apply here, it’s a backhanded compliment. I’m as guilty as anyone, for you West Country boys I’ve been a Grockle a few times with the best of them, and I remember my Dad coming back from a trip to the Lakes complaining it was ‘full of trippers!’ You can’t win, can you? There are two sides to every coin, or two lenses. We wouldn’t all be happy living in the same place, would we? I think J is getting a hard ride here, the oversized whingeing half-German doom-monger that he is! I voted leave, he voted remain. It doesn’t make us enemies, does it? Just blokes trying to make a living who have different points of view. He knows him and his family have a bed with us here in Kent for the night if they need a bed before getting the Eurotunnel if he ever needs it. Life’s too short to live where you’re not happy. You go for it Big J, I’ll not let the few squabbles we’ve had on here down the line dilute my respect for what you want for yourself in life. Or the invaluable practical advice you’ve given so freely over the years to myself and others.

Bugger. How do they know my age?

It’s probably shit.

I meant the Notch has a clip built in.

No machine unfortunately! Stacked on site. Shame we had to bust that stick up, fair enough it was leyland, but we should be doing more with this stuff really.

I’ll probably get the Notch one, no need for a mini Prusik. It will do to keep screws in on the workbench in a couple of weeks time.

What bag have you got Joe? The magnetic closure one? The scuba clip sort of works, but the truth is coils are always going to be more prone to snagging, and that also applies to the Love Island Instagram Tree Freak or whatever it’s called.

Big lumps on some connies today with the GRCS.

Early days mate. I’ve not re-racked the lanyard in it yet, although it seemed ok on ascent. I’ve just thought ‘bugger me it’s hot, I need to smash this tree and get down’. It will probably get thrown out the tree in a tantrum one day like many other good ideas. Defo not a good choice for busy trees or connies, but worth a punt for broader crowns? I got mine for nowt. (FU @htb! 🖕) 😂

I’m just glad the ‘must have own insurance’ seems to have dropped. Stu, for what it’s worth, the way you have battled through your situation is pretty commendable. You’re out there busting your balls with little kit when many would have jacked. You can obviously graft mate. I’m looking forward to having a brew or a cold one with you one day. Bon chance mon brave.

Feel your pain Stu.

The Northumbrian in me will never die!

We were talking in another thread about how you couldn’t discriminate against people even if it was your business/your rules type stuff. Seems insurance companies can do it, including age discrimination.

Discrimination!

I’m experimenting with this at the moment. Slightly cheaper!

Facebook is full of twats asking for ‘any good climbers available tomorrow?’. The answer is no. I used to book gun climbers like Rich Rule sometimes 6 weeks in advance for big jobs, which could be painful when the weather didn’t want to play. We’d firm things up in the week leading up. We give about two weeks lead time for most SE lads, but are lucky knowing what days they can normally expect unless anything changes either end. I expect @Joe Newtoncould give you some advice from a top notch freelance climbers perspective, or Rich but I can’t bloody tag him!

Love the Olympics.

I hear you Mick. I’m hoping to take the plunge next year, albeit something much smaller like the Cast Worky Quad. Dealer is about 7 miles away.

The Jeff Bezos of the arb world, right there.

There is no chance of that Mick. Not with 4 of us in the front drinking Stella and smoking reefers.

It seems likely I have a hernia, waiting for an ultrasound. Dull pain for a few weeks in my lower belly sent me to the Doctors, and he’s pretty sure there’s a split, but no bulge. Obviously I need to be careful and then get an op, but apparently waiting lists are quite long. I have no idea if that means 2 months or 2 years. I’ve bought a support belt for the interim, but can anyone comment on post-op recovery times? I would imagine I’m looking at several weeks off work. Any other useful tips? Thanks.

It’s a dream truck for me, but I’d go king cab simply because I have dogs. If you don’t need to get off road much get a Transit or similar and enjoy the much bigger load capacity.

Like a Transit then.