Mark Bolam

I tried to argue that we should be exempt because we don’t build anything. I believe pure arb work, and surveys etc. like Gary mentioned are indeed exempt. The thing is though, you won’t be on site doing tippy clippy reductions. You will generally be killing trees to allow access or building work, and you can’t really argue that this isn’t part of the construction process.

Are you saying my service is unprofessional? Step outside and say that!

I argued the toss but it didn’t fly.

Reducing a tree is potentially deadly as well. Usually for the tree if I’m involved.

My wife has no complaints about her battery products.

Standard these days mate, CIS. They’ll nab 20% of what you invoice, which you then offset against your tax return. Registration is pretty straightforward, but you need the right one. There’s a thread on here somewhere which someone more intelligent than me will be able to link.

I got a belting pair of Barbour sheepskin ones from Mam!

Unfortunately not mate. The Happy 60th from @Rich Rule was, like.

Howdy fellas.

Everyone knows sweeties are bad for your teeth!

Same Mick, but I wasn’t much of a centre forward.

Masochist!

Also that most of us seem to have muddled in to it somehow. Not many career arbs on here!

Good stuff Erik. ?

No self adjusting buckles? Zero!

I enjoyed school and did well, leaving with 9 O Levels and 4 A Levels. Did a gap yar to save a bit of cash before going to Uni (I drank it all). Bar work, labouring on building sites, cleaning out shitters and washing pots for the army at Otterburn camp. All good experience. Got an Honours degree in Civil and Structural Engineering from the University of Sheffield, but couldn’t get a job easily (1993). Mate from Uni asked if I fancied working on a road job for Alfred McAlpine in Kent. Chucked my stuff in an Adidas bag and got on the train to go and live on site in a caravan. Did a year for Macs then a chance meeting in a pub got me in to doing line-of-sight surveys for the then unheard of mobile phone networks. 10 years odd of big money and flash cars, working all over the country climbing towers, rooftop surveys and loads of MEWP work. That work dried up and I was helping a mate with his gardening round when we did a couple of trees with ladders and my full body tower climbing harness (idiot gyppo style). Enjoyed that so started looking into it properly. Back to college for 30,31,38 and 39. Met a bloke on my 39 who I ended up working for for 4 years before setting up on my own. A knee op put me on crutches for a couple of months so I started working for my wife’s landscape recruitment business. She won’t let me leave, so I now split between that and tree work six days a week. I still don’t know what I’m going to do when I grow up.

Good mate, really like it. No regrets.

I was recruited by MI6 straight from school and I can’t tell you the rest.

Furious speed mate!

That’s good Mick. When do you start?

Cheers for the heads-up mate.

Went for the Notch in the end. Pricey, but it’s bloody brilliant. Tends right from the ground with no weight, and no aggressive teeth to pick your rope. Really smooth, no kick out and easy on and off. Winner.

I agree totally Mick, and I was wrong about the client being a bell end. The neighbour is. Turd polished Doobop, fair play. Tree needs felling.

No. There is only me and the lad next door. He definitely confirmed his neighbour was a twat. I struggled to hear him though. You know what it’s like when you’re running up a saw at 1am after boring it out and you can’t hear it properly because my three kids are still banging away on their drum kits.

I have a few hedges I have given up on after maintaining them for years. 2 carbon extensions on the combi unit trimming tops is fuckering on the shoulders. I’ve had to say unless we can have access next door for the next time I simply can’t do it. Neighbours are twats aren’t they? I asked the lad next door and he confirmed this.