Mark Bolam

If someone working for me injures themselves in a genuine accident (branch snap, broke ankle tripping in a rabbit hole etc.), surely they can claim on my employers liability insurance?

Good skills. I've improvised a few times when I've been working away from the wife for a bit....

I'm sad a missed out on the real action, but feel privileged that i got to get so close to such a beast, and certainly don't feel unhappy that I don't have to clean blubber and gore out of my 660! It's a sad story, and we may never know why it happened. The conclusion that it starved to death simply because the stomach was empty may be a bit simplistic. Loads of animals stop eating when they know they are going to die, so the empty stomach may have been a symptom rather than a cause? Fair play to Mick and Rich for getting stuck into a very gory, unpleasant job, but one which needed to be done. RIP Moby.

Nitpicking there Barrington. Good post Taup.

Tom, rigging stuff down from a scruffy old pine in a wood smacks of desperation to win another DMM Impact Block. They must be good!

I tried wiggling one Tom, but they were very firmly set the scientists and TV were right by us. You'd need a neck like Robert S to string one as a necklace!

Last shot is Ross Smiths dog Mani ordering a pint after the main job today!

Got there a bit late I'm afraid. Humped (whale joke) my 660 up a mile of beach after struggling to get past the Feds to find Mick in near darkness telling me the saws were good for bone but not blubber. 1st shot is of the portion where Micks 441 20" bar running a brand new chain met blubber. Seeing the carcass being dragged up the beach by a pair of 360's with massive slings was a sad sight, especially when the pressure forced a geyser from the blow-hole. 'Thar she blows!' We left when it was obvious the incoming tide would halt proceedings.

'Fundamental Principles of General Tree Work' by Gerry Beranek is a very good working book.

How does it compare to the GRCS?

That's how I see it mate.

I'm afraid it's the price (no pun intended) we pay for doing an enjoyable, exciting, interesting job.* Not many accountants in the pub showing their latest auditing pics to their mates! * Not many arbs showing vids of endless conifer bashing, hedgecutting and raking that actually make up the majority of our work!** ** I still have Kenny Loggins 'DangerZone' playing in my head when I'm raking....

Good shots Ian. You and James really seem to rig stuff efficiently. Were you wearing your bright yellow shiny shell suit to impress the Julies, innit?

Trees aren't CE marked. Whatever you're climbing on will be hanging off a tree. Think about that.

Very true John. Outfits spring up, charge £250/day and last about a year before going tits-up (because they can't see the overheads and just charge a wage), and they keep arb prices artificially depressed. Quite a few are on this site, endlessly asking basic questions because they can't use the search facility or their mummy or daddy won't do it for them. They didn't want to learn their trade dragging hawthorn out of ponds in the rain for crap money, so they set up on their own. Fair enough, but it can't last. Thank God most of my work is recommendation these days. Quoted £45 for a very small cherry reduction a couple of years ago, and the guy said -"Thanks. I've got another six quotes to come in, so I may be in touch". Never heard back! I'm worried that it is so tough at the moment that some genuinely talented young grafters will give up on arb because of the poor prospects and wages. I know a couple personally, but simply can't dish out full time jobs which might put me in a pickle. KEEP YOUR STANDARDS AND YOUR PRICES HIGH!

Porn. Didn't get the job.

A hearse is crap offroad mate.

Know what you're saying mate, but I don't think crane jobs leave a lot of room for error. You could work with a crane-savvy climber for a day, learn loads, need one less groundie (and wage), and run the show from the ground yourself. Probably cost you less than £150. Good luck with it, whatever. Let us know how you get on.

Trees have their place in the city Tone. It's just outside of it.... For the record, I would pollard it. The fell and not replant comment was tongue in cheek. I just don't think a tree with a mature height of 30m+ has any place in an urban garden. Us arbs seem to love hacking back nature to line our pockets. I don't. I get Rich and Ross in to do it for me!

I'm going to stick up a picture of a dog turd in a minute and ask how you would all deal with it.

You can't be that far from Reg Coates, mate. I would try and hire him for the day in your situation. You will learn more from watching Reg for a day than spending years asking questions on a computer. Check out some of his vids.

Hats off to the whole team on this one Paul. Really, really well done.

When you get older, you realise what is worth spending money on and where you can get away with just buying the cheapest you can. Knowing the difference is an expensive process called 'experience'.

Fell. Don't replant. Idiots like this don't deserve to have a tree in their garden. They were obviously happy the first time it was mutilated.

True guys, but I was more thinking of work-related, which, lets face it, is the most likely way you would be injured. God knows what the delay for any payment would be, as you have pointed out. Stay safe!