Mark Bolam

Thanks for the big up Hamadryad, but I in no way consider myself to be a top class arborist! I do aspire to be a decent one, but am some way off yet! This site has helped enormously. The reason I walk away is part moral, but definately part business! Making trees die is not good advertising! I used to quote Shigo when I was trying to talk to the 'more light in my garden' brigade. "Topping big trees is NOT pollarding, it is a crime against nature". I have pollarded plenty in the past (loads of pops down here), but customers seem to go deaf when I mention a cycle of regular re-pollarding... We can only keep trying....

Just did a Google search, loads of hits. They are the blue/black ones. Yvonne, Jonesie, Honey's, Gustharts order them in!

New contender - NORTH Cold Grip. Microfleece lined, neoprene outer. Like a very warm version of the sticky gloves most of us climb in. At £3.84 a pair you can afford to slip into a toasty pair every break! Got mine from Thanet Tools, Ashford Orbital in Kent and the bloke there told me they are the most popular throwaway work gloves in Scandanavia. He may be lying, but warm hands today walking the dogs, haven't used them in anger yet, but you can operate crabs in them and rope grip is good.

With you now, I just don't like it getting wedged in an unsplit log? Wow, that looks amazing! How much? (I'm preparing to look away!)

Sweet. Loved the Copper Beech. Less is more!

Very, very cool. Very, very jealous! Have any of you ever climbed before?

Nice Tommer. Very nice. And I just happen to need a new look for the dashboard of my Transit....

Great lunging RB, respect to Eli. But why on Earth has he got his shirt on????? Gotta love those skinny pops. I sure don't!

What about taking loads of ecstasy and blowing a whistle now and again?

Hamadryad's reductions are absolutely top class. The problem I find (and Hamadryad touched on this in a previous post), is that by doing such a light (ie very good, non-internodal) reduction, you are not necessarily giving the customer what they want. Unfortunately my locality is littered with trees that have had AT LEAST 50% crown reductions, even on mature Oaks (12" dia. pruning cuts!). People seem to think they are getting their money's worth if they insist on more being taken off. If I can't talk them out of it, these days I normally walk away. I still cringe when I drive past some of the early work I did when I was told that the customer is always right! I'd rather talk someone into a fell and replant than do a crazy reduction that would probably kill the tree anyway. At least my company is not linked to the monstrosity that is left if I do that. I'm sure the tree would disagree, and would prefer the chance to survive, but it is a business after all. In fact, I'm pretty sure the tree would choose not to be touched in the first place, however lightly!

Great stuff Ace. Looking forward to lots more! Makes the daily grind of knocking down 30' conifers etc. seem even more dull now! Loved the clicking of the flipline onto the D's - Tom Cruise eat your heart out!

Some of the worst stuff I have seen was from AA approved firms! Educating the public is the key. There will only be market for the fly-by-night doorknockers as long as the generally ignorant public continue to use them.

Ditto. Top lunging Dave!

Good luck cutting that head out of the ground! Big tree Pascal. Nice one.

Refer to lunge club rules mate... but I do agree! I have a feeling SWB and Deano have something extra special in the pipeline. And come to that, Huck has been suspiciously quiet......

Liking it. Brucie bonus?

I have maintained my silence on this one just to see what the most ludicrous suggestion was. Sorry to disappoint you all but it is a fox. Canines should have given it away. Think about it....

I disagree! If I wanted sharp I'd use an axe. I like my maul blunt. More lateral power for splitting. If you don't know what I mean I can't be arsed to explain....

Tragic. Thoughts with family and friends. Always seems worse round Christmas time for some reason.

Ditto. Size matters.

Gotcha! My Meindl Airstreams arrived this week, well comfy out the box! You haven't cut those up as well have you?

O2O, above knee, Stretch Airs, saved by using Bio oil because of proximity to river, more viscous in cold air, hence lower chain speed. Right?

Those hinges didn't come out anywhere near as f***ed up as I intended them to be! It's not as easy as it looks! Anyway, no harm done. Well, apart from testicular hypothermia. Please Mr. Blair, do we win a prize for handing our homework in on time?

Errrr... Just had aforementioned Ukrainian billionaire on the phone. He has been studying his CCTV footage and asking some rather awkward questions.... Notice how noone has slagged off our perfect hinges Rich?! Ain't no party like a lunge club party!!!!!!