nepia

Nuthurst? It is south of Guildford!

If indeed it's the height that's the problem reverse the vehicle up onto a pair of Halfords 2-ton ramps.

Dounreay and you're on mileage.

Ask the leading sellers of the brand! http://www.thewolfgartenshop.com/

I can believe that: if there'd been/I'd known about the option when I bought mine I would have gone for bypass, not anvil.

I've been using that for years Steve and never had a problem with the cutting. I guess you foresee issues such as the blade not cutting all the way through perhaps? Not an issue in my experience. It does make a big difference getting the twig/branch right into the throat of the cutter because of mechanics but that will have applied equally to your bypass version, which I never knew existed. Jon

Wise words. I remember being 18 years old with a 115hp JD towing a 10-ton corn trailer along A roads and wondering how I was able to do it on the same licence I'd got pootling round Eastbourne for half an hour in a Maestro!

Just seen this in Wiki... Under the Police Reform Act 2002, section 41 and Schedule 5,[6] Chief Constables could grant powers (under a Community Safety Accreditation Scheme) to VOSA officers to stop vehicles, for checks on vehicle and driver compliance without the need for police support (later expanded to stop any vehicle, although mainly goods and passenger carrying vehicles). At that time, only police officers had the power to stop vehicles and therefore had to be present. The powers were piloted in 2003 and brought more widely into force in 2004.[7]

My first reaction was obviously based on old knowledge because it used to be that only Police had the power to stop a moving vehicle, which is why they regularly assisted other agencies; the others didn't have powers to do that themselves. But it seems I'm wrong; VOSA do have the power to stop vehicles but I think it's a bad move. Amber lights appear on a host of vehicles, as your guy is plainly well aware, and what are VOSA going to do about it if their target doesn't stop?! I can think of two ways a 'marker' could be placed. Firstly on an inhouse VOSA (DVSA now I believe) system or more likely on the Police National Computer, information from which is available in varying content to many agencies. An inhouse thing would only be available to VOSA personnel, a PNC Information report would be much more widely available, i.e. to anyone reasonably requiring the info in respect of either number plate. But access isn't as wide as my text may make you think; it is controlled closely. But I also sniff a bit of professional BS by Mr VOSA. PNC markers because of mismatching plates, both registered to the same company? I don't think so; not really proportionate use of the PNC. If you're that fussed try going to a Police Station in a few days with plenty of paperwork re you, the company, the vehicles (V5 for the truck) and ask if there are Information Reports on PNC re either plate. The person on the desk may well not know whether they can tell you anything so ask for a supervising officer. Be patient, be polite but firm! I found this; it may help. VOSA info.doc

The guy can have some new samples then!

Steve, the only way we're ever going to be entirely sure is when you put your microscope to the grain and look it up in that database you use. At the mo Sophora looks the likeliest, based on the samples available and a little on the fact that it came from a back garden in Purley, not an arboretum. That to me makes Maackia unlikely, though not impossible of course.

Kev, I think you may be right; it could explain the mystery around the grain of the wood. Julian, good shout but Maackia isn't a tree I know. The only references I can find are for chinensis; same thing? Keithie - not walnut. Thanks anyway. It looks like the definitive answer may only come from Steve the devil if he can ID the grain at some stage in the future from his database. At this stage I think we'll name it 'uncertain'. I'll come back to the thread if I ever get confirmation. Thanks for the replies one and all. I thought it was Laburnum. Jon

OK cheers Gary. Mick D - if you're still there - I recant about the bark; it's perfect for Robinia isn't it. But that distinctive smell from the foliage... not Robinia-like IME... The presence of much ivy wouldn't hugely affect the form of the bark would it? It's not something I thought could be relevant previously but the tree was almost totally hidden behind years old ivy.

Thanks Gary. By 'green band' do you mean this, which I noticed this afternoon?

That was my second choice Mick when doubt was cast. But I don't remember the foliage of Rob being pungent. And do the shoots not have the odd spine, even in their first year? The bark I thought also was too smooth for Rob, especially as the tree is quite a few years old. Not saying you're wrong, just why I thought it's not Rob. Thanks for the reply.

Until I took this down I thought I had no doubt as to what it was but someone with good knowledge of timber reckons the wood looks wrong for that species. The client hated the tree and stripped the new growth off it every year so the foliage in the pics is all I have to work with as far as anything green is concerned. The crushed foliage has a slightly sweet pungent aroma that I think is typical of the species. The young green stem is brittle. Was growing in a back garden locally to me. Thanks, Jon

Most common contamination is chainsaws, rakes, drinks bottles and crisp packets I'm told. I do have a very nice 8x4 sheet of ply courtesy of someone who forgot to check before tipping. DERAIL.... sorry again.

Excellent. Marc may well have a point about abuse in commercial use. That's not my remit so I can't comment. I merely suggest you don't throw the machine around!

Crikey, what were you doing with your Stihls - cutting firewood?! My Echo's around 3 years old now and absolutely nothing has gone wrong or broken but then I trim hedges with it I've never touched the Low or Idle screws and cold starting is one pull on full choke, pull again and kill the choke as it fires up. Then leave it to idle for a bit as apparently the cylinder wall is thicker than the Stihl's and takes a bit to warm ready for use; throttle response is poor for the first 30 seconds or so. As for the cut - I'm not pedantic about the finish but have no complaints re the Echo.

http://www.highamsfarm.com/index-1.html

Actually pretty common in English gardens; people just don't let them grow though. They keep them as shrubs. It probably increases flowering but I'm enjoying the 8' one in my own garden.

I reckon Hibiscus syriacus

As soon as I see a fruiting body on conifer I think Phaeolus schweinitzii - the Dyer's Mazegill - though that one may be a bit lower on the tree than you might expect; typically they're found a few feet up and higher but not exclusively. Could there be others higher in the tree? Take a look in the Fungi Directory; a possibility?

This from just a week ago http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/10886477/The-rise-and-rise-of-the-black-squirrel-caused-by-genetic-mutation.html Steve, this is a minor classic of a derail. Soz.

Was there in 1985; it's a lovely area but I don't remember those black rats. We hand fed reds. Where else did you go? I remember Titisee being great along with Konstanz, though that's a fair step from Triberg.