nepia

Not sure what you had in mind for it but it is popular for milling. Ideally the bigger the straight wood the better to start with; give the buyer the choice of how to cut it.

Numbers have been well down for a couple of years here. In fact the same goes for all finches it seems; I saw my first goldfinch in the garden yesterday for months. Up to two years back there were several pairs almost resident here. No idea why but we could do with more eh?

Yes it does work but for Gawd's sake use the bio stuff and not plain strawberry flavour as someone I know did on their prize stone garden ornaments! Jon

Just that one tree is a fantastic advertisement for you and your work - well done; what a beauty.

There was an identical thread about this time last year and the most likely explanation arising then was winter drought killing the smaller specimens as groundwater had been locked up as ice. But if larger ones are copping it this time round perhaps it's not that simple unless two hard winters have had a cumulative effect.

This may sound daft but close examination may reveal a small number of large plants that can be pulled/dug out manually. I cleared a patch last year about a quarter the size of a tennis court and it took me a couple of hours.

Telegraph Hill perchance? Looks scary from the top!

I feel your sympathy man...

My take on the price. The trolley will last me at least 10 years and almost certainly longer. That works out as a capital investment of £40 a year to save miles of dragging and hence hours of time and loads of grief to my ageing body. £40 is also the cost of one visit to the chiropracter, which happens every six weeks. As an aside the trolley will also see use moving billets, tools, probably furniture and large plant pots - in fact anything heavy that needs manually moving from A to B. The difference between an 'expensive' £40 p.a. and a ?reasonable £25 p.a. isn't worth consideration given the benefits. Just my take. Of course I may not be here in 10 years in which case it will all have been an expensive mistake! Boogga.

If you're really stuck why not just drive up to a farm and ask if you could leave it as a one off? Years ago I could have helped; I was at school there with the sons of one of the biggest local farmers (Polegate). Good luck.

Thanks for the reply Reg. The price; I'm not complaining. No-one held a gun to my head and said 'buy it': I chose to so no grumbles from me. The play in the drawbar: as long as it's a known feature, catered for at the design stage then fair enough. I wasn't too bothered, just surprised. The handlebars; your description of the trolley's use seems to assume very short journeys only and yes, I'd worked out the trick of loading a big log - easy peasy! I spent Sunday moving a heap of laurel logs 200 yards across good ground, some flat, some gently sloping. I could easily have balanced the trolley if towing with both hands. There are going to be plenty of other jobs too with some distance involved and the action I'd hoped to perform was just like a parent towing their kid on a sledge, though of course there's no balance issue there, but there won't be much of one with a couple of hundredweight of leyland brush either. And yes, my back isn't good but I get the impression that that applies to four out of five folk on here! Hey ho; it's a great invention, I don't regret buying it and I wish you all the best with it and your upcoming venture. Cheers, Jon

So what's the answer please Nigel? I too was surprised at the play between drawbar and frame; the rattling from the play is the only noise the trolley makes in use! Also I have been surprised that I can't walk forwards holding the handles with both hands behind my back; I kick the foot with my heel if I do. Pulling the loaded trolley from off centre with one hand is crucifying my back. Could the handles not have been mounted on a steeper stem, i.e. with the foot further back? Not criticising - asking. Cheers, Jon

Spot on. For me it's mainly the lack of exercise that keeps me awake: a physically inactive day is a surefire sign of a bad night ahead. You got a gym at college - go for a run early evening perhaps?

You're spot on there Lorry: down here speaking to strangers is something you do just before turning them over unfortunately. Us stuck up southerners don't know how to react to friendliness coming from someone we've never met! (Fellow Southerners - I'm exaggerating to make a point!)

No wonder my mum had panic attacks - once she'd got there!!!

That places is still going then. I've - er - visited there (a long time ago)!

Your doing your job properly, someone breaks your skull with a large knife and it isn't 'life-changing'?! I'll go stick my head under a train then - I could do with a 'change'. Poor sod; what a thing to happen anywhere but especially bad when all he was doing was his job. Best wishes to him and may the 'life change' be minimal, but there will be one unfortunately.

Got mine last week and it's going to save soooo many hours dragging. It may look like it can only carry a little but when you lift it to get it in the back of the pickup you realise how strong it is; that bodywork ain't tinplate.

It's just clicked that it's his own coffin.

Does every hour need to be a different species? Natural variation could easily provide two hours of the same species in different colours. Laburnum heart for a 'dark', Cotinus for a 'light' (yellow) if you want something slightly out of the ordinary.

Sold a (small) load of green billets of ash, birch, hawthorn and yew this morning.

There's recently been a thread here re the prog Wonders of the Universe; one of the things that struck many was the passion of the presenter. I'm sure you're the same. Don't stand still, vary your voice and keep being passionate; it's catching. Great orators are born, not made I believe, so if you're not one don't try to be one; just do what you are good at.

To think I used to live next door (87-88) and knew nothing of it... another opportunity missed!