nepia

Can't help you myself but hat off to you for the philanthropic thought ?

? Great minds think alike eh?!

Totally agree re the earplugs. Madam was on the hard shoulder; brand new surface, white lines, redesigned exit in the last couple of years. Bless him an AA flatbed recovery lorry had been doing the protecting bit before Police arrived, doing maybe 15mph in lane 1 with hazards on. Not a huge risk to himself as traffic was of course very light and that stretch has had a 50mph limit for two years but I'm sure he would have done the same under 'normal' circumstances.

Today's Darwin Award goes to the young lady on a roadbike in long black leggings (it was a sultry 24C), earplugs in - presumably for the music - and no hat riding up the hard shoulder of the M23 northbound. I wondered if she was being kind to the planet by cycling to her plane as she took the Gatwick offslip with local Old Bill protecting her from 20yds behind ?

Don't stop now - keep 'em coming. But you are showing off ?

Stubby, you're right. My daughter cycles moderately seriously (has done Ride Across Britain, a Rat Race etc) and absolutely slates these people. 2m apart my arse! Much more deserving of a Police ticket than some poor sod trying to enjoy a beauty spot cos he's climbing the walls at home.

Ditto

Wow. Those are some pics and what a privilege having the insect settle like that. I fleetingly saw a passer by here in the garden in Caterham in August '06: I could barely believe my eyes but there is nothing else the specimen could have been; that cream border to the wing is unique. I reported it to the regional recorder and mine was one of three recorded sightings in Surrey and 30 in England so far that year. They are a British butterfly courtesy of their regular excursions across the Channel - a bit like the Clouded Yellows we get; they're mostly yours too!

Camberwell Beauty?

Less weight, less air drag. If you pile heavy materials far above the solid bottom panels weight will become an issue so solid sides above are not needed. Yes, boards help with chip but as you say mesh can be lined for that.

To be pedantic is it not a Lawson's? Probably denser inside than a Leyland so even better for the birds.

The heads of flowers are very Daphne like. I'd plump for odora. Can you smell the flowers before you see the plant almost? - Daphne - very fragrant.

dog walker - I took a couple of pics that may guide you. There's nothing by the barn door hinges to impeded the flow of logs, chip, potatoes or whatever. A feature of the whole trailer is that it's really well thought out; where handles are, how they work, how things are held/locked in place. To the extent that the pins that each of the four dropdown sides' hinges slide onto are different lengths to make sliding the panel on easier - ever tried hanging a 12' gate on your own when the hinge pins are the same length?! The high sides - which I have to say are flimsy in comparison to the dropdown sides and the rest of the trailer - have plastic door handle type handles for easy grabbing. I opted for slide under ramps; they're bloody good ones and again are a doddle to get in and out. I'm afraid I can't offer an opinion on other makes; the only make of trailer I've had went out of business many years ago. I ramble but I hope it all helps. The guys who've also posted are far more experienced than me and speak sense.

It'll cost me 79p to watch that! (I have to down load something to allow me to see codecs or something). You working for Google now?!

I'll have a look at this later but I don't think it's an issue for me; chip slides out just fine. And I'll be tipping logs today too so will keep an eye out.

If you're careful the sides aren't a problem; I guess the construction is of internal corrugation or similar. The sides are in no way flexible or even apparently fragile; it's just that if you do dink them you can't get behind that skin with a hammer. My trailer's 16 months old and the sides are all A1. Aerodynamics; the top halves of the high sides are perforated with large holes as I expect you've seen. Chip would fall straight through them in a constant stream so I line the inside of the trailer with a trampoline safety net. I don't cover the top and as far as I can see have the same amount of chip at the end of a journey as at the start. Towing a full load is essentially dragging a large rectangular block through the air so in scientific terms the aerodynamics won't be good.

Thanks for the reply Tom. Outside of this forum I was pointed in the direction of a mill here in Surrey that has 'larch cladding' on its website and I've given that mill's details to the builder. I'll see him soon I'm sure and obvs will ask how he got on; I'll mention yourself then. Cheers, Jon

I have one o walker of dogs and like it a lot. However if the intention is to drop large logs onto it from a height and smash the sides about with diggers, tractors etc don't get one; the sides are double skinned so don't flatten out with a sledge or digger bucket. The high sides are light weight too but I'm a sole trader so am the only one using my kit. There are 3 pairs of in-floor lashing points; why not one more pair I don't know; it would make a difference. The catches/securing mechanisms are simple and easy to work. Removing the sides and extending the posts is likewise; quick, easy and safe. The rear doors are barn doors which is fine but I keep forgetting to open them before I reverse into a tight unloading area! Towing with my Navara is no problem at all. The tipping mechanism is easy to access and hasn't given me any problems; there's a kill switch in the side of the frame at the front and a trailer hitch-type plug on the end of a decent wander lead with magnetic control box. The bed is low which is good for loading and for low centre of gravity but it does mean that when tipping you have to draw out the load in a caterpillar as it quickly backs up from the ground to the trailer bed. I'm very happy with mine. Questions - ask away. Jon

? No pond envy here!

That pond's about 40x12x4ft; there's another better measured in fractions of an acre! The families never share a pond; this lot - the older one - bully the other from pond to pond. I'm surprised the crows and foxes haven't had more; indeed a hen pheasant met her doom two nights ago 5 yards from the 'lake'.

Me again; I'm not stalking you AJS, we just live in the same bit of the country! This is one of two families living in my father-in-law's garden.

Heard one near Horsham yesterday. The first I've heard at all in at least two years. Hooray!

A locally well known miller near me died a few years back (and happily his son's continuing the business). He was a bit of a Land Rover buff - otherwise he was OK ? - and was buried in a coffin his son and friends made from his own stock with a sticker on it 'Don't follow me - you won't make it'!

Watched a Coal Tit showering this arvo in our red-leaved plum: it would perch under the end of a branch, then reach up and bash it to knock off the raindrops. Having used those drops it would then move on to a different branch and repeat. Something I've never seen before.

Even if I don't need the blower at the end of a job I try to remember to take it for just this reason. It is bloody annoying to start the next day's job with a starter cord that won't budge.