nepia

That is big though we took down a rotten 50 footer a few months back. The leaves look silvery, hence my guess at Sorbus and that tangle of twigs in the crown also puts me in mind of Sorbus. Probs still wrong though ?

...not big enough for bowls or platters but spindles and pen blanks yes.

I love sticking my head above the parapet to have it chopped off by those that know so... the leaf says Sorbus; not sure about that bark though.

Bonkers. Came out of friends' house at 10.45pm last night and it was 20C. It's going to be slightly more autumnal today though ???

You had swallows? There were no swallows, martins or swifts here this year - not one. I saw maybe a couple of dozen individuals over Oxted a few miles away but otherwise none at all. Yet my mate 10 miles from John O'Groat's had record numbers of swallows and martins and swifts for the first time. Haven't the swallows etc had a rough time of it in Africa the last few years or am I imagining that one? Shortage of food here certainly I'd say: you're right - there are no insects to speak of. In the comparatively short time we've been in this house - 20 years - the wilflife of all shapes and sizes has crashed. Except for corvids, pigeons, buzzards and Red Kites. I notice no change in wasps - there's a very active nest in the roof as we speak - but fewer hornets. 1976...O Levels in a gym that had a full height west-facing glass wall, cricket, cricket, cricket, a free fortnight in St Tropez, Elton bloody John and Kiki Dee!

A guess as to part of the explanation. The carbon print AND COST of 1000t of timber transported by sea is small compared to that of 27t driven the length of England. So, for example, it's cheaper and perhaps more carbon friendly to import by boat from Norway to Newcastle than to drive it from Devon to Newcastle. Silly examples - purely hypothetical ones - but transporting large amounts of bulk goods by ship is actually pretty cheap. There are other examples apart from timber here: New Zealand lamb, apples and butter travelling half way round the planet to us, a country that has all of those! (Yes, I know we've been nice to the Kiwis and bought their produce for them ?)

Al, pop into H Wallis on the outskirts of Lingfield; they sorted an oddball broken nipple for me ?

The context pic...

Not a bad effort Al...

Met cops can travel as much as they like around London's tubes and buses for just a small monthly fee, on and off duty. In return for the concession they are expected to deal with shit - e.g. off duty, in civvies, without protection or radio, perhaps with their families. Running away isn't dealing with it: running towards it is what sets cops apart from other citizens. Guns excepted I think it's fair to say though. Yes, he was unarmed with any official protection but with a little thought almost anything to hand can become a weapon. Disappointing that the WW1 senior officer attitude seems to be alive and well.

Definitely get an accountant; it's said regularly on here. He will claim relief for all kinds of things you never thought of and didn't know existed saving you a lot more money than he costs.

...or a secondhand 361 ?

Take a look at the Echo 620SX. It's 'only' 60cc but you're not going to spend all day logging with a 70cc saw unless you're Schwarzenegger in his prime. The Echo will take a 20" bar but you don't need that; 18" will be ideal. And it's a cracking saw costing around £250 less than that £900 price tag you mentioned.

I've had minimal dealings with lease but how about putting on a big smile and speaking to the lease company, offering a 3-month extension on current payments but on a bigger machine? If you don't ask you don't get and all that.

Mark, a while ago I seem to remember Big J highly recommending some anti-vibe gloves. He may not read this thread so perhaps PM him? Hope you're doing OK there. Jon

Is there a +8" height chute for the M300? Just 8"... that's all I need. ...to fire chip over the closed pickup tailgate. ?

After watching that I don't feel well ?? It would help with directional felling though ?

My Jo Beau M300's been in part-time use since Oct 2012 and gives me no reason at all to want to change it. With sharp blades ☺️ it's s till a great little machine and highly manoeuvrable for a lightweight like me.

Tripod ladders are ace, especially those with three adjustable legs. High hedges is what they were made for.

Nope. Toyota Twig. ?

Our neighbour has solitary bees that emerge in late summer from a sandy bank; it looks just like your pic when it happens. Probably 200 or so in an area the size of a table tennis table.

We've had a couple of air frosts in Surrey; last Monday morning I think it was the flat roof at the back of the house was white, along with the top of the neighbour's conny hedge.

We found Copenhagen OK but only OK (in May); the mermaid was a total letdown! Not a bad place, just...underwhelming. Ljubljana is beautiful and compact; you can walk across the old city in 20 minutes. Many large riverside restaurants with excellent food. I think many middle and eastern European cities have the same characteristic; beautiful old cities, unremarkable modern bits. Zagreb springs to mind; the 70s residential blocks you see on the way in from the airport could be Moscow but the old city is a different world. The cathedral, the Jewish cemetery, glorious architecture. And more good restaurants.

What stunning carvings. I love the concept of the bear and the beaver but most of all the 'seed-to-board' or whatever the title was - sorry, forgot it. You have both the creativity and skill for superb work.

Richard1234; although such machines are rated at 3" or 4" it's possible to chip almost anything with them if you only have a few large pieces to chip. I have a Jo Beau M300 and I've chipped a few 5-6" thick lengths with it. You have to hang onto one end to start with and use your arms as the stress control but when the log gets too short just let go and give the chipper time to fling it about until it's gone - that can take a while! As said this only applies if you have a few bigger pieces but if all the branches are 4" then you're right, you need a bigger machine. Does that guide you at all? Just don't be frightened to let a 4" thick log drop into a wee chipper!