Sutton

BLM is a symptomatic response to deeper probs. The boomers' influence is fading. Once silent, liberal individualism will most likely have tipped over too . What direction and how badly who knows? Do you support reparations to minorities? What can heal the divisions ?

#SlipperyWhenWet! ? I'll answer tonight after a think. If I can... ?

Is that your can of Monster under the crossed axes?

You're asking for logic. Divide-and-rule can't be explicitly logical. What models do you subscribe to? ?

Doesn't that only take us so far? Science/Engineering/Tech measure material/physical processes just as economics measures the productivity of workers. You say you're "inclined/tend", what else do we need together with the language of Numbers to match or overtake the current political agendas?

I once heard a gobbit about the dialectic/accent of the Inverness inhabitants. Apparently there were so many georgian english in the area (Fort George) that locals were affected by it. Findhorn has had one affect of course but its good to find, its been naturalised again: https://www.scotsman.com/news/english-inverness-not-so-fit-queen-2506688

It could be worse. Visitors who wanted to stay permeantly on the Isle of Man used to be called Come Overs, then Stop Overs after 3 generations and finally, would only be accepted as local after the 5th. The people's history of Kernow shows their strength of feeling for the place. e.g. fealty only to their local squires like Bevil Grenville and not the "national interests" in the English Civil War.

Evidence? Only Hearsay. Interesting what you say about value of oak/ash and speed of growth. Was merely supposing eucalypts grown in southern UK would have poorer qualities than northern softwood i.e. the internal stresses/lateral tensions that exist in nitens because of the speed it grows, would mean it would not have the linear fibre-strength of native softwood in building, load supporting etc. A forester I worked for, once told me that southern UK softwoods grow too quick for structural quality. I was extending that to the growth rings seen in nitens. Things may have changed. Nitens has been hybridised (genetically-modified non-Monsanto style). From memory, Mountain Ash Eucs have good timber properties but wont grow in the UK. Nitens can be used for disposables or for decorations like indoor furniture. Would imagine the sticky sap from softwoods would still mean they'd still be used in chipboard. So Eucs may have limited timber application. @BigJ can tell us Can't point to any evidence really. But a quick google produces youtubes of Eucs being used for pallets and Flexural performance of cross-laminated timber rates Euc globulus performing better than nitens

T'ree FellasThree Fellers

Seen your woodland pics from TVi's thread and appreciate your questioning eucalypts. ? We could add the fear of wild fires like in 1976 or the recent bush fires in Oz given the combustible nature of their oil, leaf and bark litter (yes, they are messy), and that startling exotic foliage (they are quite something to see in a storm in "full sail"). I can't speak for Eire, but the UK has many competing interests objecting to the varied options for renewable power generation e.g. The Seven Estuary tidal project has been shelved. As you know, forestry has to project years ahead to best reckon what the markets will need because trees are relatively slow growing. So, for fuel that means accounting for why Germany recently opened a coal-fired power station, the panic over peak oil, sourcing uranium from politically unstable countries (China in the Africa), etc. The list goes on. Ultimately, its about spreading risk and if landowners in Devon can put their subsidies on hold for it (if they do or if indeed subsidies still exist after this C-19 crisis) then, I for one will be reassured that someone is thinking ahead positively. As BigJ said, horses for courses. Eucalypts are a crop. Better than the swathes of solar cells popping up in farmer's fields all over the place. IMO. Yes, our ancient woodlands have heritage status for good reason. But wood has utility too and exotics might have their place (just a different place that's all) Start your own thread about your woodland, Arbtalk has a lot of knowledgeable people and who doesn't like to see pictures of trees?

I worked with an irishman from Cork who looked a bit southern med/arabic. He said he'd traced his irish ancestry back to the Spanish Armada. He claimed some of those who survived the storms that sunk most of the fleet never went home but settled in UK/Ireland. Who knows? Good story tho

I'll lower the tone again. What's the scottish gaelic word for crofter again? Something like "tcheutka" A shepherd we spent a while with in a pub in Mull bac in the early 90s gave us a valuable lesson in history/politics of the Highlands/Islands.

The nitens we put in had 1+cm annual growth rings. Scottish/Scandinavian timber is closer ringed so stronger. So, from our tiny experience, nitens might not be structurally dependable. Nitens, as a crop, will have other timber product applications as well as fuel despite this. Something worth considering with the amenity/heritage PoV, UK climate has obviously changed growing conditions. If the extended dry summers and warm/wet winters continue, then nitens will be one to watch

Arbtalk is not a henhouse with only room for one cock! Look at MarkJ - he's not shy. Keep at it

We got ours from Portugal in the mid 00s. Tried a dozen then filled a hectre with c2000 @ 2mtr spacing on acidic sandy soil. They grew 1-1.5 mtr a year. Maybe even 2mtr. OK with frost but snow/frost split the bark and rot set in quick on the edgers. Higher calorific value than willow on a par with softwoods. We were pleased to have done it. This was pre-funding so they weren't planted in woodland. Had to return the land back back to agricultural for the owners after the lease was up

You make good points. Interesting reading. Just remember most of us manual workers don't deal with many people and want tomorrow to be as predictable as it was yesterday. We save feelings for our families not strangers. Solving physical/material day to day probs, routine & rhythm of working with machines means we like order, habit and respect for authority/tradition. What you're saying is distrust our history, be suspicious of our non-PC friends and hope for a progressive future. Can see why older people would struggle with this - given they've got a plateful of their own probs already? Just saying

Right, you lot! Back to work. Tea's over! ?

A mate's old house is on clay on a slight incline with no DPC nor double skinned. The bricks used to soak up rainwater making it damp indoors. He resolved it without plumbing into/overloading the sewerage system. Why? Because of the number of houses in the area and the distance to the green box pump stn

In Bolton, a cock wer'a lad who wa' too old to be dismissed as being "young, dumb and full of cum" but wa' still putting it about. Round here there a few called "Bo" meaning their a bit shy of soap and water cos they haven't time to notice

Former Labour MP Frank Field set to become a peer

Seem to be a lot of experts on Official Secrets Act. Any ex-servicemen care to comment?

No that's the someone else. You're confused again, aren't you?