sean

Cheers Lee. Rightly so.

The Portway, Bristol.

Cumberland Basin, Bristol. This much neglected underbelly situated beneath fly overs and arterial roads linking the city centre to the A4 and A38, is also home to Brunel's first swing bridges. It is now being reclaimed by the local community who have started putting in raised vegetable beds. Plans are afoot to utilise this space for community events, growing spaces, cafe etc.

Really interesting piece David. Thanks.

Yes id say for sure. Need to look on some old maps to see what was there before the housing was built. Its a fine tree and the photos do not do it justice at all. I can't actually believe they built those houses with the tree in the front garden. really glad they did though!

Hi David, heard from one of the tree officers who thinks it had picus and heavy reduction some years ago. Will try and speak with him next week when back from leave. There is substantial large regrowth so id say it was a minimum of 5 years ago so possibly due a re inspection given its location and volumes of fruiting bodies?

Ganoderma Resinaceum on 4mtr ish circumference urban Oak in a small front garden directly opposite a school entrance. Looks to have been heavily reduced approx 7 years ago I'd say looking at the diameter of the regrowth. I'm presuming this could have possibly been in response to previous fruiting bodies. Knocked on the door to speak with resident but nobody there but then spoke with neighbour who informed me that the resident is a council tenant, the tree tpo'd which I had expected and her husband has been in contact with council regarding light issues. Given the extent of fruitatiion I can only guess their is substantial decay within the tree. Given this ia a Council house I'm presuming that liability and responsibility lies with them but am I right in thinking that some council tenants are contractually obligated to maintain their trees? If this is the case, what if they are on benefits or just skint? Anyway I will be calling the Council to make them aware of this tree.

Yep, been there twice already with his siblings.

Apologies for not being Tree related but.... Went to Jasper's Primary school leavers assembly today which was absolutely brilliant. Very very funny with no teacher safe from a piss take. Watching these kids brought a lump to the throat. Having watched them grow up these last 6/7 years and seeing them blossom part of me wished that they could stay there, a little fearful about what their future will be like in big school and beyond. What I found most heartening and at the same time poignant was watching these kids, from all races, religions and backgrounds treat each other with love and kindness, free from the shackles and conditioning of bigotry and hatred. They were all friends, in it together and a reminder that it is parents, society and the media that will change some of them. It's up to all of us to stop this happening because to see them all together today in celebration was a beautiful thing to behold.

Bristol harbourside

Apparently the local skater/goth fraternity throw their trainers into it once they have finished school. There's some fine pairs up there in good nick....bet they got a slap from their mum. I feel sorry the climber who ever has to reduce it! I used to hate working on Silver Maples as it was!

The Trainer tree outside Bristol Cathedral:001_smile:

Please do. I don't know the guy whose tools they are I got it from a Facebook group. Just trying to help.

Sorry should have pointed out that I was sharing on somebody else's behalf.

Please keep an eye out for any of these tools being sold. It's quite a list of quality stuff **BURGLERY** NEAR BATH/BRISTOL **GREEN WOODWORKING TOOLS STOLEN** Some complete scrotal wart of a human broke into my workshop and stole a lot of tools. I will be posting a list of all that has gone, but in the mean time anyone who knows about greenwood working tools please keep an eye out for 4 hand forged bowl adzes, carving axes, 4 robin wood axes, bowl carving gouges, an anvil....these are very specialist tools and if they are sold in the local area chances are we probably know most of the people who would know what they are, Do not buy them, ring me on 07582 883093, and I will call the police. It has been reported and there is a case number... **PLEASE SHARE** edit.. **full list of tools** 1 hans karrlson bowl carving adze 1 black bear forge bowl carving adze 3 Nick westerman bowl carving adzes (2forged by friends on a course with Nick) set of 3 hands karrlson bowl carving gouges 1 socketed Nick westerman bowl gouge 1 gransfors carving axe 4 robin wood axes stihl 261 chain saw portable petrol winch with Honda engine green painted blacksmiths anvil with matching stand, smallish in size but still maybe 40kg/50kg halfords socket set large kit with ratchet spanners gransfors small forest axe, with the AK carved into the end of the handle Small blacksmith forged froe

Looked a good one.

Im sure there are lots. My serious work related accident went unreported.....not that I wanted it reported I might add. Once all the investigations and insurance claims are completed I may well write about it for the trade journals however.

Rob Mcbride is giving a free talk about his ongoing project to record the Ancient and Veteran Trees of the Offass Dyke. It is being held at the beautiful building that is Burlington House in London and is hosted by the Linnean Society. Register for a free ticket here. https://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/offas-dykes-ancient-trees

The latest. https://bristoltreeforum.org/2017/07/11/bristol-trees-in-crisis-conservatives-press-release/

You may well get something really scientific from David.

Ganoderma has brown spores

If you look at the photo I posted at the beginning of the thread though Mick. Those trees and many like them are on 2/3 year pollard cycles. By the 2nd year they are already encroaching on properties. another year or 2 and they will whacking against windows and damaging fascia boards, gutters, wires etc etc

They are allaying fears that full tree inspection programmes will still be in place. How they are going to inspect the base of Lime trees and possible fruiting bodies with a few years Epi growth though is beyond me.

At last nights Bristol Tree Forum meeting it was finally officially announced by the Deputy Mayor that due to budget cuts, which now only leaves £53,000 per annum for tree management, the council will be no longer be undertaking any pollarding on the cities population of 4000 street pollards. There will also be a termination of epicormic removal which will now only be removed when reported on the grounds of Health and Safety. Later in the meeting the Highways manager when questioned several times finally admitted that this decision had been taken without any consultation or advice from the City's Arboricultural team, which to me beggars belief. Having spent 3 years as a climber in Bristol on the Council contract undertaking much of the pollarding work and as a current resident of the city I not only find this situation shocking but also very worrying. These trees which are predominantly London Planes and Limes have levels of decay which you would expect to find but are no real cause for concern due to them being on 3/5 year pollarding cycles.There are many however that due to their proximity to commercial buildings and houses are on 2year cycles as in the photograph below. The photograph below is in fact taken in my old road and by the time the 2 years was up the regrowth was practically touching our bedroom windows and gutters. The suspension of the pollarding program as was pointed out to the deputy mayor comes with many potential problems in the future. It was pointed out that there would be an escalation of claims to the Council for damage to property either through over grown crowns or root damage. There is the potential for an increase in limb failure due to excessive weight and god forbid serious injury to pedestrians from falling debris. One of the positives of the pollarding cycles was that the cities Tree stock was getting a full aerial tree inspection every few years with any defects monitored and managed. This will no longer be the case. One concerned resident stated that his house insurance policy is dependent on the tree out side his house being pollarded every 3 years. As the meeting went on there was a call from Councillors for everybody to get their heads together and discuss a way forward and to come up with solutions to this big problem. Amongst other things suggested was the possibility of residents raising money and having trees pollarded themselves by fully qualified and insured arborists. It's all a bit of a mess and who knows where this will all end up but I am very interested in all your thoughts/ideas. Thanks in advance. The minutes of the meeting can be found here https://bristoltreeforum.org/2017/07/05/bristol-trees-in-crisis-notes-of-04-july-public-meeting/

Gnarly Beech