Big J

Likewise. Our lane is like the Promenade at Exmouth at the moment. A constant stream of walkers/runners/cyclists.

I'd be very surprised if that spruce became an issue in the coming decade. As Matty says, the ash to it's left is in an awful state and that's where I'd be directing their attention.

I'm very sorry to hear that. With covid 19 increasing the daily death rate by 30% in the UK, this is going to be something that directly affects most, if not all of us.

Two thirds aren't obese. It's 28.7% in the UK, with a further 35.6% technically overweight. This is according to BMI, which: doesn't work for tall people. I'm 6ft 8", fairly skinny at the moment at 107kg but still technically overweight with a BMI of 26. doesn't work for muscular people. Muscle is denser than fat, as skews the figure substantially. So whilst I reckon most that are obese according to the stats genuinely are, many overweight people probably don't belong in that category. So on that basis, overweight and obese people are overrepresented in the figures for severe Covid 19 cases. I'm doing a lot more exercise at the moment than usual, both cardiovascular and resistance. As such, I'm hoping to get myself properly fit over this lockdown period, which is something I've been needing to do for ages, but will also stand me in good stead if I do become ill.

Again, I agree, especially on the animal rights side of things. I was vegan for 8 years through my late teens and early 20s. It's something that I find particularly awful. But following on from that, the best way to enact sustained change is by education and not by humiliation and shaming. I do not know the best way to tackle this issue, but it's also an issue in the African subcontinent too, with bushmeat being the primary source of ebola and other such horrifying infections.

I agree. I think we're missing the point here. I'm not trying to say we all carry the guilt of the exploits of the British Empire, in quite the same way that almost everyone in Germany alive today had nothing to do with WW2. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't be quite so quick to look down our noses at other cultures because they don't adhere to our cultural or moral norms. I certainly don't for a second agree with live food markets (quite vehemently the opposite) but it pays to take a broader view of the historical context, and also to be cognisant of the fact that our culture has plenty to be ashamed of in our not to distant history. So rather than resorting to racial slurs and dengrating entire cultures, lets look at this as the start of a learning experience for everyone. Hopefully the Chinese (with diplomatic pressure from other countries) will look at the live food markets as something unsustainable and bring about their end. That can't be something that is simply legislated against though, as it requires a cultural shift to avoid the industry being pushed underground. Either way, it's above my pay grade! ?

Agreed, but as you pointed out, the Brits were more successful in their empire building exploits, so by extension had a far greater impact in the development of India and the African subcontinent than any other nation. Having reaped the benefit of those exploits, collectively and historically, the country has a responsibility to acknowledge that impact. Or you could divorce yourself from reality and be like Jacob Rees Mogg and say that the concentration camps in the Boer Wars were there for the protection of the people in them! ? ?

I agree. But just because they did it too doesn't absolve us of responsibility.

I'll take that as a compliment, but you overstate my prowess. I have a functioning, low level pub quiz type general knowledge. Nothing more!

I disagree. The British empire ruined many an advanced civilisation in it's time. India was a leading economy, an advanced civilisation, before the British decimated country for it's own gain. The Opium Wars with China effectively came about due to Chinese resistance to the British inebriating their population with thousands of tonnes of opium. The British took Hong Kong as a result. I'm not saying that we personally have responsibility for these events - that would be daft. However, the British Empire really did a number on huge swathes of the world and to claim otherwise is incorrect.

Remember folks, important advice from Mitchell and Webb as regards working from home:

I think you are exaggerating the regard with which China regard the west. The Chinese own half of Africa now, and with the African subcontinent developing as an emerging market (as well as 1.3 billion Indians), we in the west are a declining market. I dearly hope that we see an improvement in animal welfare in China. Not simply for the preservation of our own species, but simply for the sake of the poor animals involved. It's just a different culture, with a different moral compass and whilst it's not possible to draw direct parallels with Western Civilisation, it wasn't that long ago that we had concentration camps or America had the institutionalised barbarism that was slavery. Give them time. We expect the rest of the world to develop morality in accordance with our own views on the matter. Quite apart from the fact that such a view is extremely arrogant, we forget that we've had two millenia to steadily form our national identity, our moral compass. This has coincided with a more organic adoption of new technologies and philosophies. And we often conveniently forget that Britain had a spectacularly prominent role in exploiting the world for it's own gain during the 18th, 19th and 20th century, bringing our version of 'civilisation' to cultures that we perhaps not yet equipped to have it thrust upon them. I say this with the proviso that I in no way defend some of the morally abhorant cultural practices found China (such as live food markets) but that the situation is in no way black and white and we have played our role in their histories and we are certainly far from innocent in the matter.

All Timpsons shops have closed, in light of the Coronavirus crisis. Who would have through it? Key workers aren't key workers!

That there is pretty much the end of civilisation Ken. Having to turn down free cake and tea. Also, just think of all that wonderful ale that's been brewed for pubs that are now shut. It's all going to go to waste ?

I'm out this morning to inspect a woodland we're starting at in a few weeks. Have to check extraction routes and other such things. On my own on Exmoor, I'm as isolated as it gets. I'm expecting to get stopped by the Fuzz on the highstreet though. They've been checking a lot of people lately, and rightly so. The site I'm going to is supplying chipwood for heating and sawlogs for Pontrilas, both of which are key industries.

There is apparently a test coming shortly for antibodies. Within weeks, it's indicated. Those who have had the infection (often unwittingly) will have the antibodies and therefore will not be contagious, even if still testing positive. Please do correct me if I'm wrong there. My understanding is that some people appear to be reinfected with covid 19, but it's largely asymptomatic and they are not infectious. Those that have the antibodies would then be able to resume normal day to day life, as they don't represent a risk to the uninfected.

I'm glad you're all doing OK. It's great that we're able to talk so openly about our health now. I'm not sure it'd be the same with a chlamydia pandemic ?

I'd obviously have to see the end cut off, but those bark occlusions just hint at walnut possibly. The bark just isn't quite right for ash. I only milled (I think) 4 or 5 walnut in all my time in Scotland and each of them had bark occlusions like that.

It's OK if: You can value add to your end product. So if you run a timber framing business, or perhaps a fencing company If you can find a niche. Ours was timber for beehives and national sales of sawn elm. If you're very good (and patient) at grant applications. There are lots of grants available. We never bothered. You can combine it with a mutally beneficial business enterprise. So we did a lot of elm harvesting/merchanting (especially veneer grade) at the same time. There are many ways to make it work well, but it's an episode I'm done with. Always happy to help anyone else get going in it, as it's good fun.

Haha! I can't be bothered anymore with that. Been there, done that, got the back injury! ?

My 2 cents on it and my jusfication for keeping my tax bill minimised (I did pay just over £12k in income tax in January, for the record). If a company chooses to offset some of their tax liability by purchasing new machinery, they will do so so that they can expand their business and hopefully, the eventual profitability. It's always a gamble of course, and that's a risk largely shouldered by the self employed. Certainly in normal times. This epidemic is unprecendented in living memory. With the expansion of a business, new jobs are created, and the exchequer benefits from overall economic expansion as well as specific tax receipts. I have paid £36000 in VAT on my last two VAT returns. This high figure is largely down to the fact that I charge VAT on my timber, but many of my expenses are VAT free (chainsaw operatives). Capital allowances are rarely paid for outright, rather, they are financed. So the capital expenditure may appear to be (for example) £30k on the books, but that figure is being paid for over 3-5 years, so the cash is might still be there. It's complicated and messy, and perhaps the system ought not to be the way it is, but that is the way it is. Either way, the self employed create jobs, and as such are afforded preferential taxation treatment. We are effectively the entrepreneurs who are going out there, day to day, seeking out work in order to earn money for the exchequer. Whether we pay it directly through income tax, corporation tax or dividend tax, or through VAT or through the PAYE on our employees, we're still earning money for the exchequer. As such, in extraordinary times such as these, support for people in our position needs to be unequivocal, and without such caveats as "we're going to come after you for extra tax once this is all over". I'm not sure what we're going to do personally. We are sort of able to keep working, but at the moment is sort of feels like we're standing on top of a log stack where logs keep rolling away. Bits of the supply chain keep dropping out. Parts are going to be tricky to get, my agricultural mechanic has shut down for the time being, haulage is a nightmare, despite us having our own lorry. Many of the big mills have temporarily shut down and one of the largest mills in the South West has shut down permanently. Unsettling times.

Well it's not all positive. I'm knackered, aching, feeling every one of my 35 years.... Running around after a 5 year old and a 2 year old, whilst having the time to resume gym training, go cycling and move a whole heap of firewood into the woodstore has side effects! ? (my back is actually really being helped by not being in a machine/van all day)

To an extent I agree. I was watching a TED talk the other night with a lady who was saying that if we (as the human race) keep pushing into areas where humans have never been before (or indeed, if there have been there, they've been socially isolated), then we are going to keep uncovering unknown (to science) pathogens that have the potential to cause pandemics. The issue I suppose with China, and how it differs from most of the rest of the world is that the rest of the world would discover a new species and marvel at it's uniqueness, it's extraordinary development, it's quintessential ineffability. The Chinese would probably wonder whether it would go best with soy or black bean sauce. ?

Thanks for that Beau. As much as we're enjoying having the little darlings around all day, every day, I might have a conversation with the school this week about possibly returning them at some point. In all honesty, I think they'd appreciate some return to routine.