John Russell

Someone needs help identifying this.

Here's a short film I made for a Land Rover conference a few years ago at the time when they launched the Discovery. Enjoy! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHl9Ax48k74&context=C4844f26ADvjVQa1PpcFOqTM7b_PmtQAyENOMPhsnHAn4RvgJXVK0=]The Adventurer - YouTube[/ame]

Would advise against retribution. Write to your MP. MPs are quite hot on this because it's an easy fix for them. They send a letter to the police and before you'll know it you'll have a Chief Inspector round sorting it out for you. Best wishes, John Russell

Ring the planning officer and talk it through with them. You don't want to be putting a lot of effort in and then get turned down. Planning officers will tell it like it is. Planning consent should not be an issue if it's your own land and you will be processing wood from your own site/s. If you will be bringing wood in from elsewhere then it's more of an industrial activity and you could run into problems; however if you're employing people -- especially in a place struggling for jobs, like Devon, you might find them amenable. Also bear in mind such things as whether what you erect will be visible from the road and by neighbours. If you have near-neighbours you need to ensure there's no nuisance or you will run into planning refusals. Also go and see your local parish council and tell them what you want to do. You'll find that provided there's no nuisance they should be supportive and you should ask them to back your application when the planners request their comments. I'm a parish councillor so I know the positive effect of someone asking for genuine help and approval. As far as the National Park factor (and IMHO it's a good idea anyway) go for a timber construction; ideally with a roof that blends in. I find that for a wood shed you can just put down a geo-textile (google 'Terram') on the ground and then spread a foot thickness of '4" down' to create a level, self-draining floor. No need for concrete as it'll all become covered in sawdust anyway. Overall, go for the sustainability factor. Anything that helps it all blend in will go down well. You could also mention that you're putting in a hole high up in the eaves and putting in a barn owl box. PM me and I'll help with any specifics. I have a few local contacts. Which part of Devon are you? Best wishes, John Russell

From a wildlife perspective, once lain, it's recommended to trim alternate sides of the hedge, so that you're always leaving plenty of grown hedge for the birds. Worst thing is to cut back hard all over and leave nowhere for nesting. Also try and cut out inappropriate wood: so don't lay fast growing trees such as sycamore, goat willow, elder or ash -- they're invasive but not good hedge trees and will crowd out the trees you do want to encourage for a stock-proof hedge; such as hawthorn, hazel, beech and the like. Often in winter you'll find big holes in hedges where an elder or a sycamore was in full leaf in summer. Best wishes, John Russell

There should be no concerns. What the agreement says is as much up to you as it is the vendor. Make sure you agree the deal and all the clauses and your solicitor writes it up properly (or checks it, if written by the vendor's solicitor) and you read it. Don't sign anything until you understand every last word of the agreement and you know what you're letting yourself in for. As I said, the uplift is on the value of the land --only-- at the time the planning consent is gained, but not payable until the profit is made (make suer this is worded precisely in any signed contract). The value of the house or houses subsequently built on it is largely irrelevant, except in so far as it affects the value of the land (by which I mean that if consent is gained for 5, 3-bedroomed houses, that would uplift the value of the land more than, say, 2, 2-bedroomed houses). Planning consent for a wood shed or store would not really increase the value of the land (in that the land would be then worth only the base value of the land + the value of the shed). An other thing to bear in mind is that you are quite within your rights to make an offer without the, or with a modified, clause. So you could tell them "I'll give you your asking price, but without the overage agreement; or with a 25% overage agreement; or excluding any overage if it's a commercial development for forestry-related activities." Everything is negotiable until the agreement is actually drawn up. The price and the clauses on agents' particulars are just a negotiating position. Hope that helps, Best wishes, JR

It's my experience that it's always worth making an offer. But don't let the price they ask influence your offer; offer just what you think the land is worth to you. The overage would not be payable unless you actually make a profit, when they will require 50% of the increase in the value just of the land. So it will be 50% of the difference between the value of the land as woodland (not necessarily what you paid for it!), and the value of the land for development at the time that planning is approved; payable when you realise the value (that is, when you sell it -- or move in). The value of anything built on the land is irrelevant. My advice would be not to let any potential possibility of gaining planning consent to influence the price you offer. You're buying woodland and should pay no more than the going rate for woodland in that area. Best wishes, John Russell

Perhaps that's why it's used to make match sticks! Why not chop it small and sell it as kindling?

It's very clear that if people have trees that they particularly like then they need to think ahead and have TPOs in place before the tree fellers turn up. I guess it's something that people don't think about until it's too late. In fact that has made me think. I'm a parish councillor and I'm going to bring it up at our next council meeting that we should carry out a survey to find the trees in the village that people particularly want to be protected. Thanks for the prompt! Best wishes, John Russell

Here's another pic, David. It was alongside an old hedgebank with a wide range of species in it, but mainly oak, hazel, gorse, willow. It looked like something had been gnawing at the stem as there were large concave depressions in it. Was quite firm and solid so I guess it had been there for a few days.

I nearly ran over this fungus when I was mowing the path through the wood on Sunday. Identity? Is it associated with any plant in particular? Edible? It was about 200mm in diameter and weighed -- I guess -- about 300gm. Sorry about quality -- mobile 'phone pic. Best wishes, John Russell

Oh, go on then. I've worked with... Stephen Hendry Nigel Mansell Murray Walker Bill Oddie Rory Bremner Tiff Needell Tommy Walsh Gordon Ramsey Ainsley Harriet Porter Waggoner Janet Brown Richard Stilgoe Humphrey Littleton John Dankworth Carol Vorderman Maggie Philbin Jill Dando Miriam Stoppard Suzanne Dando William Woolard Crystal Gayle Stella Parton Anneka Rice Linda Lusadi Nigel Havers John Kettley John Humphrys Simon Groom Valerie Singleton Anne Greg Judith Hann Stuart Hall Bucks Fizz (the 4 of them). ...and the entire English 1966 World Cup team + Sir Alf Ramsey I think there are quite a few more that I've forgotten. I've not included one or two that I've briefly met but didn't spend any real time with -- like David Essex, Micky Most, Jonathon Palmer, Don King, Eric Morcambe, Paul Daniels, Damon Hill, Margaret Thatcher and Martin Johnson. I once had a meal with a group of TV people in the States and sat next to the star of a Hollywood soap -- but I didn't know who he was. I think the show was called something like Beverly Hills 56789 or something. And I've not mentioned any of the politicians other than M Thatcher. I've worked with quite a few actors who've been in good films but you probably wouldn't know their names (and I can't remember most of them) -- but there was the German commander in 'Indiana Jones and the holy Grail' who was turned to dust at the end; and the chap who played the Star Wars fleet captain and got done in by Darth Vader in episode 4, I think. Generally speaking they've been really good to work with and a couple became friends for a short while, while some were total pains in the arse (I shan't say who). Most fun was probably Murray Walker. What a very entertaining man to be with, and a mine of stories -- if you like F1, like I do. Best wishes, John Russell

Unfortunately I've never worked for anyone famous. Now if I was asked if there was anyone famous who I had worked with or, in some cases, had worked for me...

My father spent 9 years in the Royal Engineers: 1939 - 48, fighting in North Africa, Palestine, Italy and Yugoslavia including beach landings at Anzio, Salerno, and the like. His last three years were spent taking up mine fields. He then came home and trained as a school teacher which he did until about 1983. So don't give me any generalisations about school teachers being 'boys among men' and other such total crap. Schools have rules about what can be worn. Stop and think what it would be like to have a rule about wearing bangles, bracelets, or whatever. Then consider what it would be like trying to distinguish between what's permissible and what's not. The kids would run circles round the rules, claiming this bracelet is in aid of this or that charity, wouldn't they? And how's a teacher supposed to keep up with what's what? So they keep it simple -- no bracelets in school. You know damn well there's no intent to slight any charity -- so stop stirring. Always tend to side with the teacher when a kid says they've been told off. In the long run you're doing the kid a disservice if he/she loses respect for the teacher as a result of you overreacting. It's children growing up with a lack of respect for authority that's causing half the problems with this society.

I'll take a punt that this is its last year. Let us know. Best wishes, John Russell