chrisgilltreesurgery

I do like your way of thinking though!

Im using a length of ocean with thimble tied with a simple prusik, i'm wanting something mechanical rather than rope on rope

HNC or HND?

LOVE you outlook on life Mark, must be a Geordy thingy

Ben Lad is an awsome splicer

Im looking for a new climbing system but not too sure with the spider-jack, anything else you'd recommend?

I like a bag on each end of mine although i did try one of those once but i could only get the Bulldog over the first branch

Ill be polite and not say what it looks like to me Although..... good luck with it mate! (Think you'll need it)

Just got back from Kirkley where I spoke with Nick Johnson, they are not doing the Foundation Degree this year due to a falling out with Newcastle College & Sunderland Uni, should be back on for next year though. at a cost of approx £700 per year. Im signed onto the RFS which is £600 and starts in September and finishes in June 2013, this runs on a Tuesday evening which suits me down to the ground! This course has also changed from being exam based to being module based which again suits me better.

I spoke to them on Friday gone and was told they are not running new HNC's or HND's starting in September, they are being replaced with NVQ's. Are you starting your second year in September?

It looks lion tailed due to there being no growth around the chimney due to lots of previous target pruning around this area.

HOW MUCH Im off to Kirkley Hall College to see about the Foundation Degree today so ill let you know the facts later

Also, I have found on more than a few occasions that ill get a call from a customer with an enquiry for a reduction. I will price it to be done properly and lets say it will take a day and my day rate is £500, I will not hear anything back from the customer so ill have a drive past to see if the work has been done and to my horror someone has butchered the tree! This must have only taken the person 3 hours or so! People are doing sub-standard work and getting away with it due to lack of customers knowledge, and customers being so price driven! A lot of the time customers are more interested in how cheep they can get the job done for, rather than how well the job will be done. Makes me sick

Kirkley Hall College has gone the same way! No wonder people are coming out of college doing the work that they are with sub-standard training!! Thats the bloody North East all over though isn't it!

I studied at Northumberland College and left in 2002, since then i've been busy building the business to what it is today, I now feel that my knowledge is becoming limited in what we are doing so I am looking into getting my sorry ass back to school. I was in touch with east Durham Arb college to enquire about the HNC as I thought this would be more a suitable work load for me whilst running my business and family life, only to be told that they wont be running the HNC this year! Nor will they be running the HND! So...... I rang Northumberland College to be told they have not ran and will not in the for seeable future be running a HNC or the HND! They are however running the Foundation Degree. Has anyone done the Foundation Degree whilst running a business? And how did you find it? Or has any of you started the Foundation Degree and quitted because it was too much to do alongside either work or running a business?

It took 2 1/2 hours in total including traffic control. The climber was David Robertson, he's in his last year of his ND at Northumberland College. Every year I try and get a college student and he is by far the best Ive ever had. You'd think he'd been climbing for years! As far as will it help the chimney suck - Im not sure, I hope it will help, what the photo doesn't show is how we target pruned the tree away from the chimney creating a 10ft air pocket. Personally I think it would have been a lovely tree for a slight reduction if i'm honest but the customer wouldn't go for it. Might try her again in a year or two. As far as people mentioning that it doesn't look too different, we took out about 10-15% which was enough as its a mature tree.

Ring Graham at Orange Plant in Newcastle, he'll help you out mate

As of 4th December 2011 EC Regulation 1071/2009 comes into force, which requires all vehicle/trailer combinations with a combined GVW (towing vehicle GVW + trailer GVW) of over 3500kg used for hire or reward to hold an operators licence. There is still an exemption for operators of vehicles that only carry their own goods in connection with their trade or business. As now, a tachograph is required for all vehicle/trailers combinations for business use (except a few very specific exemptions). In summary, if you operate a vehicle/trailer combination with a combined GVW over 3500kg from 4th December you will need: Private use - Nothing Business carrying own goods only - Tachograph Business carrying other people's goods - Tachograph and operators licence The punishment for operating without an operators licence or tachograph is a £5000 fine and a prohibition order at the roadside with the vehicle and trailer impounded.

Its not mate, its in Corbridge

Im gona double check...

I can pull a trailer of gross weight of 3500kg with my canter legally without an operators license. If your business can warrant a Unimog then go for it but in my situation I will need to still run a 3.5t tipper along side my Mog

Sweet! Lets face it its only time until everyone see's the light!

Point taken

Whos that then?

The only thing im climbing are the walls waiting for Will to finish his first tree lol