Pete Tattam
-
Posts
103 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Classifieds
Tip Site Directory
Blogs
Articles
News
Arborist Reviews
Arbtalk Knot Guide
Gallery
Store
Calendar
Freelancers directory
Everything posted by Pete Tattam
-
Just been advised by an old colleague that someone has recently been prosecuted and sentenced to 240 hours community service and £2000 fine for inciting racial hatred on a similar forum to this. Apparently he was very unkind to the members of the unofficial caravan club (you know who I mean). Please be careful what you say from now on, someone is always watching who we'd rather weren't!
-
Granted I doubt whether any of us has any Mandarin but I'm sure I've got a satsuma somewhere in the fruit bowl!
-
Simple answer is yes, with adequate back up. I don't understand why posters on this site automatically assume police have no go areas around travellers sites. It is simply not true. However they have a responsibility to protect their officers as well as the public, so such entry may have to be postponed untill suffucient resources make it safe to do so. I was a police officer for over 30 years and I NEVER failed to enter such sites when necessary. In fact it was the most enjoyable part of the job, nicking thieving scum like that. As far as following the Tracker signal to their lock up/yard, that is not viable as you don't know where they may be going. They might abandon the item to return later. If they then disappear into a built up area or even a crowded traveller site (Oh no!!!) you've lost your prisoner, evidence,conviction,prison sentence (hopefully) and the satisfaction of catching them in the act. No brainer really.
-
Playing devil's advocate here but IF the tree is genuinly dangerous to her property and it really needs work before the owner comes home there is a defence in law to criminal damage if the damage was caused to protect life or property. Proving that after the fact would be the tricky bit though.
-
After reading everything above it seems to me that as everyones overheads are different (a large firm costs more to run than a one man band) the simple way to price a job is to decide how much cold hard cash you want after all deductions. A little bit of flexibility to ensure you get the job, rather than the customer putting it off indefinitly (more prevalent with small jobs granted!) and Roberts your fathers brother. If that is to expensive for the customer he can go to the do as you likeys with all the risk that entails. Want a proper job? Pay the proper price!
-
Each to their own but I normally go to a different type of "specialist " website for that sort of mularky!!!!!!!
-
Thanks Pedroski. I don't know when we will be doing the work yet but if we get stuck I'll give you a shout. What supplier do you use?
-
True but unfortunately the council are only interested in low cost and speed. The contractors they use are sometimes a little slapdash to say the least.
-
I am a Town Council Tree warden and our group are currently planting street trees in verges around the town. as part of this operation we will also be assisting a primary school to plant a number of trees in their new wildlife area. They want to put in an irrigation system to use intermitently. My question is...is the use of a system in such a way practical or should it be left running continuously? Also is there a limit to the distance the system is viable over (there is a distance of 75m from water source to planted area and then 60m of area to be watered). water pressure in the area is good. Any manafacturers/suppliers recommended? As an afterthought...what do you consider best protection for newly planted trees against the demon strimmer?
-
It removes the possibility of beetles laying eggs under the bark (now its in minute peices) and the resultant larvae feeding. Obviously it has no effect on the other means of transmission.
-
The disease can spread through the roots if they contact each other and not just beetle attack. All infected trees should be felled and burnt on site if poss but as close as practical. Any timber felled and not burnt can be debarked. Bark must be burnt or chipped. The beetles breed below the bark and larvae create galleries below bark as they eat their way along. Timber itself is fine to use as long as bark is fully removed. Mary Parker at East Sussex County Council is a good contact for advice.
-
I started a thread sometime ago re false black widow spiders which are now common all over Britain. When I got bitten by one it swelled up just like in the pics. Went down eventually but keep an eye on it.
-
Most accountants do afree initial consultation. Find one locally and bend his ear.
-
Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor springs to mind. Can't remember the name of the sitcom but I'm sure Easy-List Guy can help me out.
-
My logic may be somewhat skewed but I would suggest that anything taken to a composting operation is a raw material (for the compost) and not waste. It is being used to create a commercial product!
-
I,ve been involved in a badger group, collecting and rehabilitating injured badgers etc. I've also been a case worker for SSAFA a charity for ex-service personnel, as well as some work with the RSPB. Then I did some volunteer rangering (is that a real word?) on the South Downs. I am currently a volunteer tree warden and also chair of the management commitee of a local pre-school.
-
23 rads!!!! Where do you live Downton Abbey?
-
When my son started his (small scale) business I produced a flyer which was in letter style. Rather than simply thrust the business down the punters throat I appealed to their good nature explaining who he was, what he was trying to do and the fact that he was local, new in business and offering competitive rates. I then targeted the drops i.e properties that that obviously needed work done but not those that the owners patently couldn't care less. He got about 25% hit rate and these have produced further work from recommendations. Also a couple have produced work 2 years down the line. From speaking to the clients they all liked the humble approach with no pressure, thats why the last two actually kept the flyers untill they had work they wanted done.
-
Thanks guys. Reading the FC release it doesn't seem to be Phytophthora but most likely aphid damage. Apart from the die back are there any other signs? Are the aphids themselves detectable (presumably not at this time of year!)? Rumour control suggested an increase in spiders webs visible on the hedge meant an infestation of aphids. Any truth in that?
-
Sorry if this has already been discussed (please direct me to correct thread if so) but can anyone enlighten me as to why large numbers of Lleyndii hedges in my area are showing patches of die back. Numerous example locally over last year. It's not due to excessive clipping, some are hedges I maintain and I've been extreeeeeemly careful.
-
Means and Methods of Protecting Your Kit from Theft
Pete Tattam replied to easy-lift guy's topic in Stolen Equipment
It makes my blood boil when people blame the police for not being everywhere, all the time and with nothing else to do. Crime rates have rocketed in the last 20 years but police numbers have not increased, in fact they have reduced. More legislation needs to be enforced which the police have to investigate, and more often than not create specialist units which take front line officers off the streets (online crime,child sex, domestic violence,people trafficking to name just a few). There are simply not enough officers to cover the work load and the rank and file find this as infuriating as the public. So please cut them some slack, they want to catch the bad guys but have to work within the restraints of logistics and, unfortunately, the law. -
don't know if some resins are more stubborn than others but all I've ever done is take a hot bath with any old tarty farty bubble bathy goo in and the resin just washes off with usual bath washing type procedures (natural sponge wielded by my favourite hand maiden!)
-
Not very well informed on this but I would have thought if the wood is exceptionally dry it would burn faster, meaning having to use more wood over slightly less dry wood. Good for the suppliers perhaps but not so good for the punters. Also some woods burn hotter than others (is that calorific value?). I only produce very small quantities which I sell at low low prices to friends and neighbours so I follow the "tell em the truth" principle. I inform them what type of wood it is, how long it's been split and suggest if they should keep it a while longer before burning. Never had a complaint.
-
Does it ever get to 26 degrees in Edinburgh? Every time I've been there its about 12 degrees and raining!!!!
-
Starting up a business .... ??
Pete Tattam replied to abigail.waddecar's topic in Business Management
Ask dad! I bought mt son's first saw as a birthday present, bought a van for my own small gardening concern which is used solely for his work now, bought a small Ifor Williams P7 trailer with same outcome! I've also got him other equipment for chrimbo etc. I do a lot of basic (untrained) groundie work for him as well for free. He keeps all his gear in my workshop so has very low overheads which is vital when starting out. It means no chipper so all waste is trailered to local composting tip which is a pain. My point is start small & build up slowly (with help from dad if poss). If you take out any sort of loan you need to guarantee a certain amount of work just to pay it off before any living costs. It means you won't be competing against the big guys but by keeping your rates low you should get volume of work. You can then raise your rates gradually as you build up work/equipment and size of jobs you can take on.
