WorcsWuss

What boots are they? Are you trading up or knocking it on the head? I've been up this afternoon and every time I get in the crown I ask myself why the hell am I doing this? It genuinely does make me feel awfully queasy! But sitting here now I can't wait to get up again on Sunday!

In the interests of balance, I have an MS260 which I bought new and must be coming up for 10 years old now. It has never let me down, never needed a re-tune, has felled 3' diameter Oak with a 16" bar, has been used for all the firewood for our central heating system up until this year [smokeless for the Rayburn now] and all the maintenance round home. It hasn't been used day in day out but I've always found it to be a dream to start, totally reliable and with plenty of power. It's been a great saw and the reviews I have heard of the 261 are very favourable... http://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/pdf/StihlSep11.pdf I can't really comment on the Husky. I used one for some of my CS tickets years ago and couldn't really get on with it, can't remember which one but it was a pro model, I found it less consistent at starting and the slimmer bar & chain didn't leave a lot of room for movement in the kerf before the bar would bind.. [although I was still quite new to it then so it could just have been inexperience]

Definitely a top tenuous! I agree on the superdry, I normally try to support local business but can't quite do it in this instance.... I used to shop in Cult Clothing years ago, before I became deeply uncool... that's his aswell... I have no idea where the name came from, but I'm pretty sure it's NOT off one of ma 'n pa's demis! Robinsons has found its way into most of the pubs around tenbury, I think you can buy it from them direct aswell....

Alec, we have both in our house as well, and I have worked as a contractor for the school my wife was working at [till we had another child] both directly for the school and through the LA, so I feel qualified to compare what I know of our own situations. The rewards in public sector employment are there, they're just different.... family hours, job sharing, a pension for everyone, but above all, job security. I work on the HOPE that I'll get recognised, and if I don't, I work a bit harder.... If I get rewarded it will likely be a lump sum payment, but it won't have any greater worth than the perks you receive over time [and irrespective of performance] working in the public sector. I am salaried, I get what I get no matter how many hours I work [but believe me, I don't get to work less!] I have as much opportunity to increase my earnings as anyone in the public sector. It is those who have gone on strike demanding something which is not economically viable which has made a them and us situation. Because they have made themselves out to be more valuable than those of us who don't work in the public sector, those of us who suffer job losses, pay cuts, short hours.... And I'm not sure what type of school you refer to which had to lay of staff to repair the roof. If it was a state run school I can state categorically that would not have happened, the LA has a responsibility to maintain the envelope, sanitary facilities and mechanical and electrical installations in a school..... bills for those items do not come out of devolved capital, they're covered under the service level agreement.

Did you know that the Dunkerton's son Julian is the brains behind that Superdry clothing brand you see all over the high street these days...? It's not from Japan, it's from Lem'ner! [Cheltenham actually but, you know....] Our apples go into Robinsons... if you find it, try it, even if I say so myself it is a particularly nice cider..... Robinsons Cider | Tenbury Wells | Herefordshire

Alec 1. You are not taking into account TLR, or 'management' roles, which all teachers are encouraged to take on once, if not before, they reach their pay ceiling. There are all manner of ways of earning this, HOD, HOY, pastoral, etc etc. I still don't think that a starting salary of £17k is bad based on what I have seen of NQT's... 2. I am a bad example. I work in the constructin industry. Some of my work is for the local authority, most for private sector. Public sector work has so many flaws I can't even begin to go into them here. I don't have a pension [i can't afford the contributions, I pay life insurance instead]. The only changes to my pay packet in the last 3 years have been a10% pay cut and losing my company car. I don't often take lunch, if I do it might be a sandwich at my desk and occasionally I'll pop home for half an hour. I work the hours which need to be worked to make sure the job gets done and the company makes enough money to keep me employed. Last night I was working until midnight to turn out some as built drawings to save us £400. Mostly, I do whatever is necessary to survive and give my wife and children a stable life, and think myself bloody lucky to have a job at all. I am currently working 6 days a week, something which is VERY common in the private sector, while 5 days is an achievement in my experience of the public sector.... I don't think we are on the breadline, however when I compare our situation, both currently and long term, with friends who work for the state, actually, we pretty well are on the breadline. 3. A friend is HOD at a local high school, he knows better than to grumble to me about having to work the odd day in the school holdiays. If teachers are so broke, there is nothing to stop them working part time in the holidays... I dunno, bale bumping, fruit picking, 1-1 tutoring... the possibilities are endless. Teachers are very quick to make a big deal about what long hours they work, without seeing how very silly they look because actually, theirs sounds a lot like an easy week for most other people. I questioned why the alphabet on the wall of my 4 year old son's classroom read 'E F H G J K' and 'T U V X W Z'... I got a very arsey call from the head mistress telling me that 'the teacher had put those letters up at 6 in the evening and was very tired'....!!!! My heart BLEEDS!!! I'm not saying that many teachers, nurses, bin men etc don't do an absolutely wonderful job, nor am I saying that they are not worth what they're paid. What I'm saying is we're all broke. facts and figures and reasons and blame aside, what's done is done and we're in the situation we're in and that's that, make peace with it. The huge public sector must shoulder some responsibility for this situation and accept that they can't hide behind their unions forever demanding the impossible. They need to roll up their sleeves alongside those of us who don't have a union to fight our corner, those of us who can improve our lot only by working harder for it, and help us make the country profitable again. They need to stop making it 'them and us' because, and I can only speak for myself here, it makes me resent them massively.... I don't feel I'm getting good value. And you know what they say.... the customer is always right....

Can't go wrong with a Goldfish....!

Alec, to respond to the points you made. 1. When my wife was getting diagnosed with cancer, we paid to have her assessed privately. Ironically it was the same consultant who eventually treated her under the NHS, but working much quicker out of a private hospital. Yes, some NHS hospitals are bringing in cheap foreign staff, but you have to ask yourself whether this is because the profession is poorly paid or whether trusts are wasting money elsewhere instead of spending it on nurses and equipment. 2. My sister in law is a NQT, several very close friends are teachers & senior management [one is helping me this Sunday actually!] and my wife was a governor at our childrens school so I know that £17.5k is not a common salary for teachers, nor do they sit on it for long. Although for 39 weeks work I reckon it's pretty good yes....! I will accept that TA's are very poorly paid though for some of the crap they have to deal with, but most are not qualified nor strong enough to lead a class so I guess that's OK. [My wife works with special needs kids and was a TA as a local secondary school] 3. I have worked closely with schools and local authorities as part of my work, including taking classes as an industry contact. I have a close working relationship with senior management at quite a few schools [private and state] and base my opinions only on what I know for a fact. Teachers have nothing to complain about and really ought to bear that in mind....

Yes, it's rated, states how much in the spec on the online shops. Rig is obviously rated higher than standard pinto but both are rated. https://www.gustharts.com/UserFiles/DMM_Pinto_Flyer.pdf

For those like me who didn't have a clue what this was all about... BBC News - Jeremy Clarkson One Show exchange transcript Don't get me started on this. I am a terrible ranter about the unions, socialists and public sector on facebook and have lengthy debates [rows, whatever] with 'friends' who work in the public sector. Uh oh.. too late... I'm off.... sorry.... What anyone who works in the public sector needs to remember is this. The private sector doesn't need you half us much as you need it sadly. If the public sector was to disappear up it's own backside tomorrow, within a few weeks private companies would be popping up all over the place doing their jobs but better and cheaper. If the private sector collapses, which if the public sector workers [although it's principally the union leaders stirring rather than anything else] keep whingeing, striking and doing very little but doing it badly and for a high cost, then it could well do, then there will be no public sector. As is well proven by the strikes, public sector workers won't work for nothing, they have a vastly overinflated sense of self worth and very little grasp on economics in the real world. The public sector is a service industry. It produces nothing, it generates no revenue, it creates no export market, it simply consumes, in ever greater quantities, from the private sector. As a result of this I'm sorry but they just need to graciously accept what they're given right now. A public sector worker can't even claim to be a proper tax payer, since I'm pretty sure the money the pay their taxes with comes from private sector taxation in the first place. It's a giant moneygoround and it needs a slap across the face and to be put back in it's place. It needs to follow the private sector. Life is hard, we're all having to work a lot harder for a lot less in the private sector, but we suck it up and get on with it, we will make things better. Why can't teachers etc [who god knows have incredible packages in reality] stop complaining about how hard done by they are and just plaster on a smile and put up with it? All they seem to do is blame bankers, and although that's an entirely different thread, we really must accept that bankers share only as much blame for all this as we the consumers with our insatiable thirst for cheap borrowing and even cheaper goods, and the vastly overpopulated & complex public sector, and the general unwillingness to carry out low paid menial tasks leading to a collapse in manufacturing & export. We all played a part in making this situation. We need to face up to it and stop trying to blame everyone but ourselves. Public sector workers striking are doing the total opposite and have absolutely no sympathy from me whatsoever. I'm a fairly reasonable person and have no problem with public sector employees being paid fairly, but that's not happening at the moment. I have also found anyone in the public sector who I have tried to talk to about it to act like a idiot, mostly just raising the volume of their voice while repeating the same thing 'But we deserve it... blah blah bankers... blah blah Tories'... THAT MAY BE, BUT THERE IS NOTHING TO PAY FOR IT!!!. They're acting like children who have been told they can't have a new toy. So yes, I would take them out and have them shot too. Sorry guys, it does make me cross!

I have a couple of DMM Zodiac screwgates in my kit, I really like them. I don't use them on my main line but I do stick them on my F8 sometimes, or between a pulley & prussik, and I have some little ISC Gators which are handy for micro pulleys and the strop on my back handled saw...

This story can apply to any area. It is not down to who you know at the school though, it's who you know at County Hall. Local Authorities aren't quite as transparent as we all think / hope, they are staffed by human beings after all.... We have a very similar situation here, a contractor keeps getting thrown off the approved list and then blow me, next summer, he's mopping up work all over the place again.... we've put some of it right before, it's a bloody disgrace. Local government can be bent as hell as well as being shockingly inefficient. Talking of their fee, 20% is the norm taken from a budget here for 'professional services', which goes straight back into county hall to fund their ivory towers.... As said, FAR from a good deal for schools and sadly, it's the kids who get the crap end of all this...

Sort of. They can CRB check you but you will probably have to pay. If you are not left unattended with pupils technically you don't need to be CRB checked. We just get our site managers CRB'd and they escort anyone who isn't if they go outside the work area.

We do quite a bit of building work for schools, they're a peculiar thing. There are various different types of school, some with more autonomy than others. As an independent looking to work direct [which is far more preferable than tendering LA run schools projects if you're small and don't have time to produce huge quotes] you need to target specific types of schools. The new academies control their own budget and spending. These are GOOD. Foundation schools [ex grammars etc] are state schools which have some money of their own, might own the site and the council leases it back, that sort of thing]. These are GOOD. Church schools sometimes have projects funded by the local diocese, so approach the school and / or the vicar at the attached church, depending on how closely they work. Private schools can do what they like. Many are struggling a bit financially at the moment unless they have the facility to accept large numbers of foreig students. These are also GOOD. PFI schools, usually called 'community college' or similar, are just rented space for teachers. As stated, all the maintenance is carried out by private contractors working for the PFI consortium's management company. These are OK but will screw you. State schools, the traditional primary & high schools, have little control over their budgets and generally wouldn't bother spending what little they do have for themselves on something which they could throw back at the LA on safety grounds. You will struggle with these unless you can get on the council framework and become the go to guy for that small area. These are RUBBISH! To find out what sort of school you're looking at, check their website or phone them up and ask. If they're worth chasing try to speak to the Business Manager, Site Manager or Head teacher. Hope that helps...

I don't think so, no! I have a few ISC krabs but I generally buy DMM through choice.... Guess it's like everything else though, it's all down to personal preference.... I sometimes find the ISC Supersafe gate easier to release than a DMM Locksafe, don't know why....

Have you seen this...? Unipower - Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki - The classic vehicle and machinery wiki

4x4's are very expensive to insure for young drivers, down to engine CC, weight and desirability to thieves, it all adds up to make them pricey. Small vans based on low insurance group hatchbacks are the cheapest vehicle you will be able to insure. I know it sounds hideous but if you find a Fiesta or Corsa [small petrol engine] and drive that for a year it will pay off quicker than trying to drive something bigger as a name on someone else's policy. I wish I'd taken my own advice when I was your age! Fortunately things were a bit easier for me, even though it was only coming up 15 years ago. I had a Golf Gti at 19 which was 500 quid TPTF to insure and a Range Rover at 21 which was £900 FC... I got quoted the exact same figure for the same vehicles now, 13 years on, so I dread to think what it would be like if I was still 18! The insurance companies have made it very much that you need to start small these days... there isn't really any escaping it I'm afraid!

Without question, if you need a versatile working vehicle which makes good sense as an asset on the books [depreciation is lower than virtually everything else on the market] a Defender is a stunning vehicle. They sure do have shortcomings but they're nowhere near as bad as usually made out. And I'll back up the claims that LR's are reliable. I have a 1994 Disco V8. I paid 900 quid for it unseen off eBay. I use it hard, every day, in forests, up motorways. In the 2 years I've had it I've had to replace an oil pressure switch [fiver] and it's just failed the MOT on 1 headlamp beam pattern, brake pedal rubber & intermittent ABS lamp fault. It's costing me 250 quid to get all that, and the advisories, done and a service [not had it done yet!], front CV joints, wheel bearings / hub seals & brake fluid while we're at it. 250 quid in repairs over 2 years seems pretty good to me. My brand fire new BMW gave me more trouble.... Had a TD5 engined Disco 2, lovely engine, my favourite LR diesel I think, hugely tunable but TD5 Defenders are getting very desirable, particularly as the motors in new Defenders are getting smaller... there ain't no replacement for displacement as they say! [beware of early TD5's, throttle response was poor, improved on later ones] 300Tdi's are a great engine [had a Disco 300 a while ago too - we like Discos!] very simple and reliable. Still based on the original 2.25 petrol I believe! Buy a good one, look after it [rot is the trickiest thing to remedy, oily bits are cheap and easy to change out] and you should be very happy. [You'll get used to the poor driving position, crap heater, noisy cab, slow progress and slightly wayward roadholding in the wet....]

They have more in common with a series 3 than a Defender... Leaf springs [albeit parabolics] are the main difference... Iveco engine is allegedly very good. Interior is a matter of taste, a bit LDV for my liking... as is exterior styling. Build quality as mentioned is a bit hit and miss. They are cheap though....

I've just taken delivery of and unpacked the little Tanaka I ordered. Will hopefully get out and use it at the weekend, will let you know how it goes. First impressions. 1. It's no Stihl! 2. Chain brake doesn't snap on as easily as I would like 3. Clutch cover is flimsy [particularly when operating chain brake] 4. Not enough clearance behind outboard clutch & body of saw to fit chain easily 5. No dogs fitted [optional] Anything else will have to wait till it's started and run. Sounds like I'm disappointed but I'm not! Feels nicely balanced and build quality generally looks good. I reckon it will be fine for me for how much use it will get.... Still would have bought an MS200T though if I could have afforded it!

I have a Canterbury 'Cold' long sleve base layer shirt which I wore when I was coaching mini's, that gets brought out when it's real cold. I do find it has a tendency to ride up though which is really irritating. No problems with restricted movement mind you. Get them from all good sports shops!

No... it's a steering wheel centre for a series 1 [?] with a dip switch in it.... later ones had a button on the floor I think before it ended up on the stalk....

Keep telling yourself that as you doze off at the table in the restaurant, the button pops off your skinny jeans and you fart in your sleep.... Look on the brightside, every day that passes, this behaviour becomes more acceptable....

For the first time in as long as I can remember I had a renewal for car insurance come through which actually went down... Disco was 300 odd quid last year, £244 this year... Happy days!

It's just coming up to a year since I quit. I went cold turkey and haven't had a single puff since, which I'm quite proud of since my boss smokes around me... I've tried many times before but this time was just the 'right time' somehow and I am ashamed to say I found it very easy this time, especially considering I had got up to a 20 a day for the last few years and overall had been smoking for coming up 15 years. Should I have quit sooner? Possibly, but I enjoyed it and I don't think anyone who still smokes should be made to feel bad about it, it's a personal choice and it used to 'mean a lot to me' in a funny way, I loved it! However, in the petrol station the other day I was glad I did quit... Last time I bought B&H silver they were £5.20.... nearly 7 quid now! I don't feel any healthier, and certainly no wealthier, but everyone assures me that I am both!