Pedroski

Told ya It's always worth having a good chain as back up, then you can do a quick swap if necessary and sharpen at you leisure.

The adult responsible for that kid needs a thrashing.

There are a lot of young trees, bigger than anything that would be easy to buy without costing thousand, already growing in his field on the boundary line with the road, so it's not completely doom and gloom. It's just that they won't be anything like the one he wants felled for at least another 30 years or more. I should know by tomorrow what he wants to do. Still hoping it's the raising canopy option.

Welllllllll, I'm on the verge of prostituting myself. I've given him 2 prices - one to raise canopy and remove the few dead limbs, thereby leaving something safe and attractive, and another price to fell it. I'm hoping he goes for the first, but the bank manager (wife) is hoping he goes for the second.

Leylandii is great for nesting birds so don't know it. Also, assuming there is a lot of space around the smallholding, this wouldn't necessarily be high maintenance. But he might end up with a lot of the smallholding in shadow. Ligustrum Superbum might be a better option - it's a variegated evergreen privet type, reaches up to 8m and is pretty maintenance free. If fast growth is not a definite requirement, and there's plenty of money, then how about yew? Might not be too good if horses on the smallholding, but looks lovely.

Well then, there's no need at all to feel bad about it. That's twice the number of years experience as you, and maybe he's just got more comfortable with everything, or alternative he might have a bigger ego and wanted to prove something. Either way, you made a safe judgement, and if you'd gone against that then maybe you would have been reckless.

Sorry, 'twas just an example to show it's not just down here that they don't run a list. But have a look at this for Manchester and the NW Manchester City Council’s e-tendering Portal - Current Tenders - Manchester City Council

From the Sheffield LA web site www.sheffield.gov.uk: "Approved Lists for Non-Construction Goods & Services We do not hold any other Approved Lists. For all other types of goods and services, our Doing Business with Us section explains How, What and When we Buy, and provides details of how to register to become a prospective supplier to us. " For non-construction all you can do is register your interest on the LA website, and you'll get notification of tenders as they are published. See, same up north as down here in the south.

That's pretty diabolical, and I'm sure most fitters would indeed have just whacked it on.

A lot are also 1.1mm (0.043")

Couple of years ago I ordered some PPE from them - helmets etc. - and all arrived on time and at a good price. Work mate ordered a top handle saw from them - again arrived on time and at a good price. Experiences have been good.

Here it is:

Sh.....t Alsasdair, that's not good. Glad to hear it's not raining where you are though. Hope you've still got plenty of work lined up for when you come back.

This is great, especially the two lads near the end sitting together....

I know people who use more hot water to wash up normally than even the worst dishwashers use. I'm ok with washing up in the sink because I have the water just 2 or 3 inches deep wash everything then just give it a quick rinse under the cold tap. But lots of people have the sink over flowing and empty it right out as soon as they see a bit of food floating in it, or the water get a bit of colour. Dishwashers typically use about 10 litres of water these days. Water which during the wash cycle goes round and round and round, and the energy to heat that is low compared with the energy to heat the hot running water for washing up in sink. So, in use, they are pretty good provided they are properly full up. HOWEVER, this ignores the environmental impact of producing the things in the first place, transporting them all over the world, having space in shops to sell them and after a few years the energy required to dispose of them. At least with washing up in the sink you are using something that is already in place, i.e. the hot water supply, the sink itself etc.

Dunno. But will my red and orange rope clash with my green Jeep?

Just thought this might be of interest to someone here. Min 4yrs experience as an arboriculturalist, pref AA member, experience in BS5837 surveys and high quality report writing skills. Desirable - experience in ecological, surveys and bat surveys. I can't really give any more details right here as it's being advertised by an agency elsewhere, but if you are seriously interested then PM me and I will give further info, including job ref and contact details of the agency.

I did some good baking at 6.18am this morning. Don't really feel confident about posting the pictures though - it was a bit of a crappy effort.

There is a safe way to anchor midline and that by tying a bowline on a bight (BOAB) which gives you 2 loops that go either side of the other part of the line. The krab goes through both loops and doesn't pull onto the limb or get cross loaded. I'll put some pics up later when I get back from work.

OK, BUT it's only a mailing list that anyone can go on. It's not a list put together by the LA of people that they want to apply for tenders. Your local completely unqualified junkie or can add themself to mailing list and receive alerts of all tenders coming up, but I doubt the council would specifically put them on an 'invite to tender' list if it was one they had drawn up. Anyway, you've done my head in and have made it successfully onto my list.......... my hit list

OMT, how do I get on the list for your area?

Are you talking to me? For Skyhuck..... direct quote from our LA web site: "Finding our tenders Public sector tenders across the South East All Brighton & Hove City Council tenders can be found at the South East Business Portal (select Brighton & Hove from drop-down menu). You can also access tenders posted by other public sector bodies across the south east region. We may also advertise in: the relevant trade publication local and sometimes national press the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) You can register on both sites to receive email alerts if any advertisements go up in your area of interest. Central government tenders All central government contracts over £10,000 must now go up on the new Contracts Finder site in keeping with the ongoing transparency initiative." Far too much time on my hands this afternoon!

Crikey man, what's the matter with you. You keep asking about a list of companies to invite to tender, both OMT and I have said down here there is no list and tenders open for applications are shown on the LA web site. Post #4, Rupe said "Generally you need to be invited to tender, it's not something you can look up and stick your price in" Post #8, I explained that you don't get invited down here, you look the tenders up and put an application in. Post #10, Mesterh said speak to LA and get on list. Post #12, Oldmilltrees explained "They don't have a list....work goes out to tender as it should" Post #13, Skyhuck (you) says "So how do they know who to send the tender to" Post #15, I explain again that it's all on the LA website, no invitations to sent out to tender Post # 16, Skyhuck said "Mine does" Post #19, Highscale said "Yeah, but that's all changing now" Post #21, Oldmilltrees AGAIN explains that in the SE invites are not sent out Post #24, Skyhuck goes on about the bleeding list again. Post #32, Oldmilltrees AGAIN explains no list. Post #35, Skyhuck (you) AFLIPPINGAIN, ask how they decide to ask who to tender. Post #36, I explain YET AGAIN they don't ask who to tender, they don't send invites.... it's all on the LA website. Flipping heck man, I don't think you're talking to me all the time..... but I do think you are having a hard time understanding that down here in the SE, the LA details open tenders on their web site for anyone to put an app in for, and they don't send invitations out to some flipping tender party!!

Down SE here they don't. I think you must have missed what I said. All the tenders are published, and it's up to each company who wants to tender to look at the published tenders and submit an application. Saying that, I can imagine there being a secret list in the head of somebody in the LA who would call their chum in a company and give them notice of impending tenders......

I tell ya, I was tempted. It would be a good wedge toward getting a roof on my extension. And Wolfman, I could do with some of that good karma mojo at the mo!