Pedroski

Thanks Predator for the vote of confidence - much appreciated I'm also a left hander for writing, and always hated writing at school. I could spend a whole lesson looking busy and have nothing to show for it.

Oldmilltrees has just texted me a photo of his better half by the pool

I'm trying to introduce some proper decent H&S in the form of maximum exposure time to grumpy workmate of 5 minutes per day, and also introduce a maximum exposure level to his gaseous emissions.

Lucky git - two weeks at the Hotel Solana, Benidorm

Dunno, but I do know that Golden Larch saw dust produces solid gold eggs

Thanks chaps. I shall go for it again after dinner. I think the reason for the written letter is, as some of you have said, to do with that graphology malarkey. And, thinking about it, I have the write sort of handwriting, I think, to suit the job I'm quite glad I failed in finishing it last night though, as I remembered today that I had forgotten to mention something in it, and also realised there's some stuff I can leave out. And Likeitorlumpit, I'm a doctor so I suppose I do have a reason for my writing style:thumbup: Had a look through one of the graphology sites yesterday and found out that my Mrs is a depressive egocentric

That's strange. I was looking at a leaflet re the bike scheme up the hospital the other day, and they help out regardless of where you buy the bike from. Basically, the money for the bike comes straight out the wages with no interest charge and it reduces tax or something like that.

Sending my CV off to a company who have asked for a handwritten cover letter. My writing looks like something a doctor has written on a prescription! Need to start it again now Borrocks!

Decent bike - gotta be a Commencal Supernormal. Love mine - nice and light, fast on the road and fast off the road.

I've got a Samsung Solid Immerse - drop it, soak it, get it filthy, wash it..... and absolutely no problem with it at all. I can make calls on it, send texts, get the internet and do email and more.

Sawdust from a decent chain seems a lot less dusty than the sawdust that comes already bagged up. It's seems to be in between sawdust and shavings. Moisture shouldn't be a problem - after all, the nest boxes will be pretty well aired out, and the miniscule amount of chain oil I can't imagine being a problem either.

But here in lies the problem. How many people getting £50/day or £60/day are actually making a profit? Take out costs of PPE, tools, fuel, vehicle costs, insurance etc etc, and I put money on a lot of these people ending up making a loss and not even covering costs. They'd be better off getting tenner here and a tenner there for washing cars, or delivering news papers.

Icicle hitch is my favourite for sending flasks and wine/water bottles (any bottle that doesn't have a ring to tie to) up the tree. Never dropped one.

Easy init - I've felled many a 10 footer Ash or Sycamore with a Silky.

Wouldn't need expelling after drowning - they wouldn't expect him back at uni. And he'd have to be sent home in dicoffin, not disgrace.

There are different degrees of rookie though. There are rookies from the point of view of having no experience of tree work but have loads of experience of practical manual work and can turn their hands to tree work, and pick things up straight away. These are worth money. Then there are rookies who have no experience of anything at all, but the keen ones of these are also worth good money. The people not worth money are those who talk on their phones, who don't respond when you talk to them, who whine if something is hard work, who don't bother getting to the job on time, who turn up in trainers - but while a lot of these are rookies with no experience of the real world, a lot are also highly experienced lazy beggars. I had a highly experienced bloke on a job a while back who was more interested in talking on his phone arranging other jobs, and spending an hour sharpening a chain, and it took him till lunchtime just to get up the tree. Whereas another bloke I hired got to the job before me, had all his stuff sorted out, we discussed the job and he was up the tree in the blink of an eye.

Just been enjoying some Joy Division. And earlier today, some of my favourite QOTSA tracks.

I was stupid working for £1/hour. That's something I fully recognise now and that has basically lead to me being taken advantage of for most of my life since! I was straight out of college and gave up the chance of going to uni back then just because a mate's dad was paying me £1/hour to work with his lads on a big water board maintenance contract. Recently one of those 'mates' I worked with back then took advantage again, by charging me top whack for 2 climbers and turning up with just himself and his daughter's inexperienced teenage boyfriend, then taking two days (and charging accordingly) to do what someone else could do in one day. I kick myself when I look back at what I did for £1/hour and what I gave up for it, and it all came back to me when one of these 'mates' took advantage again. It's really made me take stock of things which is why I flipped with him and also why I won't take the mick with anyone who works for me. You're right, donkey work is donkey work, but I'm refusing to do down the route of bunging someone £50 cash for a day of donkey work to subsidise their job seekers allowance or whatever. As far as I'm concerned, if the customer is happy with my price that's cool because within that price I've included good money for the people doing the work. If the customer isn't happy with my price then I'll discuss it with them to see if job spec can be changed to reduce it, or someone else can do it. Mind you, when I end up completely broke, I'm sure I'll jump at the chance for a tenner a day!

Exactly. And with an 80kg weight hanging on it, you get up to a permitted 8% elongation on a single, and 10% on double, ropes. So, if your weight is going on and off a 20m length of rope, the rope will be lengthening and shortening by 2m creating considerable sawing action. Same if you base anchor the rope and having it going over a crotch - the rope will be sawing back and forth in the crotch, sawing away at the cambium damaging both the tree and the rope. Another problem with the dynamic rope comes about when you climb the rope itself - you waste a lot of energy, bit like cycling uphill on a bicycle with rear suspension.

I expect it's dynamic rope, in which case the 'sawing' action of it over branches will wear it out really quickly. Wouldn't bother.

How about a length of bicycle inner tube, just a few inches shorter than the sling?

Right then, when I first started back in 1986, I was on £1/hour. That gave me fuel, record and beer money so I was happy. But now, I won't get out of bed for less than £100/day and when I price a job and hire a hard working rookie, then I won't pay them less than £100/day. Any less really is crap, regardless. This whole country has gone tits up when people think it's acceptable to pay someone £50/day for sweating their nads off for 8 or 9 or 10 hours. Tight gits.

Thanks Ted. Happy Easter to all

My next door neighbour has a nice black shiny latest generation Discovery, with big wheels and blacked out windows. He seems to use it as his mobile office - seems to sit in it outside his house for hours at a time on his phone. Hmmmm.

You fellas are moaning, BUT if it wasn't for people like him buying them new then there wouldn't be any affordable second hand ones....