Andrew Gale

I friend of mine uses a heavy duty mixing tray, the kind of thing you use to knock concrete or mortar up on.

I use Pear Technology's PT Mapper and Pocket GIS and I find them good to use and the back up help is great. They're based in Havant so not a million miles from you. If you're interested in speaking with them they have a stand at the AA South East Branch AGM & Winter Lecture on the 25 January 2017; ping me a message if you'd like more details.

To echo some of the previous comments; find a good old oak with a nice open crown, that'll help build confidence. But as Treequip said, don't be afraid to tackle anything that comes your way, the more knowledge you can gain regarding different tree species the better. Have fun

Good luck to everyone doing, about to do or contemplating doing the L6; I finished mine in 2014 and it's an absolute beast but well worth it.

No news Shane............

Blimey, I got all excited there thinking it may be my gear that got stolen a few weeks back, but alas not...........

Thanks Gary and Stubby; it's definitely a kick in the nether region by some seriously low life scum.................

Thanks Mick

Sorry to hear about your loss; it makes me sick to my stomach when hard working folk get ripped off by utter scum. Yes there is a section for posting lost kit etc, on my to do list.

Just to give all the guys and girls in the West Sussex area a heads up, my yard got turned over again last night; they took all the chainsaws, 1 x meduim reach hedge trimmer, 2 x climbing kits, all the spare chains and bars, 2 x full combi cans. I'll post serial numbers later...............

In terms of arboriculture, the worst job we've done recently was to remove the cones from a Monterey pine that were overhanging a neighbours roof which, when they fell off, broke his roof tiles. We had to hand pick them off and stash them in a bulk bag suspended under where we were working; what made it more of a challenge was that the neighbour had his roof repaired BEFORE we removed the cones...................no pressure!

We've a couple of sets of the bespoke made grinding guards (modeled on the BT barriers) which are ok but we seem to spend most of the time repairing them. They're pretty good on even ground and are nice and light to move and erect. We still use 8'x4' sheets of ply secured with road pins for those locations where the ground is level(ish) and the wind won't be a problem. We've also joined them in the past with a slit cut into the board and a strap past through to add a bit more rigidity.

Another for Acacia pravissima

No problem. Take a look at the Arb Ass Fungi on Trees book; it's a good read and has waterproof paper so ideal for walks in the woods (or work days).

I'd plump for Honey fungus; the annulus or ring on the stem is a good id plus the host species

I see many newbies claim to be tree surgeons or arborists that have no knowledge on how to prune a tree or tree species; the questions in the NPTC assessments are pretty basic about that. A theory course would be good; not sure if it's still run but the RFS Certificate in Arb covers both theory and practical (it may have changed since I was at college). Merrist Wood used to run it (they may still) and it was one day a week. The Horticultural Correspondence College run a distant learning course (there's a thread running on here about it); that could help with the time away from site aspect of a theory course. Regarding books, there's so many to choose from but anything my Lonsdale, Mattcheck, Shigo would be a good start but don't discount some on line papers etc. If you're not a member already, consider joining the Arb Ass; lots of info in the newsletter and Journal plus workshops and training days. From a tools and kit perspective, buy what you can afford; when I started (20 years ago) I used a trailer to move brash around and bought the relevant kit as and when I could afford it. Stump grinders can be hired in as can chippers so that expense could wait until funds allow. Good luck.

On a shoot I used to beat on, a number of the old boys did it purely for the gamekeepers wife's game pie that she made for them on Boxing Day shoot; it was legendary.

The guys at Sorbus finished off four seminars across the country last week so I'd imagine their playing catch up; bear with them and I'm sure Phil will get back to you. As an indicator though when I spoke to Phil at Friday's seminar he quoted £20k (pretty sure that was all in too).

Good luck, I'm sure you'll knock it out the park. Just make sure you remain efficient and effective with your time.

With birch I'd probably say early stages of Honey fungus. It may not be the primary cause but may well be a secondary factor. Look around the lower stem for exudations and fruiting bodies, though these aren't always evident.

Looks like Nothofagus obliqua (Roble) to me

From the images it looks like Acer negundo to me.

Physical fitness can be gained whilst you're starting off in the industry; each person will be different and will be able to perform for longer periods of sustained work than his or her counterpart. The important bit for me is his or her mental attitude; the ability to just crack on. Whether it's dragging rubbish all day or spending all day in the crown of a large reduction, whilst maintaining their composure is paramount in my opinion.

Check out Sorbus International; they'll have everything you'll need

In my experience it's all down to personal preference re kit choice. I've had guys and girls work for me whose choice of kit differed tremendously in terms of cost and spec, unfortunately for you it'll be down to your own experience; ask 10 arbs a question of kit choice and you'll get 10 different answers I'd suspect. Buy a basic set up first then, as and when you wish to update your kit, you can; the phrase 'all the gear and no idea' springs to mind........... Visit shows, shops and search on line; read reviews to reduce your time but buy kit that feels comfortable and easy to use. Hope it helps and good luck on your adventure into the industry..