Gary Prentice

And if you can remove all the nasty rough bark the straps don't get snagged up.

I think Mark means that on his jobs trees are well and truly mullered within two hrs.

I bet a rash of new TPOs weren't made in the area, despite the councillor being concerned about the loss of canopy cover.

Or this one?

Lesions on the stems? I think it's unlikely to be ground moisture - more likely to be evident to all of the trees. Copper nails - Urban myth IME Were they large transplants?

I've had it once or twice over the years. Now, if I feel that there is risk of this occurring, I'll get a shallow gob into the stem and/or nick the buttresses. I do feel that the planning authority have had many years to become aware of the tree and if they thought it worthy of protection should have protected prior to it coming under threat. The T&CPA has been around for close on seventy years, so it's hardly a new thing and they're playing catch up.

A monkey

To settle the argument once and for all,to keep everyone happy etc, I propose that we do have another referendum. In 2060 Only seems fair, after all.

Wouldn't it be nice to work in an environment where you had; a) that much space to work b) lawns that weren't so sodden ten months of the year that you need ground protection even to walk on. (ok, 10 months may be an exaggeration)

People seeking something to be offended about caused the problem.

You get more pastilles in a packet than giraffes, easy observation for identification

Giraffes are definitely giraffes. You'd have real problems confusing the two.

You're getting confused with giraffes

Fixed that for you "a deep thinker who knows exactly what he is doing" Yeah, right!

You're welcome.

I don’t think Trump has enough guile to creditably lie about his own motives. A leaders speech should be considered, everyone is looking to them for leadership and poor communication skills have consequences. And as for the twitter posts....

Really liking that Rottie

I believed it, until the snowman claim.

BGS online, some of the borehole records are confidential, but there's a fair bit of information there.

Only you Felix.

I'm ambivalent Rich, having lived in urban and more rural environments. Nature is cruel and so are foxes, but I have a live and let live attitude now. I might be different if I kept hens or they were eating the cats, but I don't and they don't.

Very unusual behaviour. We have foxes visit every evening, the wife encourages them by feeding them in the belief that if they're well fed they don't bother the cats. She puts food in a little kennel outside the patio doors and it's not unusual for a fox to stand outside it barking at a cat who robbing 'his food'. They are very cautious and timid, you can approach the door slowly and they stand and look at you, but sudden movements and they're away. If there's no food out in the evening when they come, they will peer through the glass and look in as if to remind you they're there. The dogs don't seem to know what to make of them, they will sit inside, sometimes with a cat and watch them but not overly interested. They just seem to accept them coming and going. The cats don't so much and will chase them off now and again. They've been around for several years now and it's nice to watch them growing up. When the cubs are born, the dog and vixen visit, grab as much food as they can carry and take it back to wherever they are, shuttling back and forth. Then they come back and feed themselves outside the door. We'll start to see the cubs a few weeks later chasing one another around the garden and watch them growing up. Last years cubs (two males and a female we think) are still around and look really well, good coats and well nourished (they should be on what they're fed)

No big deal Mick, just my personal philosophy of if you have habits, always make them good ones. Unless they involve bikes, alcohol or women.

Wrong term, rapid lowering of load (i.e heavier than expected/inattentive or inexperience groundir)