Gary Prentice

Sounds strange, after we felled trees, and treated stumps, on a steep chalky embankment we had to go back and pull the stumps out as they came loose several years later. Remember when the railway was built there were no trees and kept that way by the deveg gangs Strange to me too. IIRC someone mentioned about how stumps of infected trees were coppicing the following year, before that foliage got re-infected. I'd imagine the remaining roots would stabilise the bank for a number of years while nature took its course and new self-seeded saplings became established. As a sidebar Paul, when did you become qualified enough in geology/geography to determine where the angle of repose would lead to slippage?

I think that the rapidity at which it's spread has caught some LAs with their trousers down. At least that's my experience locally. None of the Manchester area authorities are doing anything yet to advise private owners on their websites. My own local tree officer asked me to report to him any particularly bad trees, private or their own, which could pose a hazard to the highway. They're trying to evaluate their own stock asap because previous highway inspections were zoned on highway usage, a residential street might only be inspected every four to five years but the speed at which this is spreading through the crown, at least here this year, means that the more or less need to look at all highway ash this year. You can sort of understand why no-one is spending time and/or money on advising the public. Maybe everyone arb contractor should be adding something themselves to their own websites to publicise the problem!

I've even known architects to suffer 'tree blindness' when filling in planning applications. A bit shameful when the application is then refused after the LA notice half a dozen seventy foot trees ten foot from the proposed construction.

Have you got a copy of the AAs terms and conditions for Arb consultants? The best £25 or so that you'll ever spend. Arboricultural Association - Guidance Note 9 WWW.TREES.ORG.UK A source of publications, guidance notes and leaflets for arboriculturists. Competitively priced available to members... Not ducking the question but H&S becomes so involved once you're trying to cover yourself because you end up introducing everything that you consider in your decision making process. ( occupation frequency/ fixed targets and their value/ size of part likely to fail etc etc) If you're not careful the client holds you responsible for the 1" diameter/<1m dead branch that you didn't see in the dense foliage that then cracks the pane in his greenhouse.)

I don't disagree,at all, with anything that you are saying here. All we can do is point out that there is a potential of failure at an included union, we can't reasonably predict in most circumstances if it will or won't. It's the clients level of risk aversion which ultimately decides whether action is taken.

I met him at a conference one year. Enlightening and definitely outspoken in his criticism of the lack of pruning by the nursery trade I particularly liked his attitude of pruning at planting time, to create a good scaffold structure - even if it meant removing 50+% of the foliage. The faces of some of the delegates was just priceless once he demonstrated with his secateurs. Sorry Andrew, I think that you're missing my point. Wander through a beech would and you'll see included bark union after union and evidence of historic failures. We know that they have a potential to fail, each different (for all the reasons you've stated above) and that that potential will change with changes in their surroundings etc. But if you could positively identify which will fail, under given circumstances - humidity, wind-speed/direction, and which won't - then, and only then would you know whether bracing/pruning/subordination etc had actually made them safer. I acknowledge that any tree can be made 'safer' by bracing and/or pruning - but unless you can guarantee that it will fail without action, have you actually made it safer or just spent the owners money?

Playing devils advocate To make something safer isn't there a presumption that there would be a failure without an action being taken? How are you predicting one included union will fail before the next inspection and another one will not? (Having spent several days viewing beech trees with typical, for beech, included bark unions.

I remember my lad, probably only seven or eight at the time, telling a new groundsman to wait, "Dad'll be dropping that branch next, don't go under til he's done it" Think the new groundsman was a bit bit peeved though, when asked if he'd screwed the gate shut properly before sending up a re-fueled saw! He always was a bossy little bugger.

Don't tell the owner it's dying, they'll want it out. It's in a late growth/late mature, whatever - forming a new smaller crown as they don't really extend for-ever. Can't really tell from the photo's but it looks to be re-iterating well so hopefully will recover from whatever has stressed it and will be good for a couple more centuries

a, I was trying to remember the additional ingredient to my home-made flapjacks yrs ago

crocodile+dundee+tastes+like+crap+but+you+can+live+on+it - Yahoo Video Search results UK.VIDEO.SEARCH.YAHOO.COM The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video...

Just been looking at the ingredients; Nutritional values per 100g Calorific value: 1920 kJ / 420 kcal Fat: 17.3 g of which saturated fatty acids: 8.6 g Carbohydrates: 53.1 g of which sugar: 15.4 g Protein: 14.5 g Salt: 0.48 g Fiber: 7.1 g Ever thought of knocking up your own flapjacks? Keep for weeks in an air-tight container. Best thing I ever found, through reading, for slow release carbs is plain old oatmeal. Grind it up and add to milk drinks, crushed nuts for good fats and and even more calories

I like the figure (1st Pic). Don't know why but there's something about it... And the others are far better than anything that I think I could do.

Do you have take stem cells or is it a genetic modification?

Was she surprised when she caught you taking naked photo's in front of her mirror?

And that's just from the veg management crews!

Fly agaric https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/fly-agaric/

In a nutshell. To help revitalise the sub-forum, why not write some? Not a dig Wisewood, people moan about the lack of activity but do nothing to encourage it. Sometimes Steve the lack of moderators/active moderation is quite obvious. And I'm not casting stones in any way. People are busy in life but over the last couple of years the lack of moderators has become very much apparent., to the extent that even some of he membership are trying to reign in the more out of order posters.

"The disease issue is a try on." Or lack of knowledge? Kinda share your thoughts but it's an otherwise healthy tree contributing a lot to the local environment. Don't know what the owners feeling are about it and I'll keep out of the debate of should it stay or go. That's something that a good arb should discuss face to face with the owner...(probably)

Britishness? The 'cricket test' surely "colonising a territory " - well for a lot of nationalities it would only be a case of getting their own back on the 'Empire' My point of view is that, like pet dogs and small children, some will push the boundaries of what you can get away with without consequences. And, some of got away with a hell of a lot, so it'll continue. It'll be really difficult to about face and kerb the 'freedoms' that they're used. I know it's a simplistic point of view. Without fear of punishment there is no law an order. And for some there hasn't been consequences for many years, things are ignored or simply brushed aside because authority is reluctant to act. I define basically good as treating others with respect, regardless of faith, colour, background etc. Treat others how you'd wish to be treated. Help others when you can. Basic morals and ethics.

Don't know but apparently the HSE are investigating the absence of a rescue climber!

You lot have got far too much time on your hands!

But who do you ultimately blame? The culprits or the system that has pretty much said that they're above the law? I'm all for equality but there's something wrong when for fear of being seen as racist the playing field becomes distinctly sloping

I know where you're coming from. Recently I'm getting to meet a lot of folk of all ages, nationalities and faiths, thankfully most of those I meet are the nicest that you could interact with. I still have some belief that most people are basically good.