Gary Prentice

A couple from Gateford Park

Leaf miner yes, HCBC - don't see it. https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/pest-and-disease-resources/bleeding-canker-of-horse-chestnut/ Lack of conkers might be down to a late frost affecting the flowering or any other number of environmental factors.

It takes as long as it takes to disassemble the starter mechanism. Probably quicker to do than to explain to someone how to do it.

Normally what I'd do on site if you need to keep something running and order one to swop when time permits, or remember to.

You can sometimes reform the end, if the metal isn’t too brittle. I’ve done it on site sometimes and never had further issues. Dont worry about the loss of the total spring length, it doesn’t seem to matter. start at the outside, fit the end of the spring into the receptacle for it and then rotate the holder to coil the spring into it. Use your thumbs to keep everything flat so the spring doesn’t lift out. When the spring is coiled, it should sit in the circular holder which then goes back in place. Then, you need to tension the spring by unwrapping one loop of cord, put it in the cut out of the cord holder and turn- you’ll feel the spring connect and begin to tension. Dont over tension it, three or four complete turns should do. Let the cord pull in, pull it out against the tension and keep it out. Put the cord (still out) into the notch and there be another revolution on it before it comes to a stop. Its easier to to find a video than explain, but it really isn’t hard.

That’s a p poor excuse. It basically admits that the hole was visible and known about. That should have initiated further investigation to gauge its extent and then, if necessary, remedial measures to reduce the likelihood of failure.

The recoil starter spring? I don't know this model, but recoil springs are either in a little flat circular 'cassette' which you wind the spring into, or situated into the casing itself. If it's in the casing, don't try to coil the spring up in your hands and then fit it into the casing - you'll struggle. Instead, put the little tab to the outer end of the spring into the casing and then rotate the casing to wind the spring in so your working in to the centre of the casing. That probably doesn't make much sense, but it should only take 30 seconds to do. Alternatively - look on youtube

I heard Stubby kept tripping over his tongue! ?

Why spoil a good fantasy?

Who'd have thought it! Water pockets causes rot

Family friends or not, and regardless of the time since you originally quoted, can't see how you are bound to stick to the original quote. You provided a price to do a particular job, which has now changed. Look at it another way. If originally removing a tree then allowed you to get a vehicle right to the oak you'd base your price on that. Then that tree only gets pruned, you can't get access to the oak and have to carry out all the oak, which adds an additional day on site. Would you do the work for the same price? If the job changes, reprice it and explain why.

wait til it rains! I think that's when to expect it - normally a dry interval causing reduced moisture content in timber which then becomes replenished after rainfall results in more SBD events.

So what definition do you have for a veteran tree?

It also depends what the work was. If it was pruning for light issues, that's what the LA determine. They probably wouldn't be expected by a judge to go around the back of the tree and start poking round the buttresses for Kretz ffbs. On the other hand if the reason for works was that the owner thought it unsafe because of great big fruiting bodies and the TO didn't consider the affect of that fungi species on that species of tree - totally different story.

Per stump, hour or day?

Not noticeably, but we're well established and known locally. But every day there seems to be a new tree firm knocking around, I'd imagine that it's even worse down south.

Get a pen and clipboard, works wonders. No aching joints or muscle pains - just a very shiny

You’re welcome.

Maybe folks are actually appreciating tree shade, rather than complaining about it. It’ll pick up when the leaves starting falling off.

Can you still pick that up?

Send three and sixpence, we're going to a dance?

That’s the problems with statistics, decide what you want the answer to be and then make it so.

They can and do. Shout prejudice and there's a totally different set of rules applicable.

You always so pessimistic! If people didn't make mistakes we'd all be out of work. Believe it or not, the owner showed forethought to protect the trees by leaving a nice little well around them, so that soil wasn't piled against the stem Anyway, it's giving me a chance to play hero, riding in to save the day and all the trees. The clients happy, planning is happy and the TO is happy. Every cloud has a silver lining. Edit. To be fair, that beech was goosed anyway, I've been documenting its decline over the last few years.

The TO. Said he’d responded to a complaint and rocked up expecting a couple of feet of soil. As did I.