kevinjohnsonmbe

What a FANTASTIC day that was (despite Eggs’ best efforts to inflict a crushing hangover from the night before!!) Much appreciation to all involved in delivering a great event. Most highly recommended!!

Been meaning to test the brakes on the pick-up, you know, just to see what they are like... Coincidentally, I've got a motorway trip today so thought I'd do it in the 3rd lane at 110mph rather than on a quiet trading estate on a Sunday morning.... Nothing ventured an all that.....

Thought you’d like it Marcus! Might look that book up and add to the purchase list. A sharp observarion too, it (appears) to have worked because (a) they were brave and broke with convention and (b) appear to have effectively tapped funding opportunities- maybe the publicity & book are anchors from which they can secure and increase additional future funding? The whole “funding / grant” system is exploited to best effect by those that you play the system. Bhaaahhh!

There is some merit in what you say Graham, but in this example I'd have to disagree I'm afraid - it would be akin to the test pilot on a new passenger aircraft making the first prototype flight with a full passenger manifest.... The time and the place for allowing the uncertified novice to attempt a challenging procedure is when and where the consequences of error are minimised (this should be anticipated and mitigated by the supervising staff and recognised as a learning opportunity (warts and all) for the inexperienced practitioner.) Of course it is an invaluable step on the ladder of experience , but surely it will be recognised that it is not something that should be undertaken in a high risk, target rich environment. People need to be confronted with challenge and opportunity in order to develop new skills, the place for a first attempt at putting a large stick over is in an open field, not in a confined space where innocent 3rd parties may be exposed to the consequence of failure. There have been some fantastic, humble, self critical threads on here in the past where folks have laid open the circumstances surrounding a personal error such that others may learn from, and gain a broader understanding of, the potential implications of a defined set of circumstances. Self critique and the open, honest discussion of industry issues is an invaluable resource in accident avoidance.

@Mull (always think it’s a bit rude to say “at” someone, not intended as such, just read this and thought of my mate up in the islands) Get past the “Daily Mail” phobia, I thought this was a great read.... Be really interested in yr thoughts Mull. Really, I’m not “anti-farmer” as I think you may have formed such a view, it would be more accurate to say I am “anti modern farming methods and the intransigence of the majority of the farming sector (whilst simultaneously decrying the insufficient ‘free’ money that is showered on the sector whilst it destroys the natural wold and claims to be its custodian” loike..... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5640191/How-letting-Mother-Nature-reclaim-prime-farmland-produced-breathtaking-results.html

Slight amend for you Mull....

(a) I'm an eternal optimist!! (b) That was Scotland! It's always wet and cold!!!

My findings when looking at similar 6 years ago was that a house on a log burning RHI system was too labour intensive - depending upon your work / social patterns and the size of the thermal store. A commercial log RHI boiler on a larger scale with a big thermal store (serving a B&B for example where there is high demand over short periods) was a good combo provided you have access to plentiful cheap log and have the time to stoke the baby up morning and evening. Pellet boiler, coupled with solar thermal, allowed more automation and less direct input so that's the route I took. Been very happy with it too. I would have favoured the wood burner / back boiler combo, but existing wood burners in the house were not compatible for retro-fit and the cost / benefit of changing out for a decent back burner wood stove didn't make it worth the effort. The sales bods will give you all the patter about cost savings and payback rates etc (consistently over exaggerated) but the most important factor, in my view, is how the system fits into existing / anticipated personal circumstances. Most systems require some personal behavioural change over the established convenience of gas / oil, it's just the degrees that differ but it can make for quite an important decision.

Oak before Ash here..... I'm holding out for a strong Summer season!

As it turned out, not career ending. Certainly career “limiting” though! The “chatter” on local FB forums has been surprisingly quiet but the incident, not the prosecution so far as I’m aware, did make regional TV - and we all know that reputation takes years to build and seconds to damage. Its only by ‘chance’ rather than design that the implications were relatively limited in effect. There was no ‘system’ to avoid the possibility of a mother & pushchair being where that car was... and without wishing to over dramatise, the potential was there and it was ‘luck’ that limited the potential effect. Career limiting....certainty, Most commercial contracts ask the questions: Any HSE prosecutors in preceding 5 yrs, any HSE prosecutions pending, how many days lost to RIDDORS in past 5 yrs? Ginna be tricky if faced with that any time soon and it still leaves the issue of how close it “could” have been to something life changing from happening. There were here a lot of inappropriate circumstances associated with this incident, I suspect not all were revealed to HSE!

Did you? Plymton Academy...??

Been over the river today! Safely back home now though....

That's an interesting point VI. But it comes with a health warning surely... I happen to agree, to a point, that enrichment of a society through some diversification can be viewed as a positive. And, that some help and advantage can / should be provided from a (relatively) rich / developed country to some of the people of a less so one. But who gets to decide the numbers? When does 'some' become 'too much?' What happens when policy (or the lack of it) results in unsustainable demographic / socio-economic / religious (you'll like that one ?)/ cultural changes within both the donor and receiver countries? What happens to the people that don't get the lottery ticket? How is it fair and reasonable to tell someone 'you're not on the list, you're not coming in?' How do you prevent criminal exploitation of those that aren't on the list but try to make their own way anyway? There are those that advocate a borderless world with free movement as a fundamental right (nut-jobs)..... Can't argue with that, if that's what they properly believe, but anything short of that start point necessarily requires borders, border controls, movement control, the numbers game. The UK, in my opinion, has royally assed up the numbers game to the point where whole-scale, powder keg societal changes have been inflicted upon areas which have changed beyond repair the results of which we have yet to fully appreciate - and - inflicted a drain of the most motivated from within a 'deprived' country to leave it, probably at the point where their skills and talents are most needed. I appreciate the point you make about improving the lives of some, but I struggle to reconcile the morality of the decision making process.

Where are you Alex??

20 miles away in the big city! ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-39153967/chopped-tree-falls-onto-a-car-near-school-in-cornwall

There was a video that went with it..... I'll see if I can look it out. It doesn't make for good watching (apparently, the truck has been painted yellow since) It had been partially dismantled with the stem to be felled. The bloke with no tickets that had been begging for an opportunity to fell a big 'un, finally got his wish.... (Careful what you wish for!) The job had slogged on longer than expected and tipped over into school run period, but instead of pausing and letting the traffic / pedestrians quiet down they went the other way and rushed it on through regardless. Then it all went tits up! No paperwork to support training, quals, LOLER, etc, etc, etc..... All in all, he got away bloody lightly and hopefully demonstrated to the public (and some in the business) the merits of getting the job done properly.

It missed out quite a lot of detail!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-43812414

Apparently, about 150 people have phoned the Home Office helpline... Administrative cock-up..... Maybe. Law of unintended consequences.... Maybe. Grand conspiracy..... Not buying it. Massive issue..... See above. Should it be resolved..... Undoubtedly. Is it really a mass media hysteria story... Not really. Are dick heads like James OBrien on LBC flapping like a tattered wind sock... Nauseatingly!

Time.... never enough of it! Dale Winton shuffled of his perch at 62. On a personal level, it’s not so much the loss of a “celeb” that troubles me so much as the age of departure! Mission from now on - to always try and make the next 10 years better than the last, I might only have 1 crack at it!! (This should probably be in the 50+ thread!!)

Tough day Khriss?? (Replying from IPhone ??)

I make a conscious effort NOT to spend too much time and go into too much detail.... I've found on a couple of occasions, it's just a ploy to suck the info / sensible approach out of someone that has a clue so that they can describe what they want doing to the local idiot. Certainly a fine balance and it takes some doing to spot the chancers before too much time is wasted!

My gf charges £18 per head and has 4 other full time cutters in her shop. But the rent is 40k a year before any bills are paid. Agreed it’s all smoke and mirrors Rupe! Was chatting to the girl sharpening my pencil the other day... They are “self employed” but get told their hours and give a share of each cut to shop owner - no punters, no income! I wouldnt change places.... PLEASE! Re-word your text above!!! I’m experiencing extreme anxiety trying to suppress the wholly inappropriate smart ass comment that is bursting to escape.... ?