Matt_Oldfield

I like to think I eat fairly well during the day! Breakfast is two slices of toast and a cup of coffee, a Banana mid morning, then 2 homemade sandwiches and a cereal bar or another banana for lunch, then usually another cereal bar or an apple in the afternoon. If its hot ill take 3 litres of orange squash and drink all of it throughout the day, if its cold its 1.5 litres of squash and a flask of coffee!

One of our mk7 transits had the same problem yesterday. Suddenly lost ability to select gears or get it into neutral, it was the hydraulic clutch fluid level. If its leaking the fluid will obviously be low meaning its unable to disengage the clutch properly! short term fix fill up the reservoir (I was told there are 2 on a mk7 not sure about mk6) Long term fix you'll have to get the leak fixed or you'll be stuck waiting for recovery like us! Hope this helps

'Ooh, you wouldn't catch me up there!' well, no. That's why you called us!

A few months ago I bought a lifeproof case for my iphone and love it! It isn't massive like some cases and adds very little to the phones size, it's drop tested to 6 feet, and waterproof to 2 meters. I took underwater video with it on holiday recently and when I checked it, it was bone dry inside! Definitely worth buying and I'm sure they make them for most mainstream phones. MUCH better than an otterbox!

Surely it all comes down to how many rounds of tea and biscuits have been produced/offered, up to the point of the question being asked, that influences the cost to the client?

Feel for you man, its always tough when something makes you feel that way but you yourself know your capabilities and you know you can do it! Maybe make yourself feel more comfortable by getting out on the branches, get a good safe work position where your not in the way, and take smaller bits off to start with, less likely that it will rip out and even if something does go wrong, if the pieces are smaller there is much less chance of injuring yourself! Take the next one in more smaller bits and concentrate on getting your cuts perfect and you'll soon build up your confidence to go bigger again, if you have to go slower for a week to get there then that's what you have to do! Out of interest how far out along the branch were you cutting and how did it get your leg? Matt

Updated myself to some alloy Distal Geckos with leather bottom straps and Velcro top straps a couple of months ago. Best investment I've made climbing equipment-wise to date! I can climb in them all day long and not even know I've got them on! That being said, one of the guys I work with tried them and hated them because the gaffs and pads were in a different position to what he was used to with his, but if its your first pair then you'll learn to climb to suit them so go with the most comfortable, which has to be the Geckos!

Ah I'd forgotten all about Liquidamber! Some great ideas here, some I've never heard of, and also some great classics! In all honesty I could do with room for 20+ trees I would love to own but only having three really makes you think

I've climbed in the carbon geckos and since bought a pair of the alloy geckos for myself. In all honesty, when climbing the tree they feel exactly the same comfort wise and with everything else going on, I haven't even noticed a difference in the weight at all. The alloy ones have the same wrap around support at the top of the leg and so are the same to wear! Personally, and its probably just me, but I can't see the carbon ones outlasting an aluminium pair! I also went for Velcro top straps and leather bottom straps, again for longevity. Enjoy them! Best investment I've made yet

Its whatever fantasy garden you need it to be in order to have your 3 top trees! All the space you need and perfect growing conditions for trees from various climates in the same garden, suspend reality and choose whatever you want

I've decided mine now, could decide at the time of posting! interestingly 2 of the 3 I was considering have been chosen by a few of you too! 1: Liriodendron tulipifera 2: Metasequoia glyptostroboides 3: Fagus sylvatica purpurea for now anyway

If you had a garden in which you could have 3 specimen mature trees of any size and from any climate, which 3 trees would you choose?

Love all of the Badger beers, good selection for summer/winter drinking! Also Hogsback T.E.A, Old Peculiar, Ringwood Boondoggle, Old Speckled/crafty/golden hen and occasionally a nice Newcastle Brown Ale!

Always used L.E.D Lenser torches and head torches for search and rescue, they are UNREAL! Haven't tried any other makes with a 'cree' L.E.D but they are the ones to go for if you want a truly bright, long lasting torch!

Is there a pulley in there somewhere we can't see, and he's cut the wrong side of the sling and the whole lot has come down?! May explain the sheepish look!