ArthurBottlesworth

All those 'posh' boys have spent £3k putting in a woodburner They will try chopping up a few wet logs with a cheap chainsaw and splitting axe and lose interest Then you'll get the sales ........at premium prices ........if you ask them

I worked as insurance assessor for 15 years In manchester in 1980's a new copper was appointed to stolen car squad, he told me no car theft had been investigated for over ten years......eventually car crime got so out of hand that something had to be done ..... We worked with him to set up ' operation stripper' where we told stolen car squad about thefts immediately they happened because it took months for stuff to arrive on his desk through the system ....... One of tricks they had was to steal a car and strip it, they then abandoned the car at side of road, it was recovered to scrap yard and we were contacted, we inspected and wrote car off and sold it to scrap yard, scallies then bought car from yardand reassembled it, getting a car with log book and documentation for bugger all They had production line going .......some scallies made millions In one garage they raided they filled a skip! With just nuts and bolts found on floor from stolen and stripped cars ....... It was a serious business I got phone call one morning saying " your inspecting an XR3 today at such and such, we want to buy it." when I went to look at my journey yes I was, they knew before I did what I was seeing ....... Catch them and the gang boss would pay some lad with no criminal record to " take a tumble" for him, that means coppers would have guy banged to rights and kid with no record pops up and says " I did it and can't let my boss get blamed" result kid gets light sentence and boss is off scott free...... If you watched Romanzo Criminale on sky that was closest to what was going on...... Criminals are very good at potting where no investigation goes on and will exploit that market ruthlessly .......only solution is to get thefts investigated properly then they will nick something else .....

Been trying them out in Berwyns, at 1000 feet exposed to east winds Put in about 20 They tend to break in gales, which spoils the shape, but generally happy with them Where you buying from ?

There is book on amazon Design of lightweight steel shovels If your interested that much!

Thats what I'm after, whats life like out there Pretty rural where I am but 1 hour chester and 1 hour 45 to manchester when I need something more But some of deep france looks about 3 hours from anywhere which is just too far Loved the woodland in limousin. All set to go last summer then my mother died and mil hurled herself to ground and put brakes on project .... My son went to uni in france and I love quality of life So think I'd manage ok ....... Need to go in with right attitude though

My odd mind goes to funny places .......

How is life out there? Stayed in bellac last year, loved countryside but towns too depressing with all those closed shops ..... Think I need to be further south but open to suggestions

There is car with tree growing through it in " musee de la chasse et de nature" in Paris If your in Paris worth a visit

I fancy retiring down there, but some of it is too rural for me......its a big big country

Hard to top this http://www.bikingbis.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_2646.jpg

Go over to prairie farming? Upland sheep farming not economic across all of europe anyway Average age of sheep farmer about 58 Grants to welsh farms £365m welsh farm profts £180m Had mate up from london, looking at sheep across valley we guessed 1,000 sheep Discussed their value Hi comment " not much of a business is it" Made me think when you look at capital involved and value of product I think he has a point........

Offer them to " green enthusiasts" to build one of those water heater systems They will need ten tons Will keep you busy for a bit ! Notice in unicorn organic shop in chorlton might do it .......

Had misfire and tickover problem for 40,000 miles Constantly being checked by main agent on the 'computer' Eventually gave car a 'birthday' New plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm, ......problem solved Bottom line I don't believe it was ever put on computer ........ Just a bunch of jerks ....... Got chainsaw in for repair with similar bunch of jerks at the moment ...... V frustrating

Agreed But N Wales slow to adapt ............ I could never understand why they didn't use them 15 years ago they looked so practical Possibly fuel costs have made them stop using huge 4x4 tractor to carry 3 small bales 2 miles .......

When I was insurance assessing had herd of cows next to racehorse trainer Trainer used first class hay and farmer didn't Herd of cows climbed over fence ( and trainers cars) to get at good quality hay Barbed wire doesn't stop determined cattle Farmers slow to adapt 15 years ago james bros (?) bringing in 4x4 2 person vehicles , obviously better than quads for farm use But its taken 15 years for farmers to start buying them Ditto barbed wire

Have seen old artic trailer used Remove axles etc and then drag frame across as bridge Surface with recycled railway sleepers Strong enough for most stuff Local council just put bridge over river for bridleway About 20 feet £80,000 Pity they have no right of access on one side of river so it is bridge to nowhere Bad news is we're getting another one So thats £160,000 But bridalways So overgrown too dangeros for horses

It was army surplus after WW1 Farmers got into the habit and carried on using it I believe fancy leather company for cars ( connoly?) struggle to find hides without barb wire damage ........ 100 years and farmers are well in the rut now

Started raining hard as soon as I went out Aaarghhhhhhh

Went out saturday as it was dry Within half hour rain and snow and soaked Rained ever since till 6.00am today Dry and quite warm now .....but windy Another four trees down

I've got oxdale too Probably quite early one as I nearly bought their prototype off ebay but went for a production one It struggles with knotty wood ..... Wish there was a bit more umph in hydraulics ....I 've seen reports of welds shearing but I've never had a problem ..... Might be a bit slow for commercial splitting .......but pleasant enough day just splitting logs

Hope you left a card ........

I was talking to oak guy in Hereford All his oak came from france or ukraine ( furniture quality) Wanted old oakbeam for interior of house, came from limousin france ....... You need someone doing empty return from ukraine to uk ........ I believe Its cheaper to send container of stuff from uk to china than from birmingham to london cos ships are full of empty continers going back to china

Proton jumbuck? 2 wheel drive but findable at sensible £ Mitsubishi engine

Is that tywyn gwynedd ortywyn denbighshire?

In 1930's north sea was full of fish Hemingway and his mates used to come to Scarborough to fish for big tuna Old fashioned small fishing boats caused no problems Bottom of north sea must have looked like a jungle with seaweed n stuff Then they trawled the bottom - essentially ploughed the jungle Now its all sand ie desert But doyou think any of the small fishermen ever got into House of Lords or do you think the big rich guys who essentially screwed an ocean and got rich got into the House of Lords ? Bottom libe if your willing to screw up anything you'll do well ( financially)