David Cropper

I've been for a course of injections for my knees, very bad with arthritis, three sets of jabs on consecutive Fridays. First one, fine, second hurt like hell and gave me a reaction as though I had had anaesthetic, made me very woozy. When I went back for the third and final jab I mentioned the reaction that I had. The doctor stopped loading the syringe and wouldn't carry on ,said he couldn't be held responsible if I had an accident or bad turn. The result is that I am back to square one hobbling about and knees going off like pistol shots at every movement. I have got a couple of female customers,both hefty birds built like prop forwards, who told me before I went for the treatment that they had had excellent results and no problems after three years, that's why I finally went to the doctors. Seems to work for most people but not for me, don't know what the next stage will be apart from new knees but who can afford to have months off on the sick? As well as the dodgy knees, I fell down an old septic tank three years ago and broke three bones in my foot and that doesn't help matters.

Well done Johny for bringing this up. Shame I'm too far away.

I learnt my lesson in 2003 when my wife and I went to the village chasse lunch. I got wired in to anything red, white or rosé that was put in front of me. My wife, who is Jockenese, not a race usually associated with temperance, advised me to drink like the French lads, ie sip it and don't fill your glass up in the Brit style and secondly drink lots of water. To which I replied to Jolly Jock "I am an Englishman and don't drink water whilst on the sauce." After 9 courses of grub and wine to go with it I was feeling tired and don't really remember a lot afterwards, but apparently I invited my new pals back home to continue. Next morning I was greeted with sympathetic looks and much shaking of heads. Lesson learnt about drinking water. I hunted with a pack of Harriers for 6 years and found that unlike the UK we kicked off with a breakfast, wine, cognac and maybe an eau de vie with the coffee. My life has been very hard since 2003.

I look on TreeBay, it's a Facebook page, and there are thefts mentioned all the time on that.

I bought a Terra saw blade a couple of years ago for working against walls and for chopping roots with a lot of stone around. They are ok, just turn round the blade when it runs out of cutting edge, they are "self sharpening" which appears to work. if you don't clear enough muck from the work area then the blade does tend to drag it into the guard. I went through a couple of belts like that. if you hit a bit of metal such as nails then the blade does cope well. I have cut stumps growing out of walls, after I have reached the safe limit with the stump grinder, and trimmed it back, not quite flush with the wall but enough to tidy it up before drilling and poisoning it.

That should liven up the old "Who's turn in the barrel is it?" game then.

I know where I'm going to be buying my Mars bars etc in the future. There's only one place for me and that's Global Recycling.

I'm not doubting the expertise of DHL at all. My point was to give credit to Global for the excellent service at their end. I have dealt with other Brit companies over the phone and posted my details via email so there wouldn't be any confusion with a French address. One gang who will be nameless, but have had a bad press on Arbtalk, sent a big piece of kit to Marseilles instead of to my address which is Rue Marcel (not Marseilles) Chapon, 16700 Taizé Aizie, 820kms away! The lad who took my order at Global repeated every detail I gave him then before dispatching my order looked me up on the internet to confirm my whereabouts in France to get a price for the carriage. I call that efficient in any man's language and that is my point in this post.

Hi Stu. Gone down that route before, buying locally. I have had all sorts of problems trying to get the right fit. I prefer now to get the correct belt from a dealer rather than having to keep taking kit back for exchange. The worst one was for my Turner flail mower, a nightmare, ended up having to return 3 belts. I know the international carriage charges are steep but if you need the right kit in a rush then for me it's well worth it.

I ordered two drive belts for my little Jo Beau chipper yesterday just before lunchtime here in France. The lad who dealt with me was excellent. He emailed me a users' manual and dispatched the belts within 10 minutes of my phone call. They arrived here at 1430 today! Thanks to Sean Pinney at Global. I will definitely be using Global in the future if this is anything to go by.

At least in the Army the pig was still alive. More a case of personal preferences, although any port in a storm.

What I will advise you to do with a DR is to bin the tiny battery and fit a ride on size one, woefully under powered. The electric clutch which engages the cutting blade uses so much and you only realise when it won't engage. Also they advise you to run the engine for a minimum of 45 minutes to recharge the battery. I've been caught out so many times, usually 2 hours or more from home. Even if you slave start from a vehicle it doesn't last but enough is put in to enable you to get the mower in the van. As to using it in brambles, it will get tangled and you have a hell of a job reversing out. I bought an ancient Turner flail mower for brambles, I cut with a hedge cutter attachment on a Combi then run over with the Turner to mulch it all up. Strongly advise you to rethink the idea of a DR on high brambles.

On bracken it's ok as long as it isn't too wet. Wet grass isn't a problem though. It cuts to 4 inches and is suitable to go over with a ride on. I used to use a rear engine Snapper, only 10 hp but would fly through most grass if you took your time.

I've had a DR for 5 years, cracking bit of kit for long grass and weeds but crap for brambles higher than knee height. It tends to ride over them crushing them flat. Bought the finishing mower deck last year and this gives an excellent cut but is a bit of a bugger changing decks over if you are your own.

Absolute crap day all round! Did a clearance job today consisting of loads od self seeded blackthorn and brambles, nothing touched for seven years. Got stuck in and used my little Jo Beau m200chipper. Changed the blade around yesterday, working like a dream then after 5 hours realised the belt had gone. Looked down and a tyre had blown, stuck in a waterlogged field but managed to find a couple of Brit builders to help me get in onto my trailer. Got home to find the light cable on the trailer had disconnected and was dragging on the road, knackered. Final insult, my wife had made her "version" of tuna bleeding pasta bake, talk about kicking a man when he's down. She must be on one of her anti English periods.

Good for you and your mate White Noise! Should have crippled the little rat. When I joined my Regiment many years ago it was drummed in me "Steal from the Army by all means but never steal from your mates." One bloke was caught with marked money after a spate of thefts. He stupidly stole from a big bugger who had been a Nottinghamshire miner. This lad had done time for stabbing a Chinese fella in Hong Kong in a knife fight so why would you nick from him? The Squadron WO2 told the "victim" that he had 10 minutes alone with the thief. He put his hand in a door and slammed it a few times breaking his fingers. The scroat was then wheeled into the Boss's office and given 28 days nick. That was a lesson to all of the young lads who might have thought to help themselves. Happy Days! Not that I am condoning violence of course.

It's ok now I have got used to it. You really have to stand to the right of the machine to see the cutting head but once you have worked out the best position it's fine. A few lads say it is too slow, I agree to a certain extent, I found that the throttle cable had stretched and wasn't operating at full revs, after that had been sorted out it goes like a train. A slow train but it suits me. The only problem for me is that I have put on half a stone in weight since I bought it, only using the joystick instead of wrestling the Predator 450!

Horse chestnut, 130cms wide at the head and 3 metres at ground level. Highest point 60cms, lowest point 45cms; Took I hour 20minutes to ground level but then the rest of the day to get below hard packed gravel. Took 45 barrow loads of chip.

This is what appeared on one of the ex pat websites in France from someone wanting land cleared. Look at the response from one clown saying ask a local farmer. Many Brits over here seem to think that all French farmers sit on their backsides all day supping wine and eating cheese whilst waiting for Brits to ring them up to do a favour for nothing. Unbleedingbelievable! ... roosterbooster writes in Home & Garden Report abuse Anyone have an idea how much it would cost to clear 3 hectares of very overgrown agricultural land and I mean overgrown - broom, brambles, blackthorn, hawthorn etc etc - at the moment it's impossible to get more than a few metres into it. Would prefer if someone who has had this done or who does this to give me an idea - think it'll need a forestry type machine. Also eventually how much to get shot of oak trees.............; cheers Posted on: 06/09/2015 at 13:46 Reply... June&Clive Report Contact David Cropper on Tel: 05 45 30 34 22 or by e-mail via the Anglo Info Directory in Garden Services. He'll come out and give you an estimate. Posted on: 06/09/2015 at 14:53 Reply... mintyonemick Report Ask your local farmers they will do it with there big flail mowers,cost of a bottle a scotch.as for the oak trees your local timber yard will buy them even if its only for fire wood, Posted on: 06/09/2015 at 16:45 Reply... ianw23

Sorry that you got stung, but this might give you a smile. We had one bobby in Dorchester called Richard (Dick to his friends) Clapp! Beat that.

I went to a job last week, bramble clearing. The photos he sent me bore no resemblance to the actual condition of the area to be done, a difference in height of maybe 3 metres and inside the brambles were fallen trees, breeze blocks, wire fences plus posts and a variety of machine destroying rubbish. However, when I got to his gates I was met by 5 dogs which were lab size, 2 geese, 3 donkeys and 2 horses. To cap it off he had 15 cats which frighten the hell out of me (ex Army dog handler frightened of cats much to everybodies' amusement). Fair enough, but imagine the amount of the brown stuff lying around, never been touched for ages, outside the house as well by the entrance door. It was every bleeding where, he even had one of those horse muck hoover jobs stood in the middle of the yard, obviously unused for yonks. Absolutely diabolical conditions, worse than the 'H' Block in the seventies. I had a quick go with the brushcutter, after 15 minutes of swearing and dodging what crap I could, sense prevailed, not worth it. Needless to say I made my excuses and left.

Front tow ball on a trannie? What an exciting life you lead! I'm sure the trannie in question was impressed or did he/she complain?

Eggs, you're obviously a decent man to do that but will he think that every time he sees you he can expect the same? We have a local pee artist, only a young man, in our village and I used to stop to give him a lift now and again into town. That was ok until he knocked on my door at 1030 in the morning absolutely leathered and demanded a lift. I don't bother now I drive past him. We used to have a few gypsies outside the local Lidl store begging for money. My wife gave them stuff like bananas and once a bar of soap, which went down well. The moral of that is never beg from a Jock.

1000hrs here and already 30degrees in the van. Got to 35 yesterday, horrible to work in.

Yes he does.