Paul in the woods

I get this on my Android phone, it's a google play notification. A quick, erm, google, suggests this isn't a scam. I can't find out if this is a specific law or if it's just google trying to be seen to stop underage people accessing certain services. As has been said, just put in something sensible but not your real birthday. (I'm like the queen, I have my real birthday and my official one!).

I tend to prefer catching mackerel with a light spinning rod, line and reel. Much prefer that than pulling out several in one go on a beach rod. Probably my favourite fish to eat, and yes gutted at the beach and also neck snapped when landed to kill and bleed them out. Not been for a year or two and should really get out again early one morning. Also caught a few decent bass around here but lost track of the landing rules these days. Something like you can't take one on a rod but you can hoover tons of them up if you're a trawler.

I don't know about Tom Cats but private isn't the nicest smelling flower. I've been warned it can taint honey but I've not had any problems with my bees and it flowers at a useful time in the year. (although late this year).

I'd follow the advice of one of the hedging suppliers. Such as https://www.best4hedging.co.uk/privet-hedging-ligustrum-c67 I think you've left it too long, you normally cut them down when planting and then trim as they grow so they produce lots of low down branches. But cutting them lower than the final height would seem the way to go. Edit to add, my main experience with private is coppicing them with a chainsaw as they've grown into small trees!

I very much doubt the fungi is honey fungus, it's too small and doesn't look right. It's more likely something like Leotia lubrica, Jellybaby fungus which is living in the material in the compost. The compost probably contains wood fibre and it also suggests, as others have said, the compost may be a bit too wet.

You could try greasing your pole. Squirrel's sinking feeling as food theft thwarted WWW.BBC.CO.UK Petroleum jelly stops a slippery customer from nabbing an easy lunch.

I got a bit a bit side tracked when I read it was related to cashews. I'd love to grow a cashew tree and get it to fruit.

Very nice, do you have any plans for it?

It reminds me of something, but then I've been around the tropical houses at Kew and Wisley. A quick search shows up something like Schinus terebinthifolia which seems to be regarded as a bit of an invasive weed in the US. Most pictures show green stems but some show red.

Who is 'they'? Will we see Woodsure 'police' driving about?

I think it's just as bad down here. The FC are not interested in processing small felling licences so I have to work with my 5 cubic meter exemptions and hope I don't get any ill informed people complain. (I have photos and notes so I should be fine) I have of course tried to discus the boundary with the council but they only respond if it suits them. You can also get a different answer depending on how you ask the question and if you dare prove to them they are wrong they just tell you to go to the ombudsman. There's the added problem that much of the highway work is contracted out so the management don't have a clue if they've done the work even though they will assure you it would have been done properly. Now I'll just sort the trees and hope. I expect there's quite a few people in a similar situation.

I'm not trying to create any rules, just trying to understand the situation as I own quite a few road side trees, some of which I've had taken down. I've not heard about the possibility of verges extending into what I would have regarded as private property. Things seem to be going the other way, highways departments reducing the amount of hedge and tree cutting they do. I wonder how many people would question the ownership if they were quoting removal?

It'll look something like this: File:Cabbage tree Cordyline australis.jpg - Wikimedia Commons COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

I can see it's not a simple case. Just looking at the info on my council's highway dept they make it clear the verge would stop at the base of the trees/hedge. So is that info likely to be misleading? Tree maintenance - Roads and transport WWW.DEVON.GOV.UK A tree becomes a hazard when it has a structural defect that may cause the tree, or a portion of the tree, to fall and injure... I assume the only way to confirm if the trees are on the verge would be to liaise with the council highways dept as well as examining the deeds? In this case it wouldn't surprise me if the owner of the trees asked the council to trim them and they said it wasn't their responsibility. It would be nice to hear any outcome. With regard to your comments on boundary trees and verge trees, what's the difference? The trees in this case were part of a hedge, not what I would regard as individual trees planted on what I would regard as a verge (which I accept is not the legal definition of verge).

I had a bit of bother with the local hunt. Some of the people who followed it and the locals who allowed them access were far from helpful. I eventually tracked down the person who runs it and managed to sort out the problems. As for the dogs, I have a headstrong Lab and a brash hedge would stop her. It'll also stop most people but not a pack of hounds or deer. I just put stakes cut from the woodland (such as goat willow which tends to root) in a double row and then stacked gorse and brash on top. Can be done fairly neatly and is an obvious boundary. It also creates a good place for wildlife in its own right.

That makes you sound like a 95 year old who's only allowed out one a month as long as nurse goes with you.

White poplar, Populus alba?

I'm a bit curious about the undesirables, people will not stop at a fence, deer will jump it and if you're fencing out stock then shouldn't the farmer do that? With regard to your dogs, whilst you're wondering round do they need to be fenced in or can you control them? Whilst you're working would they cope with being left in a fenced off area? To create privacy cheaply I've had good success with cutting goat willow cuttings, cut from the woodland. Planted thickly and then brash piled around them gives them protection to get established.

I'm not sure I understand that. If I own the land I would assume I own the trees growing on the land. Seems to match up with my highways dept anyway: "Many hedges and trees grow on the edge of the highway and mark its boundary with private property. In these cases the adjacent landowner or occupier is responsible for maintaining them. This also applies to trees that overhang the highway or fall on to it. If you are unsure whether you are the owner check your property deeds or The Land Registry." Without looking at the deeds in this case there's not really much for anyone to go on. I'm also curious with regard to comments about it being a verge. Looking at the streetview it would seem the trees were part of a hedge. My understanding of a verge is that it would stop at the edge of the hedge and not include it - is that wrong?

I though I've been fairly clear, you've not convinced me it's not a garden. Ignore the public open space exemption, I only mentioned that before I found the story. Looking at the pics and steetview the wall doesn't look that old. If it wasn't there then the trees would appear to be part of a garden hedge boundary. Just because someone has walled in a parking area that doesn't mean they've changed the size of the garden or moved the boundary. But as you say, there's bound to be more to story. Perhaps highways will decide they own the land? Perhaps the wall is the boundary? I was just wondering if traffic management would have been required, in which would highways not have known the works were planned? Surely whoever removed the trees checked for the need of a FL? I'm interested as I've been in a similar position where the councils just make stuff up as they go along.

I think Roys' is referring to the fact you've written cubic centimetres. You just need to write cubic meter or m³. Good luck with the sale.

Looking at the streetview map I would find it hard to argue that public had access to the land under the trees (and hedge!) before they were cut down. They may have removed them to install a fence or something. I note one tree is leaning somewhat, I wonder who has maintained the trees in the past and if the owners have been asked to do anything to the trees?

Just because there's a wall it doesn't mean it's the boundary does it? They may have just wanted to enclose their front garden. I've build walls at the front of properties that are not right on a boundary. I currently have an area at the front of my drive that isn't enclosed, it allows cars to pass on a narrow road. It is not public property. From the article linked "A Surrey County Council spokesperson said its highways team had not felled any trees within 650m either side of Usherwood Close. They added: "We have not sanctioned any works on these trees. The trees may or may not be on the highway verge, and will require a site visit to measure where they sit on the boundary or verge." Highways will be arranging for someone to visit to ascertain the ownership of the trees and to decide what action could be taken, if they were public trees.

Are they? What is the definition of a verge? I have trees that are in my garden but also on the border the road. From the story I linked to the highways dept doesn't know if they are on their land or not. If they are on private land it is likely they will be part of the garden of the property. Without knowing the full facts and establishing the exact ownership (something that can be costly and take months) you can't say if a FL is required or not, or indeed if any other laws have been broken.

This story gives some detail: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/like-warzone-box-hill-residents-20765568 So it looks like privately owned trees, not subject to a TPO. I would guess not subject to a felling licence as they'd be in a garden. Anyone could complain to the FC if they wish.