Paul in the woods

You're probably confusing slugs with fungi then. If they're too crunchy you're eating snails. If they taste of prawns then you're forgotten to brush the woodlice off. I know what you mean though, although chanterelles are very good and I do miss eating hedgehogs. (Hydnum repandum)

Laetiporus sulphureus is worth eating if you have a positive id, it's a young specimen and even then you need to be aware some people can have an adverse reaction to it. I quite like it. However, your pic doesn't look like one to me, your fungi have old scales on top so I'd suggest they are something else such as an old dryads saddle. Did you take any pics of their underside?

I would guess some form of poplar, possibly a hybrid of some sort. It's not a common beech.

They do look very similar to chanterelles from the top. Thankfully, as someone who does forage for chanterelles, the Jack o'Lantern seems to be very rare in the UK. Are you going to go back at night to see if they glow?

If you look up 'willow carr' you might find similar examples to your land. They often split after a bit of wind and we've had a fair bit recently.

Looking at the photo the tree looks more like grey/goat willow or similar. That flourishes on wet land and is very prone to splitting like that. I gather it's one way they spread.

Possibly an older caterpillar of the white ermine moth. White Ermine BUTTERFLY-CONSERVATION.ORG A white moth with small black spots on the forewing, however, the number of black spots varies greatly from largely white...

I removed a bigger ash stump. It involved clearing the roots with a mattock to start with then cutting them with a cheap Lidl hand saw. Then I had to undermine the stump and I used one of the cheap hand picks you can pick up (Roughneck Micro Mattock). Typically there was a very big root right under the stump. At least I left 10' of trunk on the beast and I eventually winched it over. Now I know why someone invented stump grinders.

I was thinking the same, but I've got a few acres to spare so plenty of room. (And a load of wild deer that would hoover up the windfalls.)

Not wishing to sound (too) smug but it's been much cooler here on the west coast of Devon. Each night for the last week or so the fog has descended in the evening making it nice and cool. Even have to put a thin jumper on. Nice temperate rainforest weather.

What's wrong with storage heaters? We had old ones in our previous '90s bungalow and with 12" of loft insulation we didn't spend much on electricity. I'm put off by the cost of installing a whole new gas system (tank, boiler, pipework, rads etc) and then the running costs after that. Same with oil and then there's the smell. I'm going woodburner and electric here. Suits us as we work from home.

Looks like some type of conifer, leylandii perhaps? It might be a bit tricky to collect looking at the slope in the pic.

I didn't recognise him with his clothes on. (Actually, I don't think it is him is it? At least I know now there's a new series on so thanks for the post!).

My OH has a spinning wheel made mostly from alder. I would assume from that it's a stable wood once seasoned. One of these: Spinning wheels & tools | Kromski Spinning & Weawing KROMSKI.COM Traditional & modern spinning wheels and accessories for you!

If it's a balsam popular it should produce a pleasant smell. When I looked up Melampsora I also noted other hosts are dog’s mercury and wild onions and along with larch seems a strange mix.

To my untrained eye that looks more like a poplar of some sort. (I don't see many so don't take my word for it.) The yellowing of the leaf could be a rust fungus. I would try and clear away all the fallen leaves, from the neighbouring garden as well, and dispose of them. Mulch/water if at all possible during dry spring/summer. The tree looks like it's had a bit of a hard life and the drier summers probably don't help.

I not seen any recommendation to burn leaf litter from infected trees, who is telling us to do that now? I gather if the ash trees are felled before too much die back then they should still be fine for firewood. Secondary infection with something like honey fungus can ruin any wood. From my own woodland I'm starting to notice dark patches in the trunks of infected trees I'm felling and some of the tops of badly infected trees are rotting off. As it's for my own firewood supply it still seems useful. There's a bit at the end here that suggests you brush off any leaf and shoot material from logs before moving: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/pest-and-disease-resources/ash-dieback-hymenoscyphus-fraxineus/chalara-manual-2-managing-ash-trees-and-woodland-including-logs-and-firewood/

A better, clearer, more detailed picture would certainly help. Ideally two, one of the top and one underneath showing the gills/pores and stem if any.

Isn't it just an apple tree of some sort? The fruit look more like apples to me but the leaves and bark look a bit unusual from the photos.

I'd go for a Scalloped Oak, Crocallis elinguaria. Scalloped Oak BUTTERFLY-CONSERVATION.ORG Although there is some variation in the colour and intensity of the wing markings the most familiar form is a yellowish...

Out of interest, have any of those saws been repaired and, if so, was anything found that could have led to the seize?

Looking at the original post this damage was done over 18 months ago? You may also not be the victim, i.e. if the damage was done before you completed the purchase you would need to claim against the vendor and it would be them who the crime was committed against. I doubt the police would get involved so it might be wise to try and put it behind you if you can.

Does anyone know of anywhere else in the UK I can source parts? The attachment is £27 which I can understand but the bolt and two washers are over £5 each. And does anyone know if there is anything special about the lock washer or can a normal split washer be used? (Obv £7 is cheaper than a new mower but £7 for a split washer, does it need to be gold plated?)

Thanks both. I think the first time it broke at the pulley end. I will ensure the new one is tightened fully and enquire if both of the washers were on the bolt when it was replaced. (Both times the bolt also broke).

A friend has a McCulloch mower where the blade is attached to an adaptor that then drives a belt for the front wheels. This attachment has a star shaped fitting that grips the blade. This star shaped fitting has failed a couple of times now causing the blade to come off. The first time may have been caused by a stone but this time it seems to just be long grass. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? Could it be the bolt needs tightening up to a specific torque (if so anyone know roughly what?). This is the part: https://www.ransomspares.co.uk/parts/brands/mcculloch/lawnmowers/m56-190awfpx (96141026202)/blade-adapter/420223.htm Seems to be a Husqy part so I would expect it to be well made. Having said that there's plenty of reviews over the pond saying the part often fails. https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B013TDMEU8/ref=acr_dp_hist_1?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar