Paul in the woods

I suppose I would be regarded as a domestic user and I do like the convenience of Aspen 2 in 5l cans. However, I've been using a fair bit of Aspen 4 this year and the dealers that stock it are all tucked out of the way. It would be much easier for me if a larger shop, such as B&Q, or even a petrol station stocked it so I could pick it up when I'm out and about, rather than making a special trip. That wouldn't help independent dealers but I expect it would increase Aspen sales - a tricky one for you Mr Kit.

Which one is called hinge?

@Jamespepperpot , is that last stump Birch? Looks like a decorative timber or was it rotten?

They look like bay trees to me, the dead leaves on the ground are bay shaped rather than beech. I used to see quite a few good sized bay trees (10m at a guess) growing around London.

Thanks Bill, I think the appropriate workshop manual would be a wise investment when the times comes. I was after a more general book to start with, this one seems to be popular and well reviews so I'll take a punt on it: "Two-Stroke Engine Repair and Maintenance" by Paul Dempsey

A complete guess, Onion Cedar? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owenia_cepiodora

Can anyone recommend some books for someone new to repairing and maintaining chainsaws and brushcutters etc? I've done a fair bit of car maintenance with a suitable Haynes manual but Haynes do not seem to do one aimed specifically at chainsaws. I also know there's plenty of info online but prefer a reference book when I'm in the shed with the machine in parts! The plan will be to get something cheap and tatty to practice on. Thanks.

I was just going to say it is listed as used in carpentry and turning. It has been used for charcoal and firewood according to this: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=hippophae+rhamnoides It would be good to hear how you get on with it if you do keep some for firewood.

Any signs of the adult vine, or other, weevils about?

Sounds a bit fishy.

It might be worth you looking through the management plan details on the Forestry Commission web site before you buy. When I did the management plan for my woodland it did help to focus your mind on what you want to do with the wood. Take a look here: https://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-9bmjwe I actually did my plan using the myForest site: https://sylva.org.uk/myforest/ The pines look like Scots to me as well and I have a few of similar age on my woodland. I quite like them as part of a mixed woodland and as has been said I would have thought anything you get for them would be eaten up by the costs of replanting and protecting new trees. I don't know if there's a small scale forester near you who might be interested in taking some of the thinnings for firewood? I've not found it the easiest to process as my trees are fairly knotty but it seasons quickly. If you can afford to buy the wood I'd own it for a year before deciding to do too much to it.

Did you ask the owners if it has ever flowered? It looks like an Azara, possibly Azara microphylla which is also known as a Box-leaf azara. It grows into a small tree and has scented yellow flowers in the spring. Pictures of the bark also look similar.

Is it an axe or some form of agricultural implement? It looks like some sort of hand plough / hoe type thingy?

As part of the felling licence app you need to agree to safeguarding European Protected Species, or agree to obtaining a licence, both of which I would guess would have been refused in this case. Perhaps it's easier to convict someone for not obtaining a felling licence rather than damage done to EPSs?

They're often used by builders of multiple houses/estates etc so the area keeps up appearances until they've sold everything. I gather there are cases where builders have enforced them. In your case I expect your owners were being pragmatic and even if they thought they would win a case they would still incur costs. As for the original post, would business rates apply if you're doing more than parking a van and storing tools?

With firearms the owners need to keep them secure. This normally means keeping them in a strong metal cabinet at home, bolted to a solid wall. If everyone kept their chainsaws like that I expect there's be less thefts. You also need to keep them secure whilst out and about, I expect if someone stole a firearm laying near your work you'd lose your licence - you don't want that with chainsaws.

You can already get something similar, there are various electric UTVs out there but when I last looked the price compared to diesel/petrol was huge.

Yor're think about sorrel, that tastes sort of lemony. Chard can have a strong, earthy, taste; mature leaves and stalks having a stronger taste than smaller leaves. It goes well in curries.

No, that looks more like a blackthorn / prunus shoot. This link might help (pdf on id of JKW): https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/nonnativespecies/downloadDocument.cfm?id=369 From this page: Identification sheets - GB non-native species secretariat

It might be something like Echium plantagineum which I gather is grown for it's oil seeds in the UK.

Would a leveret do much damage? I ask because we had one that kept spending the night on our veg beds for a month or so but I've not found any damage. There's quite a few adults about as well.

Even if a battery only lasted two years it's a consumable so shouldn't it be compared to the cost of fuel you would have used over the two years? As mentioned earlier, I would like to see what a brush cutter or hedge trimmer can handle first. My little domestic Stihl battery saw is great at small cutting jobs, with the battery lasting ages but if I start cutting 6"+ logs it'll run down very quickly. I would consider a battery brush cutter myself and would be interested to hear how they cope with rough grass, brambles etc.

I tend to pick off the offending leaves if I catch it early enough or, as has been said, cut the tops off it it's too bad. What spuds are you growing? As I'm also in mild and wet Devon we grow fairly early varieties to get a good crop before the blight. We're had good success with Vivaldi over the last two years, worth looking up if you want a productive early spud. Edit to add: I'm not sure it's actually blight (early or late), but another infection, possibly some form of Leaf Spot?

Nice pictures. I think I saw one in flight a month or two ago, saw it around one of our bee hives and someone mentioned they often steel honey from hives. It appeared absolutely huge at the time.

I wonder if the thorn was a bit of a coincidence and there were some caterpillars there? Sounds a bit like a brown tailed moth hairy caterpillar reaction and they feed on hawthorn. Have a google at some of the rash pictures, looks similar.