Mick Dempsey

That is the 9th circle of Hell right there.

Looks to me more like they’ve been topped/reduced a couple of years back.

Where you using the towball? Capstan probably better or not?

No, not really.

I hope you find that attention you’re looking for.

The hardest wood is stone dead Acacia, a bastard to grind, chip and cut, but I grind, chip and cut it. It’s not going to ruin your blades, they may lose an edge slightly faster, but no big deal.

He’s talking bollocks, of course it’s a bit harder, but it chips fine.

You can’t beat the Klou type fixed grab for the big stuff.

Impressionnant.

Gina G, ‘Ooh Ahh Just a Little Bit’ A heartfelt and strident protest song about how’s she’s not getting enough cock.

The middle of the night pee is the part of it I suppose. You try and fool yourself that you’ll get back to sleep quickly, rarely happens of course.

I wake up every morning at 3 or 4am then have trouble getting back asleep because of various pointless worries. This mornings however was a new one. The Time Machine (1960) If the Morlocks fed the Eloi fruit (left out for them every morning to fatten them up for eating) then where did they get this fruit? did they have fruit farms that they tended at night because they couldn’t stand the daylight. Did they eat some of the fruit themselves, mix it up with the flesh of the Eloi for variety and flavour. At least an hour and a half pondering that one.

You can buy an angle grinder from B&Q, fix the brakes on your own car, and anyone else’s if you like. Sparkys and plumbers will burn your house down and blow your street up if they get it wrong, that’s why they have strict regulatory bodies. A badly pruned tree is the worst outcome you’ll get from a shit tree surgeon.

So retop em.

You lucky bastard! You do have to play the long game as a climber though. We’ve had this chat before about freelance climber/small business owner and we haven’t agreed. I have always thought that freelance climbing serves two purposes. 1: More money than employed climbers, allowing you to get machinery bought. 2: Prepares you, both from a skillset POV (you get the tough stuff regularly) and a business POV to start getting your own work.

True.

Unlikely. Very small outfit.Though in fairness I learnt the job there. It was very 1950s but all the basics were the same as today.

£107 according to my research, but I take your point. Self employed paying your own stamp, tax, no sick or holidays, ‘twas buttons. After a year I asked for a pay rise on a Friday after work as I was climbing a lot more etc. he gave me a lot of old flannel about how he couldn’t afford it, ok I said I won’t be back Monday, I’ll be starting on my own (I was never going to stay but I wanted to ask just to see what he said) I wasn’t employed so I owed him no notice, cuts both ways. 27 years later still makes me happy thinking about it.

I think he’s talking about climbers specifically.

Aim high! If you want to be a climber (let’s face it, who doesn’t? The money, the adoring girls, the buff body) your best bet is to get yourself on a college course. They will teach you the basics as a kind of foundation to really learn the job on the job so to speak. Most of those courses will also give you your chainsaw certifications so you can get a job working for a tree work company as a groundsman/second climber/brash slag. From there you watch and ask and push to be allowed to do stuff, get your own gear, till you’re where you want to be. I did a 10 week course at Merrist Wood near Guildford in ‘95 but there is probably a college near you. If you don’t have the money maybe try grants from the government. Like you, I had to take a very low wage while I was learning the work, £50 a day on a self employed basis, but you have to look down the line and play the long game. ATB.

What aspect of the work interests you the most? ie. What is it you want to do, climber, forestry, Tree officer etc?

Alright Dave.

Wow!

That horse has not only bolted, it’s left the country and is drinking margaritas on the beach in Costa Rica.