Windy Trick

Easy access from/to A1 dual carriageway

Free chip and log tip site one minute from the A1 Stannington near Morpeth Northumberland. Hard stand easy access turning for HGV. Can accept woodchip and logs, cannot take or process any other waste sorry.

I'm a cheapskate and won't pay 200 quid for a pair of boots. I generally wear rigger boots costing 40 quid, on me second pair in two years. I only work on the ground, I don't like gravity changing it's behaviour at heights. The only concession to safety is the steel toecaps. A pair of Doc Martin's were lasting well sole wise until the pallet loader ripped off the leather on top of the toe cap. Could've been me tootsies I suppose so no harm done. I glued the leather back together and they're ready to go again - true cheapskate stylie. The laces last only minutes though which is rubbish from the Doc.

Furniture?? This is the firewood forum. I may be an antique but that's bananas.

More your predictions about the next serious tree disease being somehow connected to the last foot and mouth outbreak, tied in with the greed of man and a heinous 1500 mile trip in a container!

Really? They only ever seem interested in the price to me, although perhaps people in different areas of the country can afford such unilateral principles.

After a very slow start to the season, now in full swing and busy with deliveries. Marvellous!

Ed, I took the time to read your lengthy post, and, interesting though your claims are, I see only pure conjecture and accusations of greed. How about some evidence?

True! The haulage contractor might make a sensible return!

Hear hear! Whilst there may be a perception of a lot of trees in this country, it's the British Rail type, producing the wrong kind of leaves. We have demand for hardwood from 80% of our customers, and 20% buy softwood because it is cheaper. We can't source hardwood in this country in the volumes we require at sensible prices. £60 and £70 a tonne makes it actually cheaper to source from the free trade (last I checked) European market. If people think that's wrong, you all have the right of free voting. Vote green party and best of luck to ya. Meanwhile I continue to make money and give my customers what they want within the framework of UK and European law. To say it is wrong to do so, well in actual fact it isn't: it is perfectly legal, encouraged by the vat man and is, in essence the principle of being in Europe in the first place. Jeez!

What he said

Beautiful. 15% or less on the meter. Lovely heavy ash logs burning nicely now in our stove. Is it cold out, I hadn't noticed? See it here:

Oh I see! No, that's the price we retail a crate for. I guess you're right though, it's only nine quid extra to bag it, which only takes five minutes, but I see what you mean now! My post was a bit misleading...apologies.

Are you saying it costs you £140 for a crate of kiln dried ash? Gulp! In which case it most certainly isn't worth it.

1 cu metre crate of imported ash £149 the tightly packed crate tips into exactly two full bags of loose logs. Bags are 0.85m all sides. We sell bags at £79. It's selling well even though it is expensive, but it is very good quality kiln dried stuff. Customers love it. Softwood goes out at £49 a bag. Mixed seasoned hardwood at £59 but we're running out of that.

What is this suitable equipment, and where does one obtain it? He does not say.

What a load of absolute rubbish. My wife is easier to understand than this, and all married men know there is no logic whatsoever in a wife!

The Trading Standards letter refers to a recognised measuring device? A ruler or tape measure? Why can't you therefore just measure your dumpy bag when it's full, do the sums w x h x l and call it x cu metres of loose logs? If they're stacked in crates I simply give the dimensions of the crates and point out they are not loose logs, but packed tightly.

Have you asked Darren Taylor https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=533880380031557 ?

I love firewood, yes it's a bit sad, and everything associated with producing it. Primarily though I am a retailer first and producer second. I retail wood. Any retailer gives the customer what he wants. We produce air dried firewood and import kiln dried as we don't have a kiln. Some customers love our air dried product. Most, however, only want to talk about kiln dried hardwood (I actually quite like softwood firewood too, but the customer doesn't want to hear it, even though it is extremely cheap). So I give them what they want and bite my tongue whilst jingling the coins in my pocket.

I don't think carrying your own goods, in this case logs to deliver to your own customer is for hire or reward. You are not a courier carrying someone else's logs and being paid by the seller of the logs to deliver them. I would say that in the above scenario the logs become the customers when the sale completes ie when you deliver them. Again this is pure opinion, but I feel that is the aim of the ruling. "You are NOT usually operating for Hire or Reward when you carry goods you own or goods you have used or will use in the course of your business." In this case the logs are goods you are using in the course of your business (selling logs is your business right?). There is this also: Under Schedule 3 (2) of the goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Regulations 1995 "a dual purpose vehicle and any trailer drawn by it" is identified as exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing. The dual purpose category generally includes cars, estates, pickups (with a second row of seats (crew cab) only), and domestic 4x4 vehicles such as Land Rovers, Jeeps, and other similar vehicles below 2040kgs unladen weight.

Blimey, 5 cu m per annum maximo. I feel effeminate in these circles ;-)

Hi Chris, that was delivered, and yes they call it a 25 tonne load. The hardwood came on a road train type lorry, the softwood on one artic. About the same amount of wood both times.