Puffingbilly413

He of the wobbly legs. One of my LFC favourites when I was a kid - his kids went to the school next to ours and we used to see him picking them up. Was awestruck at that age. I guess two years as a late teenager fighting in the Rhodesian bush war cements your character a bit though.

Had several verbal exchanges that have come close but nothing that bad. Main thing is not to dwell on it - the world is full of idiots - bin the twat from the memory and move on.

For the OP: TMA Fungi WWW.TMA-FUNGI.CO.UK

Yep - on reflection that seems more likely.

Always worth getting a local arb consultant to have a look if you have concerns (targets nearby etc)

Potentially a decayed example of Fistulina hepatica? But hard to say in that state. If it is that then oak will coexist with it happily (perhaps only an issue if on scaffold branches etc)

I thought granting of full planning permission automatically negated the need to apply for permission to fell TPO trees? That's how the legislation reads to me at least?

In a similar vein, it would be cheaper for me to just buy fruit and veg from the shop, especially when you factor time into it. But I like to grow some of my own, so I do. I often give plants and veg away too. Why? I like doing it - for loads of reasons. I also still split firewood by hand sometimes. I have a splitter and this is much more efficient. But axe work is therapeutic, cathartic even and also great exercise.

All I meant was that if any tree work notifications etc arrive with an LPA and it seems to them that the FC or equivalent should be informed then there should be a system in place for that to happen. And vice versa. I say system but that overcomplicates it. I know what the ins and outs of the legislation are in terms of applicant/notifier, it would just be nice if 'they' bothered their arses to speak to each other as a matter of routine. If you look on council websites they observe that felling licences might be required. They know these things exist. Just join it up why not. I've just had a client ask for a planning clarification re felling to extend a garage. Simple question but specific to their circumstances with basically yes or no probable answers. Yet the council's best answer was to give them a link to their FAQ page. You'd be forgiven for thinking that they actually don't know the (or any useful) answer.

Doesn't narrow it down any.

o

I realise it is stupidly naive to say so, but surely in this age of 'joined up' government, notification of intent to fell 50 trees might just get passed on to the FC as a matter of course? And out of interest, had the horse person applied for a felling licence and received it, would they still need to notify the LPA of the planned works or would the licence negate that? Similar observation re one bit of government talking to another perhaps too.

I find your line of thinking bizarre to be honest. The money in arb isn't great no matter who you are. It ranges from poor to just about acceptable I'd say. How we can be accused of running cartels to rip off customers? It's arb not narcos. Who's to say who 'needs' what in terms of profit margin? Should an outfit charge less because they are, for example, more efficient and have lower running costs than another that over extended themselves on finance for new kit that they could work without? Generally speaking (emergency works excepted) tree work is discretionary expenditure for clients - domestic ones at least. Ultimately, if prices are too high / funds too low, then they won't get the work done. Our ability to somehow collude to inflate prices just simply isn't there.

I'd say nowadays that would be the absolute bare minimum but it obviously depends on area too

I don't moan about fuel prices really. They are a cost of doing business and costs get passed on. Either customers accept this or they don't. No conspiracy here - just not running a charity.

Think you misunderstood me. I wasn't saying charge as much as you can get away with. I was merely stating that having an awareness of what customers are used to paying is useful knowledge. Just one of multiple factors that influences what to go out for. How many times do members of the public come on here asking for opinions as to what a job should cost? It is important. If you are charging high rates because all your shiny kit is on the never never and you have too many staff, then your rate might well be legitimate in terms of what you need to bring in but it will be too high for many clients.

Agreed - although what other firms are charging can give you an idea of what customers will pay (at least if you are looking at successful ones). But the other factors you mention are def the most significant.

Check your stove manual. If you're not burning anything but wood you might be able to dispense with the grate. Emphasis on might.

Right then - no more elder for me. Euromillions win on Fri it is.

Bit labour intensive but metal splitting wedge and sledge would do it. If you bring your logs into the house a few days before you want to burn them and let them dry out more still next to the stove, then that will asisst in drying off residual moisture. Do you have a multifuel stove by the way? These will have the logs sitting on a grate probably - all wood burns best on a bed oh ash that embers can in turn sit. It's harder to get this on a multifuel as everything tends to fall through the grate. Just a thought.

I burn a fair bit of it. As others have said, it's pretty dense stuff. Burns a treat. Perhaps I'm wasting my time with lottery tickets if I'm due bad luck though.

Just read the article. You have to wonder what social services were doing not to get involved earlier. And how on earth do you qualify for that amount of benefits? I can only assume rent gets paid on a large property because of the kids and that's what bumps the figure up. Poor bloody kids. And dogs.

Fair play Steve. I know a forum is supposed to generate diverse opinion and this one certainly does that - it's just a shame that when we actually get a topic going that actually involves tree work (ie arb talk) it gets polluted. If (and I mean if) someone decided that the ideas in the post you removed needed expressing, then there are better ways of getting a point across. Hopefully Paul will remain encouraged to post, in the knowledge that his opinions / info is greatly appreciated - even when we do have sometimes quite strongly opposing views on some topics (but by no means all).

I did read the post, but it now seems to have disappeared - or is it just me? Anyhow, it did seem a tad unhinged. I do understand the frustration at pointless bureacracy in general - and there is a hell of a lot of it about let's admit (I don't mean the AA in particular by the way) - but I do think making things personal is unnecessary. I have read many of Paul's posts and while I may disagree with some of them, he is always polite, helpful and constructive in what he posts. That's my take anyway.

Yup