Stumpy Grinder

Is that right. Having served 24 years, including 3 tours of Northern Ireland and all of the Gulf wars, I think I command some respect? I currently train Apache helicopter pilots and have trained all of them including prince Harry. I worked with SF for several years, I have 9 GCSE's, studied 4 A levels and a HND in electronic engineering. I am also a NVQ Assessor. I currently earn about £90,000 a year. Do you still consider me a pawn? What's your story little man? SG

You clearly are completely naive about the role of the Army, as they can be used for pretty much anything in a crisis! I am now a trained fire fighter after Op Fresco when the Firemen went on strike. I've filled sand bags to prevent flooding. Defence and support of our nation comes in many different guises. The Army exists to protect your sorry ass from ALL that might affect you! You would do well to respect that! SG

YES it would! However, the fact that we could (and would) do so is also the fact that it wouldn't happen in the first place! Nuclear weapons have been used before and undoubtedly will be again. The human race is on a mission to self-destruct, but how it does it is yet to be determined. SG

Once again you show your naivity. The Army were deployed under the MACP role. (Military Aid to the Civil Police). Yes the horse has bolted and locking the stable door is a bit too late! What they were doing though is acting as the police on the streets whilst freeing up police time investigate and do what the police need to do. It doesn't matter who shoots these people, but they need to be shot. SG

The idea is that by having it, it is never used! An enemy will be deterred from using nuclear weapons as long as he can be destroyed as a consequence; when two nations both resort to nuclear deterrence the consequence could be mutual destruction. It is the ultimate defence and will never be used. It makes things better for us, as nobody will ever use it. F*** with us and we will F*** with you! If you can't fight, I will beat you up and take what you have. If you can fight, then I might not bother. That's how it works and how it makes it better for us as a small country on a global stage. Do you understand now? SG

I think you are being very naive. Their presence is defence in itself. Having a viable deterrent is usually enough to prevent having to defend. Sometimes, the best form of defence is attack. Tonight is yet another example of how we have lowered our defences to allow the slaughter of our innocents. We don't yet know the details, but it is fairly certain that the perpetrators will be young 'Muslim' males. However, it is not the fault of their religion, moreover the way that some would wish to interpret it. The vast majority of Muslims are good people that are as horrified by the actions of their bretheren as we are. What we are dealing with is a relatively small number of fanatics who should not actually be classed as Muslims. We know who these people are, but we cannot act until they have done what they will. When you are dealing with such people that will blow themselves up, waiting until they act is unfortunately too late! Every time it transpires that they were a known threat. This cannot go on! Deportation or internment are the only answers to solve this. SG

Uhh........how about last week? After the attack on our innocent civilians in Manchester, the Army were deployed onto the streets to support police in defence against terrorism. Our armed forces continually defend us as a viable deterrent. Unfortunately, recent governments and strategic defence reviews have reduced our armed forces to little more than a Militia, which is why we now rely on our nuclear weapons as an ultimate deterrent. Take that away, and we are virtually defenceless. Our days of attack are sadly gone! SG

Sickles and Scythes at M W Partridge & Co Ltd, Traditional & Independant

Wage rises across the board are normally a reflection of that of the public sector. The current Government have had to reduce the amount spent on the public sector in an attempt to reduce the deficit created by the previous Labour government, and they are slowly getting there. Unfortunately wage increases were one of the easy ways to save money. The last thing we need right now is another Labour government to reverse the situation! SG

You raise an excellent analogy to explain the crisis that this will cause! The actual starting wage of a recruit in training is £14,931 which then raises to £18,488 once trained. But it is this start figure that would have to increase. Based on a 2080 hour working year which is the industry recognised standard, £14,931 equates to £7.18/Hour. The entire Army pay scales are based on rank with annual increments within those ranks which are capped. There are specialist pay bands etc, but the basic framework is based on rank and time served. So, if you increase very bottom by about 30%, the entire pay structure above would have to increase by the same amount to retain parity? This is not just true of the Army, but most organisations? Going by Labour policy though, the answer will be simple. They will just take the money required to fund the lower ranks from those above the rank of let's say Brigadier? They can obviously afford it and won't mind will they? They will just stay in the Army and soldier on whilst earning the same wage or less than the rank below them. No further chance of a wage increase or point in promotion. Simple - what could possibly go wrong with that idea? Does that sound familiar? SG

Watched it all (with a pre-biased opinion towards the Tories). Some awkward questions to Mrs May which I think she answered very well and honestly. The audience seemed to be more evenly biased this time which was refreshing. Awkward moments about 'U Turns' and how a previous voter to remain could steer us through Brexit, but once again some valid and respectable answers and positive manifesto promises. Mr Corbyn was very confident and gave a good account of his policy, but I'm not sure the audience were quite so confident of his ambitions? He would clearly get 'arse-raped' in Europe with his views to cut us a good deal in the Eu single market! Better to walk away with no deal rather than a bad one after two years of discussion which is inevitable in my opinion. He also completely avoided the nuclear threat questions and eluded to the fact that he would still be trying to negotiate with a rogue state when we would all be melting following the blinding flash, whilst our own red button was still guarded and never to be pressed! Nuclear weapons are surely only a deterrent if you are prepared to use them in anger?????? That stance concerns me a lot!! After the nurse saying her wages have not gone up for years, his claim to raise the minimum wage by 33% is little more than a vote winning joke which shows no understanding of the consequences! He claims to protect small businesses to cover the extra wages but where will the money come from? There is also no consideration that most employers will either reduce employees or simply pass the extra cost onto the consumer. There is also no consideration as to the 'knock on' effect of this wage increase. Let's consider a hypothetical office where 3 people work. The office manager is currently on £10/Hr. The office assistant is on £8.50/Hr and the office junior is on £7.50/Hr. You can't just put them all on £10/Hr !! Wages reflect the rank and responsibility within a company so you can't just increase the wage at the bottom without a similar percentile increase above. Now see what you have created? A 33% increase in wages for the entire population? How the hell are you going to fund that? What annoyed me the most though as an ex army guy, was the fact that he denied any support to terrorism, despite being photographed in numerous poses with top IRA personalities and even at IRA funerals. As I said at the start of this reply, I am tory biased, but for good reason. We live in a democracy and it is your choice who you vote for. Labour left us in a world of hurt during their last stay in office, with the hilarious message left in the safe that there was no money left! They said today that they will create 1 million 'good' jobs? Really? Where and with who? In reality, even if they could create 1 million 'Good' jobs, it will probably not cover the unemployment created by the ridiculous raise in minimum wage! Despite numerous unreliable polls, I am very confident that the working population of this country will vote to continue the working ethos and vote for conservative next week. SG

History shows us that temperatures will vary from day to day and season to season. They also vary from year to year, decade to decade and millennium to millennium. Who was responsible for the Ice-age or was it just global cooling? The world has been warming up ever since and yet we blame ourselves for it? Carbon levels back then were 10 times what they are now and yet we still managed to evolve. Ice caps may well be in decline but the water they release and the warmth that created the melt will have beneficial effects elsewhere. As individuals, we have about 80 years on this earth if we are lucky. As a species, I believe we will self-destruct through either war, disease or famine long before the planet fails us. I do worry for the future of my children as the very near future looks pretty bleak. I don't know what the answer is, but Mr Trump pulling out of the Paris agreement will not be the demise of our planet. SG

Whilst we clearly do the planet no favours at times, I often wonder if our actions pale into insignificance when compared to natural occurrences? The huge bush fires in Australia are a natural phenomenon and probably equate to hundreds of years worth of log burning by us in the UK? Erupting volcanoes and the gas and dust they give off? The ice-age happened long before we had a stronghold on the planet and it is estimated that CO2 levels then were x10 what they are now! The earth will still be here long after we are gone, no matter what we do to it. We are effectively an insignificant species that will eventually self-destruct in what is effectively a microsecond in time compared to the life of our planet. We will never damage our planet - just our ability to survive on it. Our biggest problem is overpopulation. SG

Firstly, we need to understand percentages! A wage increase from £7.50 to £10 is not 25% !! It is actually an increase of 33% !! That is a massive increase!!!! I would expect an employee of an arborist would earn at least that anyway as it is a skilled profession with risks. But consider supermarkets with low skilled workers and absolute cutthroat targets to survive? How will they adapt? They need the same workforce so they will simply add the extra cost of labour onto the cost of what we buy. The higher paid will barely notice, whereas the lower paid will be hit hardest. What have you achieved? Less than nothing, as you have increased unemployment and raised the cost of living for those which you are trying to help! Labour politics sound great, but they are quite simply not achievable as they cannot be funded. Labour ethos is great, but reality is somewhat different! The gap between Labour and Conservative maybe reducing, but the gap between your ears should not! When you vote, vote with your heart, but don't forget to take your brain with you! A vote for labour will hurt you badly in the long run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SG

In a perfect world, viewed through rose tinted specs, this would be a lovely solution, but unfortunately, it is the people with money that have always had the most influence, and always will! Forcing such issues as raising the minimum wage to £10 is simply not sustainable! Employers simply cannot afford a 33% or so wage hike, and will either go bust, reduce their workforce by a similar percentage, or pass the increase on to the consumer. The result is more unemployment, an increased cost of living and more ''takers' than 'givers'! The Labour government will promote a nation of layabouts that continue to supply them with votes whilst they borrow money and rob the rich until the country has a vast majority of takers, at which point it will crash and burn! We need to promote a productive society and encourage employment, whilst getting rid of scroungers. It doesn't matter where people come from either. If people are prepared to work and pay taxes, then they are 'givers' and should be made welcome. Those that move here for a better life but continue to take can kindly leave. Those that were born here but continue to take when they are able to give should be given the bare minimum to survive and nothing more! That does not include iphones, a widescreen plasma TV, the latest Nike Airmax trainers, 40 cigarettes/day, vodka/beer/drugs and a free house! Most would then by strange coincidence find work as recent statistics prove. For those that agree with the above link, and believe that we should target and exploit the rich as it is long overdue, you should first understand how our Taxation system works! Here follows an analogy as to how our tax system works in Layman's (Arborist's?) terms! (I did not write it) Suppose that once a week, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to £100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this... The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay £1. The sixth would pay £3. The seventh would pay £7. The eighth would pay £12. The ninth would pay £18. And the tenth man (the richest) would pay £59.　 So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every week and seemed quite happy with the arrangement until, one day, the owner caused them a little problem. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your weekly beer by £20." Drinks for the ten men would now cost just £80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free but what about the other six men? The paying customers? How could they divide the £20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share? They realized that £20 divided by six is £3.33 but if they subtracted that from everybody's share then not only would the first four men still be drinking for free but the fifth and sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.　 So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fairer to reduce each man's bill by a higher percentage. They decided to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay. And so, the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (a100% saving). The sixth man now paid £2 instead of £3 (a 33% saving). The seventh man now paid £5 instead of £7 (a 28% saving). The eighth man now paid £9 instead of £12 (a 25% saving). The ninth man now paid £14 instead of £18 (a 22% saving). And the tenth man now paid £49 instead of £59 (a 16% saving).　 Each of the last six was better off than before with the first four continuing to drink for free.　 But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got £1 out of the £20 saving," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got £10!"　 "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a £1 too. It's unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!"　 "That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get £10 back, when I only got £2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"　 "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.　 The next week the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important - they didn't have enough money between all of them to pay for even half of the bill!　 And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy and they just might not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.　 For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible. Please think very long and hard before you vote for Labour as we are at a very sensitive tipping point as we leave Europe. If Corbyn were to somehow win this, he would be somewhat like a dog that has been chasing cars for years and then finally caught one! He wouldn't have the first idea as to what to do with it and could certainly never drive it! There is only one party that can steer us through the next couple of years and they need a clear road to achieve it. A coalition would be disastrous for us as a country, but possibly not quite as disastrous as another Labour government which would destroy us. We all want what is best for everyone, but at this moment in time, we need to consider what is best for our country. Any vote other than Conservative now could seriously compromise our future. SG

That maybe all for now, but what about later in life? Take care of your body - it's the only place you have to live! SG

I'm no climber, but that saw is very lightweight and doesn't appear to have a chain brake. Would 'kick-back' not be quite severe if you caught the tip? SG

Define falling? The gap may have changed slightly, but there is no way that the people of our country will hand the reins to a former IRA supporter that has no real support from his own party, thinks that money grows on trees and will get us crucified in Europe! He has no desire to control immigration which was ultimately why the majority of the public voted for Brexit in the first instance! There are two groups of people in this country when it comes to money - givers and takers! The Labour party supports and relies on the takers for votes. Unfortunately though, if we continue to support takers, they will become the majority and that is when we will be in a world of shite, as the givers will all leave and there will be nobody left to take from! The Conservatives restrict the takers which is clearly upsetting to the 'great unwashed', even to the point where some of them have found it now more financially viable to go and get a job! Guess what? Unemployment levels have fallen and there are less people on the take. Benefits are essential to support those that really need them, but it should not become a lifestyle choice as Labour would intend. Many immigrants are essential to the future of our country, and they should be made most welcome. Sadly though, a huge amount are here as we are a 'cash cow' with free housing and health care. It is they that are crippling our NHS and schools and housing market. How many Brits found the urge to migrate to Romania to benefit from their healthcare and job seakers allowance whilst pickpocketing on the local underground? Less than one!!!! Great Britain is no longer Great and currently has no spine. It's time we became Great again and there is only one party that is even close to being able to achieve that. It is NOT Labour!! SG

The majority of that audience certainly did!

Or just maybe she is a good and sensible leader that has better things to be getting on with rather than be drawn into a very one sided debate in front of a very one sided BBC audience? She is also safe in the knowledge that she has a reliable team behind her as well as reliable 'stunt double' that handled herself well in an environment where her only slight support came from UKIP. Would Corbyn have trusted Abbot to have stood in for him? I think not! She's probably at home revising for her maths GSCE anyway! SG

If you consider them expensive - take a look at the cost of a new Alpine Magnum!!! Either a Husky 3120XP or a Stihl 880 (without bar and chain) power head, some aluminium casing, belts and a cutting wheel, some small wheels and a pivot arm. Last time I looked they were over £7,000:001_huh: A seriously capable and adaptable machine, but a hell of a lot of money to make back! I haven't even used mine in over a year and a set of teeth last about 2 minutes and cost £60. It also drinks fuel quicker than I can drink Old Speckled Hen! SG

All of the above machines are 'Hip-busters' and put serious strain on the operator! Sure, they have their place for narrow access jobs, but very few jobs have less than 3 Foot access. Far better to get a hydraulic controlled stand behind machine where only your thumbs can get tired! I have several machines, but the 'Hip-busters' probably only get used 5% of the time. They are also far less efficient as they are harder to control. They cannot compete with the smooth cutting control of hydraulic drive of a similar powered machine. Hope this helps. SG

Really? So where is he now then? Where can you have a living relationship with him? Sounds to me more like the first ever recorded Zombie? Religions are nothing more than fairy tales which instil fears as a means to control people. As we become more educated as a species, religions will eventually decline as they already are in the Western world. How many of us now go to church compared to our grandparents? If you think ISIS are bad people, have a look back at what the Christian Crusades got up to! We were the same until relatively recently. Religions are a bit like football teams, where it depends upon where you grew up as to which team you support. But at the end of the day, all teams play football. Competition is one thing, but killing each other because they play for a different team is completely unacceptable! SG

Wood turners tend to like spalted stuff as it gives character. But then again, wood turners always seem to want to pay less than the price of firewood! SG

I did book an appointment with one once, but when I arrived there was a sign on the door saying "Closed due to unforeseen circumstances". SG