Steven P

I think a lot depends on how much it is leaning, the size and space around it what the best options would be - as above - a picture would help

Couldn't eat a whole one though.

Oh, and welcome to Arbtalk - they do get distracted easily..... My piece after loitering and reading the forum..... Every now and then a young lad (nearly always a lad) will ask for a job or a lead to get one. I'd say that single post is as far as 60% get. The next 30% will have a bit of a chat for a say and that is it, and the last 10% will read the advice and might act on it, joining in with the chat. Noting that on a pissy wet day you are going to stuck in a cab at lunch with exactly the same banter going on.... so get used to it. Not sure a new apprentice will need to bulk up and work out specifically for the job... but you aren't going to get so far if after 4 or 5 months the wiry 60 year old is still going while you take your 10th breather of the day....but... fitness will come on the job... but it does need a base to start from. Qualifications... they will come, no one will expect a 21 year old to be fully trained with their own kit - I'd be asking where they stole it from if they did! A reasonable boss will see that you need some work and attitude is more important than a folder full of tickets... but... if they are spending on your training they will need to get that money back.... I reckon you will be sort of paying for yourself after a year - the first year you are simply an expense, after 2 years you will begin to be profitable... so don't be surprised if you get told that.. however I'd also be suspicious of an interviewee who was looking for a new role after only a year into a career - so stick around in the first role to get some experience. Attitude is the right thing though. So you can look in the phone book for local tree surgeons and give them a shout, chase them, you could take a walk locally every now and then - chainsaws are hard to hide, get on your bike and find them.. and if they arn't stuck up a tree introduce yourself. I wouldn't knock the council either - some of them are out for themselves but I find the ones who have to think a bit are generally decent and will take their time. But like all jobs it comes to attitude, sounds like you are keen enough, so time to knock on some local doors?

... should .... I didn't install mine so put a guess in there - suspect the whole thing is more than 15kg but there will be a portion of that weight on the floor.. but that is only a small part of what is quite a heavy install

How close is this tree to failing? Is it imminent (next week) or longer term (next winter, or longer) ? which might explain the trusts action. If it is likely to fail in say 2 years time then they might be leaving it for now.

Payment... easy if the job goes to plan, quote is this, charge is the same. They had warning at quote stage what the cost was going to be and can have the cash / cheque / transfer all ready to go. Some customers - in all business - "can you just do that while you are here" - might be shift a pile of logs from a previous job, could be "take down that small bush" - or even "Spend another week and do that small forest" - adds time and cost to the job - and so needs an invoice amended or created, cannot give them the bill on the day. Other customers - again in all business - "can you leave out that part of the job" - perhaps "just do that one tree, not both", or "We can keep the logs, save you going to the tip" - something that makes the job quicker and easier - and again a new invoice needs raised. Happens to all companies and it is up to the owner what to do. I'd say domestic customers are more easy going, pay on the day. Companies... raise an invoice with them, submit it, wait till it filters to accounts, and then the next payment run, could easily be 2 weeks

Don't you love farce? My fault, I fear I thought that you'd want what I want Sorry, my dear But where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns Don't bother they're here

A quick look online suggests 160kg+ for the stove, I would guess 30kg for the hearth? Another 15kg for the weight on the floor for the flu? Non combustible material for the plinth and the tiles and surround - looking at 250kg+ maybe? Perhaps might be worth a quick check with someone

Is it worth it..... depends on your time, but if it will mean you pay less for fuel and wouldn't be doing much anyway then probably, or if you gave up say a gym membership to do that work out instead. Looks like commercially once dried you'd have to spend a fair bit to get the same quantity delivered.

Never split acacia but it looks very twisty - a tricky one

I can't imagine that being any good: "Hold on, nearly got it, yes got the weapon moving now." "Fecking screw driver attachment! Give me a moment" "OK and fire"

Looks like oak, or very similar, slow grown - lots of close growth rings = lots of energy. Splitting should be reasonably easy just now - still fresh, straight grain, and very few branches. I find the small branches are what slows me down the most. Something like that I'd be doing some splits one handed just because it will.

For the nuisance, how much of the tree are you wanting to prune? not sure if it will make a difference, but if you were taking off a small amount this might be different from removing the 3/4 that is over hanging your garden. Might be seen more favourably that you only pruned away the nuisance parts and not everything (even if you did take away more than absolutely necessary).

I reckon the same the same ay I would find out?

No joke but I remember paying 50p a pint in the 90s. It was an appetiser since it made the 75p a pint beer taste so much better.

Whoops - that was meant to be kW

Depends what you are asking for, the cheapest (least efficient) are half the price of the most efficient, ranging from about £800 / kwh to £1500 / kwh.

What I love about the report I read this week is that the offenders were stopped, had to reload their vans, then had the vans confiscated and were prosecuted. Almost perfect, if only they had to walk home instead of a comfy ride to the police station. (I have no sympathy for them, mentioned here I litter picked my road over Christmas, a few hours, today, big bag of litter thrown out of car.... 25m from the litter bin... no excuses)

It's not the political party as such but more the idea that Tony Benn, who was Secretary of State for Energy 45 years ago has such as great influence on our energy security today. Not believing that line.

You got to do the full quote!! In the medium term yes, I think what ever storage there is has to be an energy dense storage. I don't have the figures but reckon that equivalent energy in pumped storage and in Hydrogen, and Hydrogen will take up much less space, just as an example.

Even in the 30 years of Conservative governments?

As I read it, he didn't do a deal with Iran (a beacon of world stability) and made a certain type of Nuclear reactor in the UK because Iran would have half owned it? I think looking at world history in the last 45 years probably a good thing (of course, doing a few deals here or there might have changed history, we will never know). Of course, since 1979, Thatcher came to power Benn wasn't secretary of State for Energy, and U2 released their first album (1980). Bono and his hippy ilk were in no position in 1977 to influence the government. 40 years later and of course, Tony Benns hatred of nuclear power has influenced Conservative, Labour and coalition governments? (even extending beyond his death?). I don't think his influence extended that far.

Pumped storage: It is quite a recent problem we are talking about and the technology is catching up. 10 years ago windfarms and solar were a small part of the generation mix, we could generally take all they produced and no problem, overcast still days we just ramped up another generator to make it all work. Now of course about 40% of our electricity can be produced by renewable means... but the storage solutions have only recently (last few years) become viable for large amounts. I reckon this discussion will go on and around for a few years till the engineers get something worthwhile working. My money would be to convert spare electricity to hydrogen generation in the medium term - we are used to storing liquid fuels and transporting them, small changes we could supply domestic gas as hydrogen - I think they are trying this in Hartlepool. Discounting large pumped storage, the energy store isn't large enough in the UK (I think enough for a days electricity before the dams are empty), though we have an interconnector to Norway, we take electricity as needed and can send it the other way to refill their pumped stores (which empty when we need it). Domestically... you could say that heat pumps are pumped storage on a micro scale, instead of water it is heat we are pumping. Needs a different mindset to use though, got to get away from needing instant heat, and have constant heating at a lower heat output.. and that can help even out doemstic electricity supplies too, reduces the peaks first thing when the electric boilers start and at tea time when we al come on from work.

Didn't realise that Labour politician served in Thatchers government

Have you seen Jacob Rees-Mogg? Eat the rich, We'd need to feed him up first to make it worthwhile