Steven P

FYI the link checked out factually, the poster is not known for posting politically biased or misleading links. No need to comment further.

Put your details into the tip sites above, you might get some success there,. Enquired with a couple of arborists, might be worth following up with a phone call or looking to see who is the most local to you. Remembering in both cases that local firms might have arrangements in place for their 'waste', so might not be successful, also note that everyone wants logs at the moment, you could be on the list to contact but be near the bottom of the list. Might be that you keep an ear open for the sound of chainsaws - a friendly face enquiring has get me the best results generally rather than an anonymous e-mail. Obviously pick your time to ask, not when they are half way up a tree for example. Don't be picky what you ask for. Oak logs are never going to happen, everyone wants oak, but if you are happy with softwoods that no one wants you might get lucky too. So for me I had a word with some local land owners, local tree surgeons and the odd email and that does me OK.

Linkedin and The Telegraph. Must be well considered and true!

Ahh, I was meaning UK supermarkets, not US supermarkets, sorry. No I don't think that US meat matches UK or European standards in hygiene or production. Like you I would prefer UK (and Irish) meat.

Likewise, if the hygiene standards are up to scratch then no problem, however in many countries I would be making sure the food is properly cooked. Noting that a lot of UK supermarket meat meets Halal and kosher standard. They also meet UK hygiene standards. Surprised you missed that, it was a big thing in The Daily Mail a while ago

My take on chlorinated chicken is that it masks poor hygiene practices in the food chain. There was a report I read ages ago, so no linkm that often the chlorine reduces harmful bacteria but doesn't eliminate them, those with a reduced immune system could still be at risk from food poisoning. I don't think the UK should go down that route, far better to keep the hygiene standards high

Was just looking at that - it isn't 100% but pretty good TOW Feature Min Height Min Area Max Area Lone Tree 3m 5m² 350m² Group of Trees 3m 5m² 1000m² Small Woodland 3m 1000m² NA

Fairly confident that in the next 3 3/4 years (or 3 1/2 till the next US election) that consumer prices in the US will be higher than they are today... even with the usual "accounting for inflation".. that might have to be another one I come back to and say "I told you so". The US business model is make as much money as possible. I think it is fair to say that if an importing direct competitor puts their prices up and without their cheaper price to moderate the market you'd put the prices up to capitalise. Could you in all seriousness - and you are not an idiot Gareth so I usually assume your thought is considered - in all serious could you stand up and be counted to say that after a short period of price increases brought on by tariffs, once US manufacturing and production kicks in US goods will drop again to their starting price (plus inflation). ** Inflation... of course I am assuming normal about 3% inflation and not inflation brought in by price increases caused by tariffs

Oh, folks it is an option to fill in the details!! Cool. Stubby, current role is not really a secret, more an irrelevance. Ability to read the news and the internet is more useful in some threads.

Some places set a nominal 'commute' time - say 30 minutes, any travel time above that is paid, up to that is assumed to be a commute... if they are leaving from home and not meeting at your yard... - not sure how that stacks up with insurances though if you are in work vehicles and not working, or own vehicle if driving to different sites - would need to check that out... Usually seen that done if they get a works van Probably best if the numbers work out right to pay all travel time

It is fine, inventions are good - the UK profited more than any - but both countries have fallen behind by not keeping up and other countries have taken what was invented and done better and cheaper. Not being dismissive that any country can make what it needs but in a global economy, with easy access to information, the cheapest will win out. Which in my car example above, is Japan Better and cheaper means you need to catch up first before you can become market leader again. Takes time and all that time the US consumer are paying extra tariffs / taxes

Invented and copied worldwide, yes, are you suggesting there is another process improvement round the corner that can be used to undercut the cheaper imports or is this a distraction from rising prices due to current tax implementation?

You sure? With Tesla stocks plunging, Trumpy might fix that to help his pal, EV cars. Though, yes, the cheapest cars are still petrol and will still get hit with 25% tariff, but will still be cheaper than US made, so the poorest will still be supporting the Japanese economy. EDIT: Here is another good example of universal tariffs on US imports, you can apply this to many goods. One of their biggest companies is Starbucks so let see Coffee: From the map below, the US grows no coffee, all imported and all will be subject to minimum 10% (to 35%) tax. Your morning coffee in the US is now going up in price, for no benefits to the country, and imports won't be affected, they'll all still want their overpriced Starbucks

Don't encourage him Gareth, this thread is contentious enough at times and trying to keep a relevant and useful discussion going needs some reminding what we are talking about. Might have escaped your notice, I am not President nor have I stood to be president (something to do with Aliens and all that being barred from standing). So an irrelevance.

Must be a middle of England thing these sealed bags. Sacks are better, reusable, I tend to have a few to carry firewood about as and where I need it away from the house, great for garden stuff, and at the start of the season coalman gets them back again to use for the next season. Few times I've got supermarket coal with plastic bags I end up putting the single use bag in the recycling

You are notably absent with your comments on your Rapist Heros (flawed) tariffs and what their effects will be, hows about some positive input to this thread and join in with pertinent discussion. Now that I took time this morning, and read some of your posts, all I've seen for the last few weeks is JohnsonD trying to throw shit about to see where it sticks... but nothing of relevance... anywhere. So what are your thoughts on Trumps latest? Can you manage that? 50-50 bet on a direct insult response, 75-25 you'll ask me what my job is, 95-5 you don't add to the discussion.

The EU tariffs however have been applied in a considered fashion, Trumps have been applied universally to all off the back of fag packet calculation. No discrimination between which will be aiding the US economy and which will be harming it. The American public will be picking up the costs in the short term at least, 700 billion tax raid effectively.

If it is similar to what we had round here - underfloor insulation in my case - local council had a pot of money to do with as they wanted for household energy efficiency. Used to be loft insulation when we first moved in, then underfloor insulation, double glazing and loft. So depends where you live if you get certain benefits (ours included child benefit - any parent then), illness, have (or more like don't have) certain energy efficient stuff (in my case, underfloor insulation) then they can use this fund as they want and with whatever qualifying criteria. The company will install and bill whoever has the cash directly... if it is for free. Also had a couple round, one was a grant - an interest free loan so they do all the stuff, no upfront cost ('free') and we'd pay them back over the next few years. The other was a sneaky grant - we'd get the improvements but the payback was a few pence added to the electric bill each unit. I think that last one kept with the house so future owners could be doing the payback if it is that... which might affect future house sale. Worth asking them for more details though and to confirm it really is free and not a grant or loan. It is a thing, but got to check it out properly. There will be a scheme name to go with it that you can google. (Our underfloor was going to be proper free but too short a space for 'the man' (by 1 brick depth), for a couple of hundred ££ was a DIY job instead.)

I saw the penguin thing, surprised me since the whole population are wearing the correct clothes, white shirts, black jackets, how can you get angry about that?

Simple maths is simple to understand. Luxury goods or the perception of luxury, will just get more expensive, the rich will just pay more, the poorest might not buy or will sacrifice something else to 'keep up with the Jonses'. A good thing taxing the rich and highest paid more. Not such a good thing that I doubt that revenue will filter down to the poorest, just be a redistribution of tax the rich pay. For the near future prices will rise, cannot ramp up say, steel production over night, goods prices will rise to counter the tariffs... and history tells us that they never really fall again. All good if tax increases are your thing, a slight of hand, akin to Starmer in the UK saying no income tax rises, like Trump did, so the tax increases are taken from elsewhere. My prediction is that the richest will just keep on as they always do, but the lowest paid will suffer disproportionally. A good example is in the cheapest new cars in the US. Apart from an odd exception depending on the list you read all are imports. Add 25% extra tax on top they are all still the cheapest (depending on the list), just 25% more expensive. The richest could laugh off 20 or 30k extra tax for a top model, the middle ground could go down a level but the poorest don't have that option, if they need a car they have to pay a good portion of their income as an extra tax. Noting my point here that sales taxes are indiscriminate, we all pay at the same rate, poorest or richest. If the competition suddenly becomes more expensive there is no incentive to keep home grown prices keen to compete... US made cars will creep up in price to match. Watch this space for me to say "told you so"

Of course, silly me. No longer anonymous.

Don't forget the solders either.

oh, I missed than you should have said

Had a go with Milwalkui kit the other week - drills, saws, all cordless and quite impressive

Got willow burning just now, it burns hot enough because it isn't too energy dense... but because it isn't very energy dense it burns quick. So far I think about twice as quick as the beech I had mid winter. As Steve says, great to get the fire going but unless you are sitting on the stove throw on a hardwood later. Willow is full of water so takes a while to dry. If you have a choice from the campsite, take away the beech first, then the poplar and leave the willow till later - best returns for the amount of effort.