Doug Tait

The onus must be on the person or business doing the work to know if they are acting within the law. What people say is often vague or untrue, and they often have no idea about their neighbours anyway. Whatever the job, tree removal, pruning or a hedge we'll always try to engage anyone affected prior to starting. They can be very happy to see the tree go or the hedge reduced, but there are times it benefits us to be the diplomatic intermediary. One example, a large TPO Sycamore near boundary on development site. Had Consultant Report saying remove due to condition and the TO's go ahead. Winch attached, about to fell when neighbouring lady starts pushing paperwork through fence a metre from tree, crying and screaming the usual stuff about Birds and Bats etc, quoting her past correspondence with TO, then her solicitor (also sister!) arrived beside her. It was a difficult day, I felt for her situation but ultimately she had no grounds to stop us. 5hrs later they went inside and we felled it. In hindsight we should've gone to her door first to have a chat.

What are your feelings about using it in a harness then John, still keen?

That Sir, off the top of your head, is impressive. I can't even remember what I paid to tax my pickup this year.

Nice John, even had the May '75 Tax Disc with it! How much would that have been...

Am I reading you right, having an opinion publicly on your own gun licence could count against you?

Indeed they are, while out standing in their field.

Upstanding herd of cows Herd of cows 'detain thief' after he ran into 'wrong field' NEWS.STV.TV The incident happened by Riccarton Mains Road in Edinburgh on...

There's a lot of weaponry on show for sure, but when I look at the gun owners posing proudly with them, I see a middle age Texan woman who rides horses a lot on the ranch and likes her guns, an Angelina Jolie / Brad Pitt wannabe couple with stars in their eyes trying to portray an image, and the hiphop crew with the standard MTV music video accessories of boom box, cars and guns etc. None of them really fit the bill for a mass killing spree.

God's Word, is that it's the Isle of Wight's leading classifieds site. Amen.

That's exactly what it was like this morning. Did you hire a boat to go fishing by any chance, from a corrugated iron hut just off the roadside?

Had a nice drive up the Yarrow Valley to site this morning, got to the lower end of St Marys Loch and it was stunning, we stopped for 5 minutes to take it in.

I think the point being made is you are seeking a Self Employed worker but the advert reads very much like an employed role. You can establish what HMRC consider the position to be in a few minutes, anonymously, using their "Employment Calculator for Tax Purposes" https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/check-employment-status-for-tax/disclaimer

Like that but my dog enjoyed it more

We'll soon knock that habit out of him, a reasonably high stump is a must to put the tray of refreshments on, it's on the RA to mitigate risk of back injury while taking another slice of Victoria sponge!

No, follow your heart mate. Don't let Logan destroy the dream, go to the woods and find out for yourself, in a few months when you come back to be a tree surgeon there'll still be plenty cake and adulation for you but you'll appreciate it more! We were thinking of a rec climb next weekend if you're free, I'll let you know.

Funnily enough JDon, we were in softwood windblow on Friday pulling out selected stuff to mill for the new shed at the yard. If you'd been out with us you'd have heard Logan muttering all the reasons he's glad to be out of the woods now! Remember there'll be no tea and cake in the Vicar's garden, no customer bringing you award winning pies from the butcher in Selkirk, no soup and rolls while working at Hotels, no tips from the big posh houses in the countryside, no ladies taking vids of your awesomeness for insta...

Even more ridiculous is that some of the US politicians are suggesting now is the time to arm and train teachers to defend their own schools.

There was a guy travelled to Northumberland to buy a renowned sheepdog from a farmer, paid an eye-watering sum due to the dogs reputation, but when he worked it could never get it to stop and lie down. When he took it back to complain the farmer couldn't understand the problem so asked him to demonstrate. "That'll do, that'll do" he shouted, "lie down!", but no response. The farmer chuckled, "coil up ye bugger" he said and the dog went down instantly.

I'd like to see you calling it back on the morning walk!

Could be worse, having studied the arrangement of the subjects it's apparent she still has a pot to pee in!

Smoke and Dusk are great names for them. My Uncle had good working sheepdogs called Mist, Murk and Sleet. Murk was a champion trial dog, as a teenager I got the pick of her litter for my first sheepdog.

That black and grey 562 looks v nice.

A chap called Paddy did similar... The Sicknote. Dear Sir, I write this note to you to tell you of me plight And at the time of writing, I am not a pretty sight; Me body is all black and blue, me face a deathly gray And I write this note to say why Paddy's not at work today While working on the fourteenth floor some bricks I had to clear; Now, to throw them down from such a height was not a good idea The foreman wasn't very pleased, he being an awkward sod He said I'd have to cart them down the ladders in me hod Now, clearing all these bricks by hand it was so very slow So I hoisted up a barrel and secured the rope below But in me haste to do the job I was to blind to see That a barrelful of building bricks was heavier than me So when I untied the rope the barrel fell like lead And clinging tightly to the rope I started up instead Well, I shot up like a rocket till to my dismay I found That halfway up I met the bloody barrel coming down. Well, the barrel broke me shoulder as to the ground it sped. And when I reached the top I banged the pully with me head Well, I clung on tight through numbed shock from this almighty blow And the barrel spilled out half the bricks fourteen floors below Now, when these bricks had fallen from the barrel to the floor I then outweighed the barrel and so started down once more; Still clinging tightly to the rope, I sped towards the ground And I landed on the broken bricks that were all scattered round Well, I lay there groaning on the ground, I thought I'd passed the worst When the barrel hit the pully-wheel and then the bottom burst Well, a shower of bricks rained down on me, I hadn't got a hope As I lay there moaning on the ground, I let go of the bloody rope The barrel than being heavier, it started down once more And landed right across me, as I lay upon the floor Well, it broke three ribs and my left arm and I can only say That I hope you'll understand why Paddy's not a work today.

The poor hungry kitten is just waiting to finish you off, they hold a grudge well!

Wasn't sure where to put this but if anyone's interested Tractor World looks good on Friday, channel 5 at 9pm. Tractor World: Big, Bigger Biggest https://g.co/kgs/TsXgtH