Doug Tait

Don't think many others will be able to give an opinion based on such rigorous testing!

Pfanner Zermatt I've got just now are pretty rigid, ankles well supported in them.

Wisely indeed, like the velcro top strap with buckles on bottom.

They've been kicking around the truck forever and I started using them a while back and really like them. Very comfy and suit me well but no-one at work knows where they came from or what brand they are. Just curious really, anyone recognise them?

I only use ladders when the customer has some I can borrow. You'd be a fool to waste money on buying them, they only get you up or down, rip off.

How many tree work customers actually agree to uninsured work though? More often than not there's a target of some kind of value, if I was the customer I wouldn't take the risk that the cheap guy with no insurance is skilled and experienced enough to guarantee no mistakes.

Sorry I can't remember, maybe stubby will.

They are, and the 500 is lovely too. That comes from someone who identifies as a husqy lover, but often accused at work of being bi as I do love using these Stihl offerings, the little 194t is lovely too.

On a serious note. The new battery saws we got have found themselves all back in the workshop as the boss and yard guys find them handy for stuff, although apparently they're being recalled due to a switch fault? We have some new saws for the truck instead, another 261, another 500i, and a 400c arrived today. Really like it, a range of saws to make cutting fun again!

Small hedge job on this morning. Had an up and coming contractor insert himself into the clear up, think he's hoping to make a name in the industry but he'll need to up his productivity to make it pay, he only got a couple of loads away. Nonetheless, he was keen, didn't chat too much and was always smiling so good luck Rupert (aged 5).

Fantastic.

The third Jedward!

No use to you now Hairy but you can replicate the tattoo well enough to fool Steve that it's real using a Spruce needle from Latvia (Sviatoslav Tulin knows a guy), the blood of a broken groundie and just a few drops of pee from a dehydrated climber.

I agree with the sentiment completely but the way it seems to go in practice is the people that take risks on the road and break laws would break new laws just the same.

It's too vague in the memory

je ne suis qu'un instituteur monsieur, je voyage pour voir ma mère

Probably make it 12 in case the first 10 need sharpened.

Out and about late afternoon/early evening there's a lot of chimneys smoking, 12c and heavy showers.

I've only driven hers on the drive so haven't experienced it myself but she's had a few frights on the road.

The oh went to London recently, said I'd wash her car while she was away and had a similar experience to you. I'd barely closed the door and it automatically put me in her driving position, folded me up like some mediaeval torture chair! And when I eventually moved it (thankfully without having to phone her for advice) and started washing it I realised it's huge, the roof of my L200 is easier to wash than her 'little' car.

I hear this complaint a lot about the Hyundai too

A big prop forward I used to play rugby with would say at times like this, it's not the size that matters it's the weight you can put behind it.

They're terrible aren't they! The oh has a new Hyundai hybrid thing through her work and nag describes it perfectly. It never stops with alarms and warnings for anything, a white line or a hedge or just anything. It even turns off the radio if you reverse so you can concentrate on all the warning alarms it blares at you. Reminds me of a documentary about Air crashes and the experts discovered years ago that often problems were exacerbated by all the warnings in the cockpit overloading a pilot with information.

That's what gets me Mark, in the places it could be a benefit traffic is crawling along under 20 because it's busy anyway, and places like Jed have subways under the main road for pedestrians already.

I saw in the news recently the government have said they will "take the side of the motorist" against council's that are introducing blanket 20mph speed limits in built up areas. Our regional council did this some time ago, from what I can see largely against the will of the majority. During the covid times they introduced an 18month trial of the Safer Streets Scheme at a cost of 1.2m iirc, and declared it a success after Napier University found there to have been a small percentage decrease in the average speed vehicles were travelling at. That struck me as strange because they apparently had no accident statistics to show a reduction of incidents but judged the trial a success solely on low compliance. Gave me the feeling it was a done deal whatever the results of the trial! They did change some areas back to 30mph after the trial but mostly 20mph was retained. My experience of it initially was a few vehicles complied, held the majority back, and some vigilantes tried to enforce it by gesticulating and shouting from the pavement. Now we've lived with it for a while little has changed, the occasional vehicle does 20mph but most drive at the previous 30mph limit. Despite the council keep asking the Police to enforce it they really seem reluctant and I've heard of no Police action being taken against anybody, but the vigilantes have got Hi Vis coats and Amazon speed guns now. Personally I don't feel it does make the roads safer. Granted a collision at 20mph is likely to be less injurious than 30mph but, the instances of poor driving I've witnessed due to people being angry, frustrated or distracted by travelling at the slower speed have increased so surely that suggests the slower speed could be more dangerous? When I'm in a line of traffic behind someone at 17mph when I've driven that route at 30mph for nearly as many years I do find that my mind wanders. Is Twenty Plenty, or just leave it be?