Brits talkin about Brit stuff

[ROLLACOSTA]

I went yesterday ,new kit on the way ,wife hates me going to trade shows lol

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Stephen, you're right there was some quality items knocking about

 

[Buzzlightyear]

What did you buy Rolla ??

 

[Big A]

Must concur with Mr Bullman on an excellent array of ladies on display there, and some very good deals to be found. Bought my new lowering kit up there and still had some change!! Prices on the food were astronomical but its a very wealthy area. (Mental note: avoid Rake-man in future!!!!) Got me free samurai saw with sub to Total Arb Magazine, all you Brits support this independant mag, its for us!!
Anyone got any ideas for carrying loppers when hedging so you dont drop/leave them behind. Cant get on with them hanging from the harness!

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Morbark chippers------- Are they used much in the UK they look awesome but i've never come across one ! Is there a market for them over here ??

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Seen anything good yet Thor ??

HA! wait till i get back, I'll post all the picks. But I'm telling you, I wish i could have had one of these machines at saltex. I'd have sold a boatload...

 

[unimog]

Went to Saltex. Spoke with guys from BASE and Total Arb mag (looks like we have some other people that are thinking like us lot (hate jobs for the boys etc). They are very interested in getting involved with Tree workers guild idea.

Dan from earborist.com has very kindly spent a great deal of time looking into the pro's and con's of a TWG web site with a live chat room etc.He has also agreed some ads on the site. FOC. Thanks Dan

Steve from Total Arb mag is prepared to run as much info etc in the mag as possible to help us get going.

It looks like we are going to need about £2,000 to get things up and running and ten people to start with,who are prepared to form the guild.( sec,treasure etc).

I'm quiet happy to start the ball rolling with £100 donation and Landforce £200. If we really are serious lets have some more idea's help,cash and get your names put forward.

 

[Buzzlightyear]

I'll help in anyway i can, it would be good to get a press release together for interested parties. Bullet pointed prehaps with things we would need to do and postions that would need filling to get off the ground ??

 

[PRUNER 1]

ime in if i can help.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Went to Saltex. Spoke with guys from BASE and Total Arb mag (looks like we have some other people that are thinking like us lot (hate jobs for the boys etc). They are very interested in getting involved with Tree workers guild idea.

Dan from earborist.com has very kindly spent a great deal of time looking into the pro's and con's of a TWG web site with a live chat room etc.He has also agreed some ads on the site. FOC. Thanks Dan

Steve from Total Arb mag is prepared to run as much info etc in the mag as possible to help us get going.

It looks like we are going to need about £2,000 to get things up and running and ten people to start with,who are prepared to form the guild.( sec,treasure etc)

I'm quiet happy to start the ball rolling with £100 donation and Landforce £200. If we really are serious lets have some more idea's help,cash and get your names put forward.

I'm willing to help get the ball rolling,i'm prepared to join the committee,and i'm willing to donate £100...I also know a guy who could design a logo etc,I think we should get our heads together UNIMOG....I will PM you my home telephone number

 

[teressa green]

what you going to achieve with this new set up ? totally baffled ,free advertising ,etc ,whos going to join ,seems a bit futile a bunch of tree wallahs bigging each other up ,just get ya heads down ,do the job and go home ,you realy wont change anything ,re ,arb assoc,gypos,just stress ya nappers ,i really cant get a grip on the point ,,,,,,,,,

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Well I and few of us do see the point of forming a new trade association !!Teresa arn't you sick of seeing local authority's insisting on contractors being AA approved ,I and others are SATISFYING our insurers requirements and most of US are fully qualified to carry out the work we do,so why should we spend yet more time and lots of £££ to become AA approved when we are totally suitable to tender for council contracts,in the first place , and one other thing, I hear many councils are only giving out telephone numbers of AA approved contractors when they are asked by the general public for a recommended tree company,thats not on IMO

 

[SteveBullman]

so what about people who dont join this new association either?? when the councils are only giving out members of the associations telephone numbers whose going to be feeling left out then? point is, isnt this just replacing one association with another?

 

[teressa green]

its a futile excersise to try and get busy ,arb assoc ,and councils ,what bollox ,i keep away from both ,who wants to bid low to win some poxy london plane job from the council ,sod em they can have it ,ill do my own thing and the only person responsible for keeping me busy is me ,i fully fulfil my insurance requirments and keep all kit up to date ,so rolla if that was a pop it was wasted ,another trade assoc ,to achieve what ? what exp ,qualifications do you have to compete with arb assoc ,sounds like a trade union to me ,if you dont fit in ,will you be accepted ,what requirments would be needed to be a member ,really boys ,seems you d be better off concentrating on the job in hand ,in my opinion ,

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

The point of the TWG [tree workers guild ] is simple , members i suggest, simply need proof of insurance and relavent quals for the work they carry out PLAIN and SIMPLE...To become AA approved you need go through a whole load of irelavent BULLCHIT ie they will check your office system ,look through your books all this **** costs time and money[takes upto a year and several GRAND].If you don't like the idea boys of a new low cost ,helpfull , trade association then dont complain about the better jobs/contracts etc going to AA contractors and don't join !!! don't complain about the industry period!!

 

[SteveBullman]

i dont have insurance so i guess i shant be joining!

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

You might not have insurance !! but wouldn't it be nice for you and your familys sake to know that because the company you are working for is a TWG approved firm they will have been checked to see if they carry employers insurance ?????

 

[teressa green]

i for one dont complain ,i simply dont want/need council or arb assoc jobs ,they can keep em ,what about boys joining your merry band who get ins then cancel their direct debit,i dont whinge and whine ,if i see pikeys on a job its good fun parking up and watching ,better than the 3 stooges,as for council work ,people who want it can have it ,in my exp it aint the arb assoc but the local tree officer who will give you the nod and wink ,rolla it wont work mate ,youll have every pikey in the country using the TWG logo within the year, if not sooner,ill keep doing what i do ,seems to work ,,,,

 

[Acer]

so why should we spend yet more time and lots of £££ to become AA approved when we are totally suitable to tender for council contracts,in the first place , and one other thing, I hear many councils are only giving out telephone numbers of AA approved contractors when they are asked by the general public for a recommended tree company,thats not on IMO

Why should we indeed? How much is it now? Last time I looked it was about £200 per year. Don't know if it's changed, but the whole approval system wasn't much different from ISO9000. It's only to show that you've got a "quality" system in place ie a paperwork system covering quote to job instructions. Getting ISO9000 would be a better achievement.

Talking about councils, one of my contacts, who gives me a lot of work, was saying his department is under more and more pressure to give their gangs first shout on work. Not that they've got the skills or attitude to do a lot of this stuff. He reckons there might come a day when everything has to be put to the council gangs, so no outside contracts and back to the days before Thatcher and CCT. His is not the only council who rig things in their favour. Another contact, in another local authority, is obliged to put a fixed percentage of work he contracts to internal labour, whether their rates are competitive or not (which they're not - 2 men and a chipper, nothing else, £500 / day, and that was last year)

 

[teressa green]

ill stay the way i am thankyou ,a good days work for a good price ,responsible for myself and answerable to no one,council work is rubbish ,who needs it ,get the adverts going ,do a good ,fast ,well priced job ,get recommended again and again ,its easy ,why get involved with iso,arb ,assoc,theres plenty of work out there youve just got to go find it ,as for tree officers ,i have a good working relatinship with most ,i never ask them for work ,but i seem to get it ,i really fail to see what the attraction to council contracts is ,