Country File

[mmcv]

The trees behind us (at least the beech trees and maybe some others) are under a preservation order. There are plenty of ash with die back and a few trees leaning over the garden. Reluctant to get anything done to them though, the preservation order keeps anyone from building on the land behind. Apparently they tried maybe 15 years back and that's when the tree preservation order was placed.

At my parents there's a small stream lined with tall trees that separates them from the housing development behind. However the land there got bought over and knocked down and turned into apartments, and the developers just chopped down the trees and paid the fine as it obviously wasn't detrimental enough. So now my parents have had to plant leylandii to try and get some privacy back from the apartments overlooking them. Thankfully they had some mature trees on their side so only have a few gaps to fill. Frustrating though as it seemed unnecessary but must have allowed the developers to squeeze in a few more square feet of apartments.

In other news, had a hare (or rabbit, I think hare though) accompanying me for a short stretch on my run this morning. Hopped along ahead of me for a few seconds before diving into the hedgerows.

[Steve J]

Leylandii do not have TPO's on them as they are considered a nuisance, due to their rapid growth etc. IIRC as a hedge they have to be 6' high only, again due to their growth patterns, as you have a right to light on your property and these can easily exclude that.

As for the tree cut in half, any tree, shrub etc over hanging your property, you have the right to cut branches off etc and the neighbour has to dispose of them. Generally speaking most people come to a sensible solution, but not in the case quoted!

[Orcs]

Apparently the maximum fine for destroying a tree with  TPO on it is £20K , not much ideterant if your building a block of appartme tht will sell for several million.

[Techno II]

That's certainly very true, Mark. 

I don't know about the rest of you....But Von and I buy one of the local rags (papers)...Just to keep up with 'local' news. (which is usually of no interest at all)

Once, every few months, there's a story of someone who has been a very 'naughty boy/girl' and done some tree work that hadn't been sanctioned, by the powers that be....and been given a 'damn good slap' money wise.

To 'Joe ordinary'....It would be an horrendous fine.....To a developer...... Absolute peanuts, for the potential profit, at the end of the day.

("Oh, Don't worry.....write that off against petty cash.")

Cheers - Phil 

[hammurabi70]

Apparently the maximum fine for destroying a tree with  TPO on it is £20K , not much ideterant if your building a block of appartme tht will sell for several million.

Which is why it was increased from £1,000.  A supermarket looking at cutting down a copse of 200 trees for a new development is presented with a much bigger financial impediment.  Having a single TOP tree in your back-garden becomes a serious issue.

[FierceKitty]

The Bambi muggers in Nara.

[Raider4]

Picked up wife from a wedding reception in the middle of wildest Gloucestershire on Wednesday night.

Coming back, round a corner on country round, baby deer standing in the middle of the road.

I slam on the brakes, wife screams, we stop and and there's a definitite "thump".

We look at each other and both think "Oh god, we've killed Bambi".

And then we see it running off, apparently no worse for wear.

Biggest sigh of relief I've ever let out.

[Ithoriel]

Passenger in a car on Mull.

Simultaneously up over a hill and round a bend.

Highland Cattle bull in middle of road.

Thump! Bull sprawled on road, dead as a very dead thing.

Tyre punctured by very, very bent mudguard.

Spot farmhouse. Walk to farmhouse. Explain situation. Farmer pretty sure it's his bull. Mentions cost of bull. Gulp!

Walk back to accident site.

"Dead" bull munching grass on the verge all unconcerned.

Back to farmhouse. Vet and garage mechanic summoned.

Bull declared bruised but otherwise fine. Car towed off to panel beater.

Car repairs pricey but considerably less than the cost of a bull!

[Heedless Horseman]

Watched a vid clip recently, (prob on FB), with Scots farmer 'driving' herd of 'Heeland Coos' past stopped cars. Saw another from 'over the pond', with a BIG herd of Bison You DO NOT MESS with either, lol! 

'Cattle' can be VERY hard to kill. A mate used to work in 'Cattle yards'. Sadly, there were instances when a 'terrified' beast would escape. One time, an 'armed', (not sure what 'with', cop turned up. He took three shots but failed to take the poor creature down. Mate got angry, just took the cop's gun and 'did the job'. Very Sad. 

Animals, whether Very Big, or Rat size can survive a LOT of knocks or wounds. When air-gunning rats, i would always 'put another couple in' so the 'dead 'un wouldn't get up and go. 
Same with troops. The MANY accounts of wounds sustained, yet someone could still carry on, are  incredible, but...

[Elliesdad]

It's amazing, in films, how may times someone shoots an enemy and then the shooter wanders off, leaving their seemingly dead opponent behind. The matter seems to be "settled". No, no, no. That's just a plot device.
Unless it is a zombie film - or you are very short on ammunition - then the reality is that you should finish them off. They may possibly survive that (seemingly fatal) shot in the side, but you can be pretty sure that a bullet between the eyes/into the brain is highly likely to ensure they ain't gonna reappear 5 minutes later in the film.

Back to rats. Sure, an air gun is good (and, indeed, often is fatal) but as a kid I always found it useful to have a spade too. A good, hard chop with the business end of a spade is likely to chop the beggar into two. If a rat can survive being chopped in half then it really is time to run - and run as fast as you can.

Geoff
Ps/ in retrospect, I seem to have drifted between "reality" and films/fiction. Just to two pen'worth anyway.

[FierceKitty]

I've read that this is why a gunfight is in reality far more dangerous than movies pretend. There'll often be enough left in the man you've fatally wounded for him to return the favour before he succumbs.

[Raider4]

. . . but considerably less than the cost of a bull!

Genuine question - would you be liable?

If the farmer doesn't want his bull endangered by traffic, surely he has a duty to keep it off the road?

[Ithoriel]

Genuine question - would you be liable?

If the farmer doesn't want his bull endangered by traffic, surely he has a duty to keep it off the road?

Was glad not to have to find out, for the bull's sake as well as ours. The question might have been would the cost of a bull be less than the cost of a court case.

I've read that this is why a gunfight is in reality far more dangerous than movies pretend. There'll often be enough left in the man you've fatally wounded for him to return the favour before he succumbs.

I remember an account of a shooting in the US between a cop and a drugged up perp, fought across a car bonnet. Even at that range the perp was too stoned to hit the cop. The cop fired several shots to no effect and, presumably convinced his gun was defective, looked down the barrel and pulled the trigger, killing himself instantly. Iirc, the perp survived several shots to the torso.

[Orcs]

Genuine question - would you be liable?

If the farmer doesn't want his bull endangered by traffic, surely he has a duty to keep it off the road?

It seems fairly clear , that the farmer is liable for any damage caused by his animals. So in the case of hitting the Bull The farmer or his own insurance should have paid.

https://www.harpermacleod.co.uk/hm-insights/2015/november/cows-in-the-road-what-to-do-if-you-have-an-accident-involving-livestock/

[Ithoriel]

The Animals (Scotland) Act 1987 was 10 to 15 years in the future at the time of the accident. We were students at the time.