The Night Mail

[pH]

Sitting here reading about maintaining hedges, I’m looking at the cypress hedge between our yard and the next door neighbours’. When we bought the house, the hedge was about 4 feet high. Now, despite regular attempts to keep it in check, it’s about 15 feet high. I get the sense that it’s about to ‘bolt’, which would not be a good thing, since there are power and phone wires close to it on both sides. So we’ve agreed with our neighbours that, now the birds have all fledged from the several nests in it, we’ll cut it down to about 4 feet again and try to keep it that way. If that doesn’t work (the bottom of it is a bit bare and would have to fill in, or it wouldn’t look very good), then we’ll take it out completely and replace it.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, pH said:

Sitting here reading about maintaining hedges, I’m looking at the cypress hedge between our yard and the next door neighbours’. When we bought the house, the hedge was about 4 feet high. Now, despite regular attempts to keep it in check, it’s about 15 feet high. I get the sense that it’s about to ‘bolt’, which would not be a good thing, since there are power and phone wires close to it on both sides. So we’ve agreed with our neighbours that, now the birds have all fledged from the several nests in it, we’ll cut it down to about 4 feet again and try to keep it that way. If that doesn’t work (the bottom of it is a bit bare and would have to fill in, or it wouldn’t look very good), then we’ll take it out completely and replace it.

Oh I'm afraid I wouldn't do that. Cypresses have one main growing tip, hence the bare side, and don't respond well to drastic reduction in height. I would suggest reducing it to about a third , 10 ft in the spring and see how it goes. Taking down to 4 ft will be too much.

[pH]

27 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Oh I'm afraid I wouldn't do that. Cypresses have one main growing tip, hence the bare side, and don't respond well to drastic reduction in height. I would suggest reducing it to about a third , 10 ft in the spring and see how it goes. Taking down to 4 ft will be too much.

I hear what you’re saying, but the neighbour and I have talked about it and we’re prepared to lose the hedge completely if it comes to it. It separates our front yards and at the height it is, or even at 10 feet, blocks views for both of us. There used to be a similar hedge on the other side of our front yard, but the neighbour on that side put up a low fence and I took out the hedge before it grew to any height.

[SM42]

Hedges were the bain of my younger years.

 

At my parents there was, and indeed still is, a privet hedge. 120ft long and 7ft high.

 

Every year us kids were roped into help cut it by hand. The bottom end was worst as it had holly growing through it down there.  Then a grand bonfire to burn the cuttings.

 

Now I do it with an electric trimmer, but there's no having a fire now. Its takes a whole morning to cut 4 or 5  trips to the tip.

 

The garden has been left to get out of hand this year as we haven't been able to go round to attack it and mum is in no position to do so.

 

The lawn may hide a hippo or three and the shrubs are what can only be described as well established.. Somewhere in there, there is a shed, a patio and a fish pond. No fish, but there does appear to be silver birch growing in there

 

My back aches just thinking about it.

 

Anyone got any napalm?

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

19 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Hedges were the bain of my younger years.

 

At my parents there was, and indeed still is, a privet hedge. 120ft long and 7ft high.

 

Every year us kids were roped into help cut it by hand. The bottom end was worst as it had holly growing through it down there.  Then a grand bonfire to burn the cuttings.

 

Now I do it with an electric trimmer, but there's no having a fire now. Its takes a whole morning to cut 4 or 5  trips to the tip.

 

The garden has been left to get out of hand this year as we haven't been able to go round to attack it and mum is in no position to do so.

 

The lawn may hide a hippo or three and the shrubs are what can only be described as well established.. Somewhere in there, there is a shed, a patio and a fish pond. No fish, but there does appear to be silver birch growing in there

 

My back aches just thinking about it.

 

Anyone got any napalm?

 

Andy

I could make you a  cheap substitute, but you'd have to persuade Dave to fly below the clouds to deliver it.  Of course he'd object most strongly as he is more used to CAP than mud moving.

 

It is very nasty stuff.

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, pH said:

I hear what you’re saying, but the neighbour and I have talked about it and we’re prepared to lose the hedge completely if it comes to it. It separates our front yards and at the height it is, or even at 10 feet, blocks views for both of us. There used to be a similar hedge on the other side of our front yard, but the neighbour on that side put up a low fence and I took out the hedge before it grew to any height.

If that's the case I would say take it out now and get on with planting a replacement as now's the time to do it. Your get ahead of the season by starting now.

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I could make you a  cheap substitute, but you'd have to persuade Dave to fly below the clouds to deliver it.  Of course he'd object most strongly as he is more used to CAP than mud moving.

 

It is very nasty stuff.

Our mutual friend Uncle T was a mud mover, find him a spare GR3 and I'm sure he would help, his former backseater Fleabag is abailable as well.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

7 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

If that's the case I would say take it out now and get on with planting a replacement as now's the time to do it. Your get ahead of the season by starting now.

We had a very high, 10', Cottoneaster hedge at the back. We cut it right down to 6" above the ground and left it. 3 years later, having been trimmed every year a couple of times, it's now a respectable hedge.

 

A further slice of Ginger cake has just been consumed.

 

Jamie

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

12 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Our mutual friend Uncle T was a mud mover, find him a spare GR3 and I'm sure he would help, his former backseater Fleabag is abailable as well.

 

Jamie

He might find having a back seater in a Harrier a bit of a squeeze 

[Dave Hunt]

As I have stated before, my first two operational tours were as a mud mover so I could do a pairs co-ordinated attack with Supersonic/Uncle T no problem. Alternatively I could fly escort so that he wasn't disturbed by any wandering privet preservation police attack divisions.

 

Managed to get some modelling time in this afternoon and have got my coaling stage nearly finished. Just as well as the next couple of days are being given over to domestic niffnaff and trivia unless I'm really lucky.

 

TTFN

 

Dave

[Winslow Boy]

47 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

We had a very high, 10', Cottoneaster hedge at the back. We cut it right down to 6" above the ground and left it. 3 years later, having been trimmed every year a couple of times, it's now a respectable hedge.

 

A further slice of Ginger cake has just been consumed.

 

Jamie

 

 

Cotoneaster is a tough old shrub to kill. You can cut it right down and it'll just come right back up. It also seeds itself all over the place and roots from any low branches.

 

Doesn't taste as nice as ginger cake though.

[jamie92208]

4 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Cotoneaster is a tough old shrub to kill. You can cut it right down and it'll just come right back up. It also seeds itself all over the place and roots from any low branches.

 

Doesn't taste as nice as ginger cake though.

Yes it's a weed here and as you say seeds everywhere but it has made a reasonable hedge after being pruned with a chain saw.

 

Jamie

[Winslow Boy]

10 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Yes it's a weed here and as you say seeds everywhere but it has made a reasonable hedge after being pruned with a chain saw.

 

Jamie

Nothing like the 'smell of napalm' or chainsaw pruning first thing in the morning.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

I see the groan button has taken leave of us.

 

Anyways, school inspected today, apparently it caught FIRE last night, or at least a fairly major heater did. No damage was done. 

 

Hedges: We have what we call a hedge on the western edge of our garden, it's mostly made up of various tall weeds and bushy things. Every summer it must be trimmed, in the 100 degree weather, a very fun job, all 70 feet of it. Actually the trimming isn't that bad, it's the packing up of all the leaves etc that gets one's back. Its due to be replaced soon with a proper hedge however. Maybe.

 

Our bathroom renovation is due to start soon roughly 4 months after it was supposed to. I'm not complaining though, as the current one hasn't been updated since 1953, and the paint was literally falling off the walls. So some shopping at Lowe's or the Home Depot (our local DIY stores as most one here will know them) for tile etc etc. 

 

On to this evening's homework.

 

Douglas

[SM42]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

As I have stated before, my first two operational tours were as a mud mover so I could do a pairs co-ordinated attack with Supersonic/Uncle T no problem. Alternatively I could fly escort so that he wasn't disturbed by any wandering privet preservation police attack divisions.

 

Managed to get some modelling time in this afternoon and have got my coaling stage nearly finished. Just as well as the next couple of days are being given over to domestic niffnaff and trivia unless I'm really lucky.

 

TTFN

 

Dave

 

It's  not the privet I'm  worried about. It's the rest of the ground cover I need to shift.

 

It will need some precision flying and pinpoint targeting and I quite like mum's neighbours too

 

Local intelligence suggests no AA, and the local airbase has been decommissioned

 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

48 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

It's  not the privet I'm  worried about. It's the rest of the ground cover I need to shift.

 

It will need some precision flying and pinpoint targeting and I quite like mum's neighbours too

 

Local intelligence suggests no AA, and the local airbase has been decommissioned

 

 

Andy

If Dave was to pitch the tiniest of bombs into the middle and you went out with the hose, I could move in for a few weeks and you'd have no weeds left, just a replica of the 3rd Battles of Ypres.

 

But it would be well composted.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

2 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

well composted.

So was Ypres after a short while.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[newbryford]

On 17/11/2020 at 00:01, Happy Hippo said:

In LMS red pulling a network rail test coach in Yellow and a Green GUV following up the rear.

 

 I do have something (in the round tuit drawer) hat will appear in yellow, that may have been dirty brown and very off white pin a previous existence.

 

And as for other project with a copper cap - that's been weighed in at the scrappies.

[Happy Hippo]

I'm not sure what domestic tasking I will be issued with today.

 

I may take it upon myself to clean the sitting room carpet, which may or may not be a good plan.

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

A grey, windy and generally miserable North Salopshire greets the eye this morning so with any luck the G word will not be uttered. In a few minutes we will be able to try for a supermarket delivery slot and I will also be phoning a couple of our local market traders to arrange some other deliveries so a really exciting time is in store (sorry, the pun was unintentional).

 

Have as best a hump day as you can. Stay safe.

 

Dave

Edited November 18, 2020 by Dave Hunt
Another attempt to fail the spelling test

[jamie92208]

A rather late good moaning as we have been to Niort for a hospital visit for Beth. However we are now back. The sunshine is glorious and it's in the mid teens temperature  wise.  On our return there was an answerphone message from a modelling friend who builds in gauge1, live steam and electric. We are jointly ordering some supplies to save postage. After I'd talked to Richard I downloaded the requisite catalogue. No problem with the BA nuts and bolts, but there is avery nice 4F kit.  Such temptation  should not be placed in front of my eyes. It's worse than putting cake in front of a bear or hippo.

 

Jamie

Edited November 18, 2020 by jamie92208

[polybear]

On 17/11/2020 at 07:54, SM42 said:

 

Thanks for the generous offer,  but we have our own on site recycling facility.

 

Andy

 

It's at times like this that Bear really does miss the groan button

 

On 17/11/2020 at 09:34, Dave Hunt said:

Then I think I may have to prepare some heavy duty defences as later on I'll be making a lemon drizzle cake, which may result in plagues of bears if I'm not careful, not to mention visitations from the Muddy Hollow.

 

I can send well-proven recipes to anyone who wants to have a go.

 

Incoming......

As for defences, a possible delaying tactic (only delay, mind) would be to load the chaff dispensers with oodles of Mr. Kipling Deep Fill Mince Pies.  It'll take a lot of chaff to confuse this Bear's guidance system though

Recipes?  Yes please....Lemon Drizzle sounds a fine introduction

 

On 17/11/2020 at 14:15, Northroader said:

 

 

Now that isn't nice   Bear likes Tufty squirrel.

As for HH - shame shame, know your name......

 

17 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Nothing like the 'smell of napalm' or chainsaw pruning first thing in the morning.

 

Bear does have a simple recipe for home-made Napalm, though I've not had cause to test it yet.  Filed for future reference in case of marauding cake stealers

[Tony_S]

9 minutes ago, polybear said:

On 17/11/2020 at 14:15, Northroader said:

Expand  

 

Now that isn't nice   Bear likes Tufty squirrel.

As for HH - shame shame, know your name

I can’t imagine there ever were red squirrels around these parts but I do enjoy seeing the grey ones leaping about. 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

 

 

 

Now that isn't nice   Bear likes Tufty squirrel.

As for HH - shame shame, know your name......

 

 

 

That was no Tufty!

 

The catapult launched variant as shewn, is a Grey (tree rat).  An invasive species which has a nasty habit of  driving the red squirrel out of its own native habitat, or worse passes on the squirrelpox virus.  The grey is immune to it, but the red has no such fortune and contracting the squirrelpox usually proves fatal.

[newbryford]

21 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

That was no Tufty!

 

The catapult launched variant as shewn, is a Grey (tree rat).  An invasive species which has a nasty habit of  driving the red squirrel out of its own native habitat, or worse passes on the squirrelpox virus.  The grey is immune to it, but the red has no such fortune and contracting the squirrelpox usually proves fatal.

 

I once posted a link to a squirrel launcher video  in the "Things that make you  ".

 

It was a grey.

Cruelty to animals was cited.

 

So I posted more video links........

 

This is my favourite

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by newbryford