Capel’s Celebration
Carolyne Locher guides us round the annual Celebration of Trees that took place at Capel College at the end of April.

On April 25 and 26, the two hottest days of the year so far, Capel Manor College hosted its sixth Celebration of Trees. The Celebration, sponsored by Husqvarna, is the first event of the
show season in the arboriculture and countryside industries’ calendar. Bumper numbers of visitors (2,180), of which approximately 68% were trade visitors, were treated to a showcase of Capel’s students’ endeavours as they made their way from the college entrance, past the Low Allergen Gardens and the archery display, to the show field.

The show field hosted 50 exhibitors this year. First-timers included Agria, Global Recycling, ISC and NBBS to name a few. This year, the ISA Student Tree Climbing Competitions (sponsored by Treeworker) had ten colleges competing for the opportunity to represent the student body in the UK finals. As well as climbing demonstrations given by Treeworker, the Absolute Arb Company and Horizon Treecare, visitors pitted their wits on the motorised climbing wall at the Venables Trees stand.

Some exhibitors chose the Celebration of Trees to announce a change of ownership (Honey Brothers) or the launch a new company (Green Plant). Others announced the taking over of a sole dealership (Prochip and Schliesing) or the appointment of a new dealer (GBT Products and Noddy Knott). Exhibitors were happy to show off their ranges of equipment and the wealth of services and consultancy they have to offer. Others, like the FCA and the Arb Association, were glad to show their support by taking a stand at the event. All exhibitors that we spoke to were happy to catch up with colleagues and to meet new clients at an event that signifies the end of the long winter months.

Suspended by ropes and buckled into the latest safety harnesses, arborists and tree climbing instructors from The Absolute Arb Company, Horizon Treecare and Treeworker crouch around the trunk of their demonstration tree, getting ready, on the count of three, to fly through the air. (Left to right) Ben Healey, Matt Brooker, Andrew Davis, Owen Williams, Phillipa Allen and Abby Fowler have all kindly agreed to give this aerial display for visual entertainment purposes only, getting the morning of the hottest day of the year (so far) off to a flying start. www.treeworker.co.uk – info@theabsolutearbcompany.com



Wood-Mizer
It is Paul Bailey’s first time at the Celebration (he joined the company in June last year) although Wood-Mizer has taken a stand for the last six years. Paul stands by Wood-Mizer’s entry-level LT20 sawmill with a hydraulic package. The mill takes logs up to 6.1 metres long with a diameter of 80cm.
Wood-Mizer 01622 813 201
www.woodmizer.co.uk



Go Roots
Director of Go Roots, David Dowding, stands in front of a Terravent decompaction machine. He says, “We provide a hire service. This machine decompacts soils using high-pressure (bottled) nitrogen gas. This creates a small explosion about 600mm below ground level which opens up the soil and allows tree roots to grow into the voids.” Go Roots 020 8429 8049
www.goroots.co.uk




Sawpod
Tony Darbyshire (independent NPTC trainer and assessor) of Darbyshire Training is at the Celebration for his third year. He is promoting the Sawpod, a neoprene casing for a Silky saw that is secured by Velcro straps to an arborist’s leg.
Sawpod 01264 773 229 www.sawpod.co.uk




Honey Brothers
Stuart Girdler holds the Yale Bluemoon 11.7mm climbing rope, which has just come over from America. Honey Brothers are the only stockists of Yale Cordage ropes in the UK. The orange
harness seen in the picture is the new Dreier Duo Free harness and Stuart is holding the new Distell carbon fibre spurs. Stuart and his business partner Martin Day worked for Honey Brothers for ten years before they took the company over in December 2007. Honey Brothers are sponsors of Merrist Wood College in the climbing events over the Celebration.
Honey Brothers 01483 561 362
www.honeybros.com



Prochip
Mike Zarkos sits on the Schliesing 200 MX woodchipper, with its 6.5-inch capacity and Kubota engine. Mike says, “This machine is unrivalled in its class. It has very big blades and a large rotor. It runs at half the speed of other machines in its class yet can do the same amount of work. It has large external greasable bearings, which makes for a very durable machine.” He thinks the Celebration is nice way of gently breaking into the show season and says that this is Prochip’s third year at Capel and their first year as sole distributor of Schliesing chippers.
Prochip 01449 770 044 www.prochip-uk.co.uk




GBT Products
Noddy Knott of Treeworker and Horizon Treecare stands with Greville Bray, owner of GBT Products, based in Boston Lincolnshire, next to the GBT 367 7-inch brashwood chipper (which also comes in a tractormounted version). Greville sold his tree business to fund the building of these machines, designed by his design-engineer brother. Noddy has been a dealer for GBT Products for the last three weeks.
GBT Products 0845 652 2005 – www.gbtproducts.co.uk
www.horizontreecare.co.uk – www.treeworker.co.uk



FCA
Nicole Ball and Matthew Biddle are on the FCA stand. Matthew says, “Interest has been good for an arb-orientated show. We are establishing better links with the colleges, matching up students to placements and apprenticeship schemes with our members. We are here to be seen and we are supporting the show. Both are going well.”
FCA 0870 042 7999
www.fcauk.com




Venables Trees
If there were a prize for the most innovative stand at the Celebration, it would most certainly go to Venables Trees. Here for their second year, the stand includes a truck, a crane, a stumpgrinder, a tent-covered motorised climbing wall, old chainsaws and a picture competition giving one lucky visitor the chance to win an oak tree. Steve Venables says, “We are not here selling anything today. We are here to improve the image of the company and the image of arb in general. Our business is growing and we are taking on lots of conservation
work and orders for tern rafts from further afield (Derby). We also have students from Capel Manor College on work experience with us now.”
Venables Trees 01707 876 356 – www.venablestrees.com

Liston Equipment
Managing Director Dave Kendall stands between an SB2010 narrow access pedestrian stumpgrinder and the 7015 TRX tracked 60hp machine. Both are very popular machines from Carlton who have been in the market since 1952. This is Liston Equipment’s fifth year at the Celebration. “The show is getting bigger and better each year. We could do with a few more contractors; although perhaps the wealth of students here will one day go on to have their own companies. If you are not here, you will not be seen.”
Liston Equipment 01273 891 890 – www.listonequipment.co.uk




Global Recycling
Service Manager Dean Embling and Sales Manager Andy Dudley of Global Recycling run the Bandit Industry dealership for the UK and Europe. They are standing next to the Bandit 90 9-inch chipper, which has a 79hp Deutz air-cooled engine and weighs in at two tonnes. Andy says, “It is the best selling model for the company.” This is the first year they have taken a stand at the Celebration, and although they have had a few good enquiries, they feel it has been slow and hope it will get busier on the second day.
Global Recycling 0870 770 8540
www.globalrecycling.eu




Sorbus International
Ian Isaacs and Phil Wade of Sorbus International Limited have come up from Westbury in Wiltshire to be at the Celebration. They say, “We took up the arboriculture business of Fujikura in January. We are the leaders in high-tech sonic tomography, radar, 3-D laser mapping and digital survey. We are expanding the range all the time and hope to have new toys available later in the year. We are moving to new premises in Somerset in June. We have found the quality of the clientele at the show to be excellent.”
Sorbus International 01373 821 500
www.sorbus-intl.co.uk



International Society of Arboriculture
Colin Bashford and Nigel Smith, the President of the UK Chapter of the International Society of A r b o r i c u l t u r e (ISA), take a break between talking to visitors. Since leaving Capel College in July 2007 Nigel has set up his own training consultancy for NVQs and National Diplomas. He also acts as a verifier for City and Guilds and NPTC. The ISA Student Activities Committee is responsible for the Tree Climbing competitions. The event, first set up in 1995, died a death for a few years. When Nigel joined Capel College three years ago, he decided to run it again. “It was small the first year, with just five colleges entering. This year I think there are ten. The competition is a way of getting students from different colleges to network, developing good practices and gaining experience in a social format. It is a good way of progressing students and getting them further in the industry.” The winner of the competition will go on to represent the student body in the UK finals.
ISA 0201 556 8302 – www.isa-arboriculture.org




Arboricultural Association
Simon Richmond, Maddie Legg, Alice Wyatt and Nick Eden of the Arboricultural Association. Nick says, “We are here to fly the flag and keep up our profile. We have 2000 members and we have had a few new recruits from the show. Although it has been a pleasant day with good weather, it has been quiet for us.”
AA 01794 368 717
www.trees.org.uk



Stanton Hope
Barry Dexter, Managing Director of Stanton Hope Ltd, handing purchases to a customer. At the Celebration, the Stanton Hope stand is always busy. “This show is good for us, both for business and for networking,” says Barry, before he goes off to serve another customer. Stanton Hope 01268 419141
www.stantonhope.co.uk







Essex Oak Frame
Graham Miller stands in an Essex Oak Frame construction. The company started 2½ years ago and this is their first time at the Celebration. The oak used in their frames is imported from France because, as Graham says, “Their timber is better managed, it is straight, and the price is better. “We did not know what to expect from this weekend. It has been alright and we have had quite a few brochures taken.”
Essex Oak Frame 01702 203777