Tom's Top Tales: when I was a tree surgeon...

Inspired by the poor (or perhaps not so poor) soul who drove his Ferrari Enzo into the Atlantic, we were talking on Wednesday about expensive mishaps. Inspiring Pete McDougall to get in touch. Impossible to resist any communication which begins, "when I was a tree surgeon..."

When I was a tree surgeon I used to carry out under line tree clearance for the electricity board. One day at Dalhousie Castle we were pulling over trees at the top the deep gorge of the river Esk using the winch on my six wheel drive landrover forward control truck.

All well and good until whilst standing at the side of the landrover operating the winch controls I noticed the landrover was moving rather than the tree, yes, someone had forgotten to deploy the ground anchor, it was all I could do but watch as the landrover head slowly towards the edge and tip over into the gorge. Miraculously it survived and ended up sitting on its wheels in the river still running. Only the brakes had been ripped out so we drove it up the river and winched it out. Driving it home without brakes was a bit scary though!

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