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SCH Driver Vince Risks His Life In A Heroic Act

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SCH Driver Vince Risks His Life In A Heroic Act: Seconds before the inferno that destroyed a Ferrari Scuderia in South Yorkshire last week, delivery driver Vince Cook helps the shaken and bloodied Ferrari driver out of the car.

After witnessing the crash which has since made headlines throughout the world, Vince from Ipswich in Suffolk, jeopardised his own safety to drag the driver from the car.

‘I was on the inside lane of the M1, only doing about fifty or fifty-five miles per hour because of the heavy rain and surface water,’ explains Vince. ‘I saw the Ferrari coming up alongside in the outside lane, but he was only doing about sixty I think.’

Just as the Scuderia pulled ahead of Vince, things began to go badly wrong.

‘I’m not sure what happened – I don’t think the Ferrari driver is either – but the engine note changed as the car suddenly revved and swerved left, cutting in front of my Iveco truck. I knew it was going to be bad so I braked hard.

‘I could tell he was trying to gain control and I immediately hit the brakes, but the Ferrari was still revving like crazy as it hit a bank, took two trees down to stumps and launched into the field below.

‘I’ll be honest, I thought it was game over for him. The car was a wreck but then I could see movement and knew I had to get him out of there.’

Despite suffering a heart attack earlier this year, Vince clambered down the steep bank to do whatever he could to help.

‘The poor guy was covered in cuts and there was blood everywhere. He was conscious but obviously really shaken and so I put his arm around my neck and helped him get away from the car and sat him propped up against a fence. I then noticed flames under the rear wheels of the car, and knew we had to get right away from it. I dragged him to the top of the hill near where the car had flown off the carriageway just in time to see the thing explode.’

Vince found some bottles of water and kitchen towel in the cab of his truck, and set about cleaning up the shaken driver.

SCH Driver Vince Risks His Life In A Heroic Act

‘We could feel the heat of the blaze from where we sat. It was then that I asked how much fuel he thought was in the car and he told me it was full as he’d only just bought it!’

Vince waited with the driver until emergency services arrived, gave his statements and left to continue his work, delivering garden machinery for his employer SCH (Supplies) Ltd.

‘I still had quite a few drops to get done so off I went,’ says Vince. ‘I don’t think I did anything special. I’m sure anyone would have done the same it’s just that I saw it all and had to help. I didn’t really think anything of it at the time. I just saw someone that needed help, so I went and helped him. A little while after, I did start to think about what might have happened to him, and to me, if that explosion had taken place just a minute earlier. But I would never have forgiven myself if there had been a fatality and I hadn’t even tried to help.’

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Vandals Scorch Pristine Golf Green

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Vandals Scorch Pristine Golf Green: The hard work of maintaining a vibrant golf green came undone as it suffered extensive damage when it was scorched by youths.

At around 5.10 on Monday morning, a group of youths took a wheelie bin full of rubbish and then set it on fire on the first green of Werneth Golf Club before fleeing the scene.

The fire destroyed a large square of the green and the turf will now have to be dug out and relayed by head greenkeeper Colin Worthington.

Colin was on his way to the club on Green Lane on Monday morning when he saw police officers outside who told him there had been damage to one of the greens.

Looking towards the course Colin said he could still see the flames on the distant green flickering.

While the green is still playable, the charred remains are unsightly on what is a beautifully kept course and Colin said to repair the damage would take weeks.

“I came into work and the police were here and they said there has been damage done to the green. I looked up and there were flames still flickering on it.” Colin said. “The damage is quite bad, it has killed all the grass off of it.

“The players can play on it but there is a big burnt patch on the green now.”

He said: “I have got to dig it all out and reseed it. The fire has killed all the turf so that will need changing. It will take weeks before it is recovered.

“It is just unsightly, it is more hard work for me during the season. All the work that you put in and then it is just ruined. They have pulled the bin along the public footpath, they have brought it over the road and over the bank. What are kids doing out at that time in the morning?”

Colin fears it may not be the last time incidents like this happen as the club is seeing more youths trespassing on the golf course recently.

He said: “It will most probably happen again. I have had it before were they have burned a little bin before and there are kids on the course everywhere. There must have been 20 kids on the course the other evening. There are people on drugs and everything.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “Police were called at 5.35am on Monday, July 31, to Werneth Golf Club, Green Lane, to reports of a fire on the green. A group of youths set fire to one of the greens and they have fled the scene. Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting 335 of the 31st.”

To read the original article from Oldham News, click here

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First Sports Stadium To Install Toro Lynx Reports Back

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Lynx Let Loose At Rhino’s Home: First Sports Stadium To Install Toro Lynx Reports Back

First Sports Stadium To Install Toro Lynx Reports Back

In 2013, Headingley Carnegie Stadium, the West Yorkshire home of Leeds Rhinos rugby club and Yorkshire County Cricket Club, was the first sports stadium in the UK to opt for Toro’s advanced irrigation system, Lynx.

Four years on the sports venue has a new head groundsman, Ryan Golding, and here we talk to him about how he has found taking over the system, the installation of which placed the stadium at the forefront of sports pitch irrigation.

“Lynx was chosen by my predecessor Jason Booth as part of a £1 million pitch rebuild,” Ryan says. “He saw the reasoning behind having a high spec system for many reasons, but predominantly for its real-time intuitive control and water sustainability.

“It makes no sense spending thousands of pounds on a pitch and having a bog standard irrigation system. To join a stadium which had that vision and invested in a state-of-the-art system, which is still state-of-the-art, was brilliant.”

When Lynx was installed at the club, the idea was that the system would enable the club to access detailed and comprehensive information on all aspects of the pitch and its irrigation programmes, to monitor water, energy and other inputs and based on the findings introduce a more sustainable way to manage the pitch.

Ryan confirms that as hoped, the Lynx system puts the pitch management team in control. The computer-based software is coupled to wireless soil sensors beneath the surface enabling effective planning and real-time adjustments to benefit plant health, playing surface conditions and to sync with other turf management regimes.

“As I’ve said, part of the decision making process was based on how Lynx could help with water sustainability. Well, I can confirm that it is contributing in a big way. The efficient head-to-head sprinklers, soil sensing equipment, weather station system and integrated pump stations have had a big impact on how much water we use and on the club’s bottom line. Water off the mains is not cheap and it’s sensible not only for the environment, but also our budget to use the resource effectively. We’re making big savings and it’s improving grass-growing conditions, too.

“There are plans to put in place water holding tanks underneath the stands to harvest water from the stand roofs. The surface area there will collect a good amount of water to reuse,” Ryan tells us. “The important thing is ensuring the water is thoroughly cleaned as, in order for the collected water to be used for pitch irrigation, the salt content of the water, which can be high in rainwater, will have to be low enough to not damage and depreciate the irrigation system. I will test the nutritional value of the water every four weeks and from the results will be able to decide whether to use the water to irrigate the pitch or use it in the washrooms and showers.

“The bottom line is Lynx gives us the power to make these kind of big-impact, long-lasting decisions, which is fantastic.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Kubota are racing to the finish line at BBC Countryfile Live

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Kubota are racing to the finish line at BBC Countryfile Live: Kubota UK are encouraging kids to put their racing skills to the test on a specially designed racecourse with a Kubota pedal tractor.  Children who race across the finish line will be in with the chance to receive a Kubota driver’s license or a children’s hi-vis vest.*

Kubota are racing to the finish line at BBC Countryfile Live

Whilst the children put the pedal to the metal, visitors to the stand can see a selection of Kubota’s high performance groundcare machinery. This includes the Kubota Z122R – the company’s new zero turn ride-on mower for the residential market. The new Z122R enables gardeners to manoeuvre seamlessly and effortlessly around trees, climbing frames and flower beds, by utilising some of the key features of Kubota’s zero turn models for the professional market.

Kubota’s popular GR1600-ID ride-on mower will also be on display. The versatile, reliable and efficient machine is ready to help you maintain your lawn. Accompanying this, the leading RTV400 utility vehicle enables land owners to traverse large estates and tough terrain quickly and safely.

For those looking to see something bigger, take a trip down to the ‘Farming in Action’ area at BBC Countryfile Live where visitors will have the opportunity to see the Kubota M135GX-III Series tractor in action! Equipped with a Bale Wrapper, the powerful, efficient and high performance tractor will be taking part in live demonstrations throughout the four-day show.

Karen Tipping, Marketing Manager for Kubota UK, said: “BBC Countryfile Live is a fantastic show for the whole family, a really great day out with a host of activities on offer for families to enjoy. The show provides us with the ideal opportunity to promote our brand and build awareness with a wide range of visitors. We look forward to seeing everyone at the show.”

For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of solutions visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000. To purchase your tickets, click here

*Subject to availability. Age Restrictions apply.

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Bobcat Extends Forestry Cutter Attachment Range 

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Bobcat Extends Forestry Cutter Attachment Range: Bobcat has extended the company’s new range of forestry cutter attachments with a third model – the new FRC150ST – for use on the smaller Bobcat S630/H and S650/H skid-steer loaders and T590/H and T650/H compact tracked loaders.  

Bobcat Extends Forestry Cutter Attachment Range 

The new FRC150ST complements Bobcat’s recently launched FRC150HT and FRC200HT high torque forestry cutter attachments, which are compatible with the larger Bobcat T770H and T870H compact tracked loaders, S770H and S850H skid-steer loaders and the A770H all-wheel steer loader and provide cutting widths of 1.5 and 2.0 m, respectively,

Based on feedback from the field, the 1.5 m wide FRC150ST incorporates many improvements over the previous FRC150 model.  Among the improvements, the FRC150ST is manufactured almost entirely from Hardox, with a specially designed new fixed motor offering greater output and efficiency.  The enhanced design also offers a new, lighter drum, with carbide teeth, new hose routing and greater performance and manoeuvrability.

The FRC150ST forestry cutter mulches trees and underbrush in minutes − leaving a carpet of mulch behind when clearing trees and bushes for any kind of application.  The variable front gate can be adjusted to provide the coarseness or fineness of mulch that the finishing requires.

Providing a cutting width of 1.5 m, the FRC150ST forestry cutter is designed for continuous work on bushes and trees 100 to 120 mm in diameter, intermittent use for trees with a diameter from 150 to 200 mm and occasional use on trees 220 to 260 mm in diameter.

Applications are very varied and range from those in agriculture including vineyards, orchards, nurseries and tree care; forestry including cutting fire breaks in woods and forests, clearing work and removing unwanted undergrowth and trees; wildlife, national park and country estate management; perimeter maintenance of facilities such as schools and military bases; to site development in construction; land clearing for landscaping and recreation projects; maintenance work on vegetation next to pathways and other right-of-ways, utilities, railway lines and roads as well as clean-up work after storms and floods.

Powered by a new high performance motor, the 1.5 m drum on the FRC150ST forestry cutter is equipped with 30 fixed long-life carbide teeth.  Other new features include three rows of counter cutters; a new adjustable push bar configuration; a new reinforced chain protection system at the back; a new HD belt cover; new adjustable skid shoes; a debris and seal application kit; an automatic drum brake system; an ACD Control system and a patented fixed knife rotor with tungsten carbide tips.

The FRC150ST forestry cutter attachment is operated from the comfort and safety of the cab on the Bobcat loader − and the mandatory Forestry Applications Kit provides even greater safety and protection.

The Forestry Applications Kit protects the loader and operator from flying objects and debris.  It includes an impact resistant front door, which must be installed in order to operate the forestry cutter.  A safety feature stops the cutter drum from turning if the loader door is opened.

For work in confined spaces in woodland and forests, front and rear light guards are added to the loader to protect the lights.  A guard protects the hydraulic quick couplers, hoses and wire harness from falling trees and branches.  A level II FOPS (ISO 3449) protects the operator and the cab from falling trees and objects, while top and rear polycarbonate windows provide additional protection for the operator.

Shields protect the lift cylinders against debris and help to reduce material build-up in the engine compartment.  Although daily maintenance is essential in this type of work, a debris screen on the radiator ensures continuous operation and makes cleaning up easier.

All functions of the forestry cutter can be fingertip controlled from the operator seat without requiring the operator to remove their hand from the loader steering levers.  As mentioned above, the forestry cutter has a hydraulically-adjustable front gate that can be opened while cutting debris and then closed to retain material and provide a fine mulching action.

The Bobcat range of forestry cutters is part of the company’s comprehensive selection of attachments for forestry, estate management, amenity and landscaping work, which includes stump grinders, wood chippers, brushcutters, flail cutters, augers and tree transplanters.

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