29/07/2008 by admin.

In Humberside, England, a young romantic named Robert ploughed a proposal for his sweetheart to marry him. The message read ‘Sarah Marry Me’.  He then flew his surprised girlfriend of 10 years over the field. Sarah was amazed, and shed a few tears. She accepted at once, saying the magic words, ‘I do’. 

The Blakesware Set must be delighted. Our Sarah hopes that one day someone might do something similar for her!

Another celebration - The National Areonautical and Space Administration (NASA) are celebrating 50 years since they were established.  The highlights are many - orbiting the Earth, landing on the Moon and adventures into our solar system.  The most famous quote remains, ‘One step for a man, one giant step for mankind,’ and echoed in The Haymakers Survey.  NASAs motto is ‘For the benefit of all’.  NASA’s Office of Education’s motto is ‘Shaping the Future’. 

We recommend a visit to NASA’s website to witness all they’ve achieved.

 http://www.nasa.gov/50th/home/index.html

We come down-to-Earth with a visit to the West Midlands and a safari park to rejoice at the sight of six rare white lion cubs, which is remarkable since according to African legend white lions are a lucky charm and only come along once every 100 years.   Take a peep at the darling cubs…

Word for word, letter for letter, their names are Star, Haze, Neptune, Ariel, Oberon and Ophelia. Fortunately, none are made of stone, unlike Uncle John Plumer’s lion head statue!

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q25 Do you believe in fairies?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

26/07/2008 by admin.

Another interesting anniversary - Mick Jagger has reached 65 - making him a pensioner.  The global rock icon, energetic lead singer for the Rolling Stones, has thrilled fans for the last 40 years.  In spite of his age Sir Mick just keeps going.  In our story, our friend, Bill Darvill compared one of the sacred stones Sarah shared with him as a, “Rolling Stone, probably Mick Jagger!”  Play on maestro…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuGjBNSRi1c

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

24/07/2008 by admin.

A woman from West Yorkshire has revealed how her £1.2million Lotto win followed a good omen from her deceased father involving mysterious white bird feathers.  Mrs Crossland found a white feather on her doorstep after his death two years ago and saw it as a gift from him.  Just days before her emotional jackpot win, showers of them began appearing in her garden.  The origin of the feathers is a mystery. “My win must have been fate,” added Mrs Crossland, who won with her father’s cherished number line a day after her 44th birthday.   

This is most curious given the role played by a white feather in our story! Has ‘The Haymakers Survey’ hit the jackpot - an ecological message for all humankind?

Meanwhile in Japan, Ichero a 42 year old chimpanzee, climbed on to the roof of his enclosure to cool down during a heatwave.  Zoo staff tried to coax him down and at one point he grabbed a tranquilizer gun.  Following on the heels of the Trafalgar Square sleep-in, was the chimp trying to issue a wake-up call to humanity? After all, we share 95% of our genes with a chimpanzee. Here’s the video…

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f9e_1216810602

Posted in Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q.5 Do you believe in fate? | No Comments »

22/07/2008 by admin.

At an antiquities auction at Bohhams an item includes a marble statue head carved some 2,000 years ago in Italy - the home of Latin - which bears a remarkable resemblance to Elvis Presley.  The amazing likeness includes a quiff, which is strange as this was not the fashion at the time! Fans of the King of Rock n Roll  would be forgiven for thinking their idol had a previous life in Roman.

Posted in Q63 Do you like the way you look?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

18/07/2008 by admin.

The world statesman Nelson Mandela celebrates his 90th birthday today.

As a lawyer and activist he campaigned against South Africa’s apartheid regime. Accused of trying to overthrow the government, he spent nearly 30 years in prison. After his release in 1990, he went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and to become his country’s first black president.

Here’s a video of the highlights from the celebration concert in London…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sWaYWA4hTwo&feature=related

Here’s a picture of the ambassador for justice and equality holding the FIFA World Cup after South Africa was announced as host for the 2010 competition.  Now, what was it Malachi said about the World Cup?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

17/07/2008 by admin.

Our policy with the Watch has largely been to avoid commentary from politicians and other influential people.  However,  Ben was determined to flag this speech from Al Gore, which issues a challenge to America to end its dependence on carbon based fuels within 1o years.  Its a generational moment.  We have an opportunity to take a giant leap for human kind. Now, didn’t Malachi say something similar in our tale! Let’s spread the call beyond the shores of America - let’s make this a world-wide mission!

http://www.youtube.com/user/WeCanSolveIt

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

16/07/2008 by admin.

More magic from Mother Nature. Scientists are baffled by the sudden and strange appearance of an unidentified insect in parts of London. Tiny black and red bugs about the size of a grain of rice were first spotted in the wildlife gardens of the Natural History Museum.  They’ve also been spotted in Gray’s Inn and Regent’s Park.  Our tale also feature references to the Natural History Musuem during discussions about the future of our endangered species. The Prince Regent is mentioned several times in Charles Lamb’s journal and we all now about the Lady in Gray!

The bug appears to have an X marking on its back, perhaps in response to our poser - do we have the X-Factor? And, The Haymakers Survey is all about YES or NO responses, putting a tick or a cross in the box!

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

15/07/2008 by admin.

The new Batman film has premiered in New York to much acclaim. It co-stars Heath Ledger as the Joker.  Tragically, Heath died aged just 28 this January from an accidental drug overdose.  The movie has been dedicated to the actor.  Critics rate the film highly, predicting record box office receipts.  Take a closer look…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8kzkdmPCJI&feature=related

From The Haymakers Survey perspective, we recall how the Joker featured in a game of cards between Ben and Sarah.  

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q38 Have you built a house of cards?, Q32 Are you afraid of the dark? | No Comments »

11/07/2008 by admin.

The ancient art of mask changing has been brought to Liverpool to help celebrate the city’s Capital of Culture status.  The art of changing faces is wrapped in mystery and tradition. How do they do it?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7502126.stm

Our very own masked magician, ‘The Emperor’ would be most impressed.

Posted in Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

10/07/2008 by admin.

Liverpool, The Beatles’ home city, held its first ever Beatles day today.  As if in celebration, two significant items of Beatles related memorobilia achieved remarkable sums at a rock and pop auction at Christies in London.

Top of the Pops was the hand-painted drumskin used on the front cover of the world famous 967 album Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.  It sold for over £540,000, well in excess of the £150,000 pre-sale estimate.  The drum was designed by Sir Peter Blake. It’s regarded as arguably the most iconic image associated with The Beatles and the album cover is the most famous of all time, capturing the spirit of the Sixities. Ringo Starr summed the album with the words, “It was flower power coming into its fullest. It was love and peace…”

A close second were John Lennon’s hand written lyrics for the iconic ‘Give Peace a Chance’ which became an anthem for peace campaigners.  The lyrics reached over £420,000 - more than double the pre-sale figure.  They were written in black felt pen on a piece of white-card.  John gave the lyrics to Gail Renard a 16 year-old girl who dodged tight security at a hotel in New York to request an interview for her college magazine.

It goes without saying how significant the Lonely Hearts Club Band is to our story, and there’s flower power, of course, and Charles Lamb spoke of securing a peace between humanity and nature - no more exploitation of our world’s precious resources! Here’s the lyrics below…

As if to drum home the point, researchers say that one third of the world’s coral species are under serious threat due to pollution, coastal development, over-fishing and climate change.  These are the stark findings from the first ever global survey of its kind. The figure is alarming and the wider consequences frightening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBgh_YmY4lU&feature=related

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | 1 Comment »