14/10/2011 by admin.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has resigned as Defence Secretary in the British government after feeling the heat of revelations about his working relationship with friend a political adviser Adam Werrity.  Mr Fox had been pursued for days by baying hounds in the form of journalists. 

Not for us to dwell on Mr Foxes behaviour but you may ask, ‘What does this have to do with The Haymakers Survey’? Well, Charles Lamb’s journal reveals how the Duke of Wellington forewarns that a fox hunt will serve as a ‘wake up call’ to defend the majestic of the natural world. We have been warned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2igjYFojUo

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life?, Q.5 Do you believe in fate?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

18/08/2011 by admin.

A British teenager, Horatio Chapple, has been killed by a raging polar bear on the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic. The animal also injured four other explorers in an attack on their campsite before being shot dead by the expedition’s team leader.  It was a horrific incident and we are deeply sorry to hear of the loss of a promising Eton student.

Horatio Chapple’s parents have paid tribute to their “fearless” son and have compared him to his namesake Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson who fought of a polar bear on the same island. In a remarkable and strange quirk of fate our novel includes a postcard image of the painting ‘Nelson and the Bear’ by Richard Westall.  The painting captured a young Horatio Nelson engaging a huge polar bear off an ice floe in Spitsbergen! The image was included by a mystery doner to illustrate the conflict between humanity’s pursuit of progress and growth against the need to care for our planet and Mother Nature’s creatures.  

It’s also curious that a post-mortem has revealed that the bear may have been suffering from severe toothache - several of its teeth were very badly damaged which means the bear would have been in serious pain and changed the behaviour of the bear. Why is this curious? Well in our novel having speculated on the plight of the polar bear, Sarah loses a tooth and Ben Whittenbury anticipates the arrival of the tooth fairy. Art imitating life!

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

26/12/2010 by admin.

Today’s media are reporting a shopping frenzy in Britain with ‘phenomenal’ trading at shopping centres as people rush to grab their bargains. Here’s some of the headlines:

“It’s difficult to get into the shops because of the sheer number of people”

“People were screaming with relief when the doors opened”

“Millions of shoppers have spent hundreds of millions of pounds”

The hunt for bargains was driven by huge discounts and the prospect of a 2% increase in VAT.  The whole jamboree has been described as Good News by the press. 

But there’s another side to this coin. The Haymakers Survey is named thus partly because of the boxer Bill Richmond. He features in our story as the fighter who teaches Charles Lamb to toughen up to prepare for the challenges ahead. A Haymaker is another term for a boxer.  Our tale also has a scene of a traditional Boxing Day hunt. There is no fox. The target is Mother Nature and she reveals how the eco-system of planet earth is on the brink.  We cannot continue to live in this shallow unsustainable fashion - consuming mass produced throw away goods like there’s no tomorrow. Well people - as the Duke of Wellington states clearly at the Boxing Day hunt (page 356). “When Mother Nature calls I must answer.”

Are we ready to do the same?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3vTBiOsSGY

Posted in Q71 Is there something missing in your life?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

31/10/2010 by admin.

It’s Halloween and we have a horror story to report. Our novel records the role of The Emperor in orchestrating the magical events in our story about Mother Nature. Well we’re sad to report that a magnificent stag known as the Emperor of Exmoor has been shot dead by poachers.  The animal who stood 8ft tall and weighed 300lbs was killed for his prized huge antlers.  The majestic red deer was shot at the height of the rutting season.  He was last caught on camera on 8 October.

As The Emperor is behind the magic in our novel - the creative force behind Nature - maybe we are nearing some form of conclusion. The evidence is mounting. A global conservation study reveals that one fifth of the world’s population of plants and animals are now under threat of extinction.  An eniment ecologist, Professor Edward O Wilson of Harvard University, said, “The backbone of bio-diversity is being eroded”.  However, the report does highlight some real successes on conservation. 

Many factors are driving the demise - pollution and contamination in the air at land and sea, global population growth (now at 6.87billion), deforestation, economic pressures, loss of habitat, climate change, poaching, misguided beliefs about medical benefits of prized animal parts, greed and a throw-away consumption based culture.  We’re being warned - put bluntly less on all of this means more!

Meantime let’s honour the Emperor..

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

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

22/08/2010 by admin.

Following up belatedly to a story in The Hertfordshire Mercury back in June we did a search on wikipedia about the Great Bed of Ware. We we astounded to discover that the Great Bed was carved in 1590 by none other than a Hertfordshire carpenter named Jonas Fosbrooke! This is nothing short of remarkable. Jonas is one of the characters in our story. His profession used to be a carpenter.

Well leaving this to one side for a second the story about the Great Bed of Ware is that it’ll be returning to Ware in 2012 after a 140 year absence. The Great Bed’s currently kept in the Victoria & Albert musuem in Lodnon but will be loaned to Ware museum  Our novel mentions the Great Bed of Ware [page number to follow].  Mmmm still bemused. Here’s the wiki link…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bed_of_Ware

Posted in Q55 Do you believe in truth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

28/09/2009 by admin.

During a performance of A Steady Rain on Broadway, Hollywood tough-guy actors Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig were called into action to respond to a member of the audience who had left his mobile phone on.  At first the X-men and 007 stars kept in character but as the ringing continued they lost patience and told the person to respond, “Do you want to get that?” The audience erupts in cheers but the ringing persists so Jackman pleads, “C’mon just turn it off.”

Our Sarah liked this very much. It reminded her of Charles Lamb’s report in his journal (The Ball of Blue in a Sea of Black -pages 429-436) of how they used Sarah’s mobile to issue a warning to humanity to try to prevent a globally warmed Earth.  She believes its a test because of the X-factor question in our opening material. Do we have what it takes to respond to the call? Don’t close your eyes - this is your life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPl4040-Dgo

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q59 Do you like surprises?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

14/09/2009 by admin.

Today we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Peter Scott, proclaimed by some as the ’Patron Saint of Conservation’.  Sir Peter led a remarkable life and, amongst his many achievements and talents he was one of the founder members of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and designed the organisation’s famous Panda logo. 

It’s yet another example of an anniversary linked to our project - perhaps the most wonderful of all! Sir Peter was a born leader and communicator, he inspired the world to treasure its wildlife long before environmental groups were established. We’re so thrilled that the anniversary of his birth should occur during the period of our Watch as Sir Peter has a cameo role in our story - making a spontaneous visit to Keeper’s Cottage to wish us well on our venture, especially Ben in his self-appointed role as Nature’s Champion! 

In Gloucestershire, there’s a celebration of his paintings in a ’Nature in Art’ Exhibition. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4lkKcHiJQ0&feature=related

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

27/08/2009 by admin.

Although our project is concerned with the big picture on environmental and ecological challenges faced by the natural world, we’re happy to focus this week on climate chaos and activities at the Climate Camp, including the Climate Casino operating outside of the Stock Exchange - colourfully performed by a dozen or so campaigners in fancy dress, with props including the use of large playing cards to illustrate how humanity is gambling with the planet.

We love it as in our novel and Charles Lamb’s journal the Three of Hearts - representing Love, Art and Nature - is a symbol of life as it could be.

In the words of Bruce Forsyth, Play Your Cards Right, come on get involved at home. Your a lovely audience, so much better than last week!

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

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q38 Have you built a house of cards?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

14/08/2009 by admin.

Our more serious posts often focus on activity at the Earth’s poles.  Today is no exception where we reflect on the pace of melting on one of Antarctica’s largest glaziers. Research shows that its melting four times faster than it was 10 years ago.  The surface of the ice on Pine Island glazier is now dropping by 16metres a year.  Professor Shepherd of Leeds University says the melting at the centre of the glazier could add about 3cm to global sea levels but the trapped ice behind it would add between 20-30cm.  There are fears that its collapse could lead to the massive disintegration of the West Antarctica Ice sheet. 

There are similar concerns raised in the Arctic where the absence of sea ice in the Nares Strait between Greenland and Canada has surprised scientists, including Professor Box who says the impact of climate change on large glaziers is like taking a cork off a bottle.

We know there are mixed views across the globe on what’s happening to this planet’s environment, including the amount of ice at the poles, which is why we are on our mission - to reveal some deeper magic. Just up to you whether you believe our coincidences recorded on this Watch are purely that or whether they represent something more.  

Posted in Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

04/06/2009 by admin.

Our readers will be familar with the paper boat made by Mary Shelley and sunk unwittingly by Charles Lamb when they remiss over the passing of the poet Percy Shelley.  The scene is a metaphor for the reluctance of Western governments to ‘rock the boat’ on our way of life whilst Mother Nature ails.  Charles Lamb’s journal also records how our hero Captain Richard Lewin may well have been lost at sea in a ship wreck - the insunuation is that modern civilisation is in danger of hitting the rocks!

How interesting then that when in the media spotlight over her resignation from the post of Communities Secretary Hazel Blears MP chose to wear a ‘Rocking the Boat’ badge, with a picture that appears to show a shipwreck.  The opposition leader suggested that the gesture was a direct challenge to the Prime Minister.  Well, ‘have we got news for you’ maybe the challenge is directed at all of us worldwide - are we ready to do what’s required to change our lifestyles for the benefit of the diverse array of creatures with whom we share our world?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfBwsG8ubFw&feature=related

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »