19/12/2011 by admin.

At picturesque Carmarthenshire, ‘The Garden of Wales’ bundles of hay lay strew across raliway tracks after a commuter train struck a lorry carrying a hay trailer. 

Fortunately only a few passengers experienced minor injuries on the crossing at Whitland.  Seeing all that hay on the tracks makes for quite a sight and its interesting to us that Whitland translates to ‘The Old Whitehouse’, which is curious as in our novel Charles Lamb takes a serious fall adjacent to an old white house and claims that ‘it is all over.’  His journal also records how ‘The Blakesware Set’ speculated on the impact of the railways as the industrial revolution began to take a grip. Is Mother Nature telling us to derail the runaway train that is human exploitation of planet Earth?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFJ3KayeUTc

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

17/04/2011 by admin.

Life is a bit of a mystery. Our novel records how Samuel Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ helped inspire the Blakesware Set and The Haymakers Survey. Curious then that an author named HAYES has brought Coleridge’s tale up to date as a cautionary environmental story.

It has been reimagined as a stunning graphic chic novel by Nick Hayes. The adapted tale refers to the North Pacific gyre - an enormous plastic and chemical sludge double the szie of Texas floating as if an island in the ocean, caused by humans excessive consumption.  Hayes was inspired to act after seeing an item online of an albatross whose stomach had exploded after eating plastic bottle tops which it mistook for shrimp. 

We wish the updated book every success.

Posted in Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q26 Do you take poetry seriously?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

22/09/2010 by admin.

News reports of polar bear washed ashore at Bude in Cornwall proved to be mistaken.  Video footage had shown a large white animal stranded on the beach which was understandably mistaken for a polar bear.

However, closer examination revealed it to be the carcass of a cow whose flesh had been bleached white by the sea. Polar bear numbers are threatened by climate change and an image of one features on the front cover of our novel.

As we suspect a creative spiritual force is behind The Haymakers Survey we’re also curious that the animal beached at Bude. The town’s name is thought to be shortened from Bude Haven a corruption of Bede haven which means ‘harbour of the holy men’suggesting Bude was a landing place for early Christians.  The town’s oldest property is Quay cottage in the heart of the town - all very fascinating because we also read in the media that countries surrounding the Arctic are showing an increasing interest in the oil beneath that wilderness. 

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q13 Have you ever been mistaken for someone else?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

07/09/2010 by admin.

We’re very sad to report that Mike Edwards an early member of the British rock group the Electric Light Orchestra has been crushed by a giant bale of hay.  The bizarre accident happened near Totnes in Devon when the hay rolled down a steep hill and smashed into his van.  Police believe the 600kg bale fell from a tractor in nearby farmland.  The cellist was 62 years old and lived in Totnes - a place with a thriving centre for music, art and natural living.  It has a sizeable ‘New Age’ community. In 2007 Time magazine declared Totnes the captial of New Age Chic.

When ELO was formed the idea was to take rock music in the direction that the Beatles had left off. The band’s debut album was called No Answer. The band’s second album produced its first big UK hit ‘Roll Over Beethoven’.  They had a range of hits in Britain and the USA. Perhaps the most popular album was Out of the Blue which featured the songs’ Turn to Stone, Mr Blue Sky, Sweet Talkin Woman and Wild West Hero. 

Our condolences go to Mike Edwards and his family and friends. In celebration of his life and contribution to a fabulous pop group here’s ELOs version of Roll Over Beethoven which begins with a haunting rendition of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony - which features on page 27 of our novel. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNR4xfh1Qc

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

23/02/2010 by admin.

A copy of the first comic featuring Superman sold for $1m yesterday, smashing the previous record for a Marvel comic.  The issue of a 1938 edition of Action Comics No 1 considered the Holy Grail of comic books originally cost just 10 cents.  On the cover Superman is seen running with a damaged car held aloft above his head. Ben Whittingbury - our Earth Champion elect take heart.

Posted in Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

17/12/2009 by admin.

A first edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic book “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There”,  dedicated to the real life Alice who inspired the story has sold at a U.S. auction for $115,000.

Southern California-based Profiles in History said the book, the sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland“, was the highlight of its children’s literature sale. “Through the Looking Glass“, published in 1871, includes the nonsense poem “Jabberwocky.” Both works were inspired by 10 year-old Alice Liddell, the daughter of an academic friend of Carroll’s. The edition is inscribed in ink “Alice Pleasance Liddell”, and was described as having been presented to her by Carroll.

Okay - we need to offer another explanation on how this links to our novel. Our very own Eath Detective - Sarah Whittenbury - examines a magic circle drawn in the soil before the ’Web of Life’ through her looking glass (pages 162 - 164).  She discovers a frozen tear! Is this a reminder to humanity - a message to let us know what’s really going on. That a state of emergency is being declared for the web of life is in peril!  

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

27/11/2009 by admin.

In our novel, Sarah liken’s her father, Ben Whittenbury to the classic children’s TV character Mr Benn. She did so because of his habit of dressing up in different costumes - a polar bear and an 18th century military man.  Mr Benn’s adventures always began when he visited a magical fancy dress shop.

Well, as if by magic the residents of the street that inspired David McKee’s Mr Benn stories have chosen to pay tribute to the writer and character by laying an engraved paving slab outside of David McKee’s former house.  For his stories Mr McKee changed Festing Road to Festive Road and had Mr Benn living at number 52, next door to his own house at number 54.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GXfUN1grtA&feature=related

Posted in Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

02/11/2009 by admin.

Our readers will know all about how our novel poses the question - “do we have the X factor?” That is do we (humanity) have what it takes to preserve our natural world or are we simply too selfish and greedy a species to merit our position as alpha species for very much longer?  Well we’ve seen a number of examples on this Watch of events linked to this point (just enter X factor in the search function below). 

Today we have another example to reveal: at the heart of arguably one of Europe’s busiest shopping streets a giant X has appeared in the road. Its a new pedestrian crossing at Oxford Circus based on designs from Tokyo which allows people to cross diagonally as well as straight across. 

So in these hey days of consumption we wonder whether the large X at the centre of a shoppers paradise is in reality a poser for humanity! 

Posted in Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

11/10/2009 by admin.

Last night on the BBC’s AutumnWatch the presenters, Kate Humble, Chris Packham and Simon King discussed the millions of Painted Lady butterflies that invaded Britain in the Spring.  Painted Ladies are a regular summer visitor to Britain and conservationalists believe the number of Painted Lady butterflies this year was the largest seen here since the 1960s.   

Kate, Chris and Simon were curious as to what happened to them all - they seemed to have just disappeared - they’ve asked for viewers to give their views or offer clues and help solve the mystery.  Chris suggested the butterflies might be flying back to Africa at higher altitude, but he liked the fact that we don’t know for it shows we have lots to learn about Nature.

One solution might be that the butterflies arrived in such numbers to guide us to take note of another painted lady - Lucy Ebbs in the Haymakers painting by George Stubbs.  Our story reveals that she is Mother Nature personified. The butterflies mysterious departure maybe another hint that we risk letting everything precious in our natural world fade away! Malachi seems to alert us too - on page 35 he says, “the flame of a butterfly before it settles”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7W44Ljn5FA

Whatever, the arrival of the Painted Ladies are a spectacular phenomenon. Here’s a link of interest…

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

22/09/2009 by admin.

In celebration of the Autumn Equinox - an event significant in our project - we’ve put together a promotional video, which is featured below.  

Sky TV and You Tube are running competitions for video entries to inspire and engage the world on the issues.  We could use the video as an entry but it may be judged a commercial activity (which it isn’t as we make no money from the project) or the mention of our website could disallow it.   These are fundamental parts of our project - we’re tempted to ‘break the rules’ but will have to tinker! Oh these things are so difficult sometimes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xbcG5bphlk

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »