26/10/2011 by admin.

Friday 28 October is the UK cinema release date of ‘The Ides of March’ movie.

It’s a political drama thriller directed by George Clooney.  It seems to be an interesting story based on the Kennedy’s about politics leading to a loss of integrity with everyone involved, no matter how noble to beging with, compromising their morals to stay ahead in life. In many ways this sums up how humanity as a whole approaches the sustainable living agenda.

Is that why in our novel Malachi (The Messenger) warns us to beware The Ides of March or has Mother Nature something sinister planned for this Friday? Is it Time? We’re not ones to make predictions here or stick our neck out for fear of ridicule but let’s see.

Here’s the movie trailer..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McCt-_yYLpo

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

03/10/2011 by admin.

Yesterday, Britain basked in the hottest October day EVER. At Gravesend in the South-East of England temperatures soared to 29.9 degrees C, eclipsing the previous record set in 1985.

The warm front led many thousands to head to the coast with Bournemouth and Brighton proving especially popular.  The hottest October day followed the hottest April in Britain on record.

Our weather is so topsy turvy. Time for story of inspiration, collaboration and the magic that happens when the world is turned upside down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoVKQ5G3t1g

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q24 Do you get enough time to yourself? | No Comments »

28/08/2011 by admin.

Today hurricane Irene has been working its way up the North-East coast of America causing billions of dollars of destruction and claiming lives. It follows swiftly on from the Earthquake that hit the region a couple of weeks ago.  Thankfully the evacuation plans and a weakening of the hurricane as it hit land has limited the loss of life. The event has attracted massive media coverage.

Our interest in the storm is two-fold. As they say in the US “Listen up!” An intense hurricane also struck New England in 1821 making landfall in New York city on September 3 1821. In those days the area had a far smaller population, but there was still loss of life, severe flooding and damage to buildings. As recorded in our novel this was the same time that Charles Lamb wrote his, “Little Journal of My Foolish Passions” about his love for Mother Nature. Within the journal Charles tells of the importance of New England in helping to care for this planet, the trip Captain Richard Lewin made across the Atlantic and the transcendental influence on the Blakesware Set of the New England naturalists David Thoreau and Ralph Emerson.

Taking all this into account do we have another poignant reminder from Mother Nature that the Earth’s eco-systems are at risk?

Posted in Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

23/08/2011 by admin.

Earthquakes are rare in the Eastern part of the United States. How interesting then that a 5.8 magnitude quake has struck the US state of Virginia. The epicentre was in Louisa County close to Richmond. The quake was felt in about 12 US states and damaged national monuments in Washington DC. Thankfully though the quake caused more alarm than damage or serious injury.

The Eastern states of America play a very significant part in our novel and in Charles Lamb’s journal. We’re especially struck that the quke occured close to Richmond because of the part played by Bill Richmond - uncrowned boxing champion from the 1820s - in the compiling of The Haymaker’s Survey by the Blakesware Set. Charles Lamb’s journal tellls how Bill was dubbed the Haymaker by the Duke of Wellington.

Marvellous - what will Mother Nature do next to show the deep magic of The Haymaker’s Survey?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZxNkS0w5g8&feature=related

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

15/08/2011 by admin.

New Zealand is under its heaviest snow in living memory. The once in a life time event saw Wellington experience heavy snow and blizzards with electricity cut and schools closed due to the disruption. Residents took to the streets with cameras to enjoy the snow and keepers at Wellington Zoo gave Happy Feet the lost emperor penguin found sick and starving on the west coast the chance to enjoy the conditions.

In our novel Malachi our messenger warns us - “Snow, did someone say snow?” Well, well,well. Is this the wake up call for humanity about what we’re doing to the planet that the Duke of Wellington warned us about in Charles Lamb’s journal? Coincidental too that the Emperor should have a say - as predicted by Charles. What’s Mother Nature up to?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsQSRy85xBw

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

04/05/2011 by admin.

making a sound as they fall on the ground, is a line from a delightful song from the much loved Disney animation Bambi.

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

It’s what we normally expect from the Spring. Not this year. This year the UK has witnessed the warmest April on record, with temperatures between 3-5 degrees higher than average. It followed the driest March for over 50 years. In fact there’s been a distinct absence of rain across much of central Europe. The weather has confused many plants and animals into thinking summer has already arrived.

Whilst in America a record breaking tornado outbreak capped a month of extremes, including natural disasters and devastating wildfires. Six states recorded their wettest April’s on record and there were 875 tornadoes which was nearly four times the previous record of 267 for April.

As malachi reminds us, there’s no place like home…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6VT7ciR1o

Posted in Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q30 Did you ever watch the rain on your window?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

17/01/2011 by admin.

As foretold by Malachi the messenger in our story, we have another bold example of a rodent making a guest appearance before the media at the HQ of one of the world leaders.  Last year we reported how a rodent was caught on camera scurring outside the Whitehoue beneath the feet of the USA president.  Now during a live coverage by the BBC a large rat was caught on camera scurring across the steps of No 10, the famous home of the UK Prime Minister.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ID0awW3jU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZbockdYBao

Is this more than a mere coincidence? Our novel warns that when we are on the tipping point of an unsustainable lifestyle we will experience, “The cat, the rat, and Lovell the dog, rule all England under a hog.”  It comes at a time when the Government is about to launch a highly controversial consultation document to sell off large swathes of Britain’s forests. Oh the perils of the rat race.  Need we say more?

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

Posted in Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

24/05/2010 by admin.

The Rolling Stones are celebrating their first No 1 album in 16 years with ‘Exile on Main Street’. The aging rock band held off dance outfit Faithless in claiming top-spot. The remastered album includes songs such as ‘Tumbling Dice’ and ‘Rocks Off’. 

The album was first released in 1972 when the band were living as tax exiles - a period in the band’s history captured in a new documentary ‘Stones in Exile’.

Our readers will be very familiar with the ‘Tumbling Dice’ used by the magician in our story (pages 154 and 314). Dice designed illustrate three things… 1) show that it’s possible to predict future events linked to Nature’s demise - which our story appears to do. 2) highlight the odds stacked against the miraculous diversity of life on planet Earth and 3) and show how we’re gambling with our future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sh-fMOecSE

Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones get a specific mention (page 128) in the White Horse public house discussion where our anti-hero Bill Darvill ridicules Sarah over her faith in power of the deep magic in The Haymakers Survey.

Posted in Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

05/05/2010 by admin.

A horse named Chase has become the first ‘animal ambulance’ in Britain.  Chase will be kitted up with a medical kit and will work with his paramedic owner Mark Bennett who patrols Cannock Chase Country Park in Staffordshire. Chase will be galloping to the aid of people across a 3,000 acre country park.  The seven year old steed starts work with the West Midlands Ambulance Service in June and Mark says, “it might sound crazy but this horse really could save lives. He’s very switched on and fast which is what you need in an emergency.”

We agree but for different reasons. The opening scenes in our novel (see online sample) includes the appearance of a steed galloping to the aid of Mother Nature… with a message from a mysterious Lady in Grey (she symbolises the industrial world) that its not too late to save her Mother Nature. There’s an uncanny resemblance between Chase and the horse recorded in our novel. It’s a nine neigh nine call!

Posted in Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

03/04/2010 by admin.

Following his slaying of Goliath last November, another world success for the British heavyweight boxer Haye. The champion defended his world crown in nine rounds against the contender John Ruiz.  David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye became only the second man to stop Ruiz and only the first for 14 years. The Hayemaker’s reign has just started….

Its a powerful message given the role of Bill Richmond the boxer in our story - and the plea that environmentalists need to get tough!

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »