21/12/2011 by admin.

This year’s most popular video on You Tube features a talking dog - some 79 million hits and counting. Curious as I’m sure Malachi our very own messenger and speaking dog in The Haymakers Survey would be a number one fan. It’s jolly good fun.

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

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q17 Can you speak another language? | No Comments »

06/10/2011 by admin.

X-Factor has come to Hertfordshire with the 16 finalists for the 2011 singing contest being housed in a luxury £6m mansion at Hertford Heath, Hobby Horse Wood, East Hertfordshire.  The contestents will stay in the mansion rented by ITV for the duration of the contest.

The hugely popular show attracts millions of viewers each weekend. We wish the contestents every success and look forward to watching the shows, especially as our novel based in East Hertfordshire asks the telling question of whether humanity has the X-Factor? Do we have what it takes to care for this planet or should we be voted off? The difference is that for us and the animals we share Earth with they’ll be no phone vote, texting or judges decisions. Mother Nature will make the decision on whether we stay or go. How exciting.

And, in a telling twist the contestents claim the mansion is haunted, even though its brand new. Strange occurances have been keeping them awake at night. Spooky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5CGy3obdoU

Posted in Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

22/11/2010 by admin.

This weekend the eight remaining contestants in the X-Factor performed songs by the legendary Beatles. After a short message from Sir Paul Mccartney we witnessed performances of “Imagine, Yesterday, Come Together, Help, Something, Let It Be, All You Need Is Love.” Given the significance of The Beatles and the X-Factor the combination amuses us as it could almost be a covert message to show the need to help Mother Nature through love - which is the whole point of our project.  

We shouldn’t of course forget a quirky melody by Wagner of “Hey Jude, Hippy Hippy Shake and Get Back.” Wagner has not been without his critics, which comes as no surprise since two years ago Malachi our Messenger warned us in light hearted fashion about Wagner and his Ring Cycle linked to Nordic myth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0PpTPvbr-4

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

06/04/2010 by admin.

The rules of the word game Scrabble are being changed for the first time in the game’s history to allow the use of proper nouns. Place names, company names or brands will now count. Mattel hope the change will encourage more younger users. Interesting since the scrabble board helped Sarah - then in her early teens - reveal the anagram magic within ‘The Haymakers Survey’.  Scrabble was invented in 1938 by the American architect Alfred Butts - which is a teasing surname in itself.

Posted in Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | 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 »

13/09/2009 by admin.

On page 86 of our novel, Malachi, says, “What is it with humans - this obsession with keeping things clean and tidy?”  

How charming then that Sir David Attenborough, the famed wildlife ambassador, presenter and naturalist appeared at the Last Night of the Proms playing a FLOOR POLISHER as a musical instrument as part of a comic music piece, ‘A Grand, Grand Overture by Sir Malcom Arnold. Sir David was joined at the Royal Albert Hall by pianist Stephen Hough.

Did Sir David unwittingly endorse Malachi’s words? Might we substitute our obsession for cleaning and tidying with caring for the environment?

Another curiosity with Sir David’s appearance is that the Last Night is traditionally connected with British Patriotism because our discussion under Star Question (page 499) explores why The Haymakers Survey was shared with the world in Britain.  We identifed many reasons why here and now. Let’s celebrate with Jerusalem with its reference to those ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ mentioned by Charles Lamb at the start of his journal (page 233).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bggV_Dbj87w

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

24/08/2009 by admin.

“Hedgehogs: why can’t they just share the hedge?”

The amusing question has been voted the funniest joke at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  The winning joke was by the comedian Dan Antopolski from his ‘Silent but Deadly’ performance. Its another example in our Watch relating to Hedgehogs - a way of describing Hertfordshire folk as captured in our novel.

If that wasn’t enough of a coincidence, the runner-up was a joke by Paddy Lennox about a chicken and an egg - a subject on which Malachi speculated in our novel. the joke goes: “I was watching the London Marathon and saw one runner dressed as a chicken and another runner dressed as an egg. I thought: ‘This could be interesting’.”

Environmental chaos is no laughing matter of course as the forest fires outside of Athens illustrate but we go to any lengths to make our point!  One of Sarah’s favourite jokes is “Why don’t polar bears eat penguins? Because they can’t get the wrappers off.”

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q19 Do you love hedgehogs? | No Comments »

17/08/2009 by admin.

Crasher the Squirrel has become an internet sensation recently after he popped up in a photo taken by Melissa Brandt and her husband at a National Park in Canada. Since then the curious fellow has gone global with his image superimposed in many famous pictures around the world. 

Here’s the original….

And here’s some of the follow ups…

It’s another delightful story involving grey squirrels whose antics have intrigued us given their role in our novel as a partner to Yggdrasil - the mythical ‘Tree of Life’. The squirrels are present to demonstrate that the time for talking on action to preserve the environment is over, so its fascinating that Crasher popped up in a National Park - a reserve of land declared or owned to protect it from human development and pollution. 

According to the World Conservation Union there are now over 6,500 such parks worldwide. The National Parks of England and Wales are relatively undeveloped and scenic landscapes. There are currently 12 in England and Wales - the same number as the mystical stones revealed in our story. The national parks include the Lake District, which William Wordsworth described in 1810 as a ’sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy.“

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

08/08/2009 by admin.

Another symbolic anniversary relevant to THS; hundreds of Beatles fans have gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the camera shot of the famous pedestrian (zebra) crossing cover of the Abbey Road album. 

A reconstruction took place with Beatles lookalikes - a tribute band known as St Pepper’s only Dartboard Band’ - wearing outfits the same as those worn on the day.  Billie Shears would be pleased! The original picture has been copied many times over by Beatles fans.  We’re especially taken by the iconic crossing - Malachi warns in our novel ‘We’re at the crossroads’. Perhaps that’s why Sir Paul chose to cross the road bare-footed as an unwitting reminder of the human ‘carbon’ footprint!

When visiting Abbey Road Beatles fans also like to leave personal messages on a wall by the roadside. Messages like these…

Abbey Road is also in St John’s Wood and St John’s Church is where Julia saw a ghostly figure wearing a replica ‘St Pepper’ jacket. Mmm. we do have fun don’t we?

Ben’s favourite song from the album is ‘Come Together’ which is what we need to do to address the ongoing environmental challenges. Here’s a video with rare footage of Abbey Road and the recording studios. Enjoy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vAqekT-GuA

Posted in Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

26/07/2009 by admin.

Yesterday, Julia and Ben had the pleasure of going to see the Bootleg Beatles at a charity concert at Hopley’s Gardens in Much Hadham. The performance was just a stone’s throw from the key landmarks in our story: Keeper’s Cottage, Blakesware Manor and St John’s Church Widford.  Given the role of The Beatles in our story, how curious that the world’s premier Beatles tribute band should perform in the county during the period of the Watch and at a time when they are celebrating their 30th anniversary!

The Whittenbury’s had a fabulous time and took a few pictures of the celebrated fab four tribute band.  

Perhaps their visit has somethng to do with our sequel? Time will out all!

Here’s the link to their website…

http://www.bootlegbeatles.com/

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun? | No Comments »