03/12/2008 by admin.

Stargazers have enjoyed the sight of a smiley face in the night sky.  An extremely rare positioning of Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon provided a smiley face over Asia.  What a wonderful coincidence to have the crescent moon right beneath the two planets just as they appear close together in the night sky.   The next time the 3 will be this close together will be in 2054.

It’s amazing as the Moon, Venus and Jupiter all feature in our story, and the ‘magician’ chose to leave us a emoticon ’smiley face’ in one of his messages.  What’s more, the date of the event is curious too - the 3rd of the 12th - when our story is designed to promote 3 things - Art, Love and Nature - and the role of the 12 sacred stones in helping to reveal the wonder of the survey.  

There’s more magic to this life than we know! LOL!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7ljA9y7QRF8&feature=related

MARCH OF THE INVADER ANTS

A recently discovered ant species, Lasius Neglectus, capable of forming supercolonies has begun to invade Northern Europe, including the UK.  Originating from Asia, a garden infested with them will contain between 10 to 100 times more ants than their European counterparts.  One of the species co-discoverers, Professor Jacobs from the University of Copenhagen, said, “When I first saw them I didn’t imagine it possible that so many ants on the same lawn.”  Perhaps Charles Lamb would have something to say about this given his encounter with ’super ants’ invading his boots just prior to the arrival of Malachi, the messenger.

Posted in Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

26/09/2008 by admin.

The magician and illusionist, David Blaine, has completed a daring 3 day stunt in which hung upside down in New York’s Central Park.  Medics had warned him about the potential serious effects to his body, but he pressed ahead with the performance regardless.  

Trouble is it seems most people have not been that impressed by his attempt to turn the world upside down for 60 hours, arguing that he ‘cheated’  by taking regular breaks to respond to the call of Nature.  For ten minutes at a time, he would stand upright on a platform to take in water, relieve himself and have medical checks.   Sadly these fundamental needs have led some critics to give him a hard time - with even some booing from the audience.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTcYa71zwfg

So the magicians efforts to look at the world from a new perspective were largely unappreciated - many promoting and working for the environmental cause know how that feels!  

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

14/09/2008 by admin.

Noel’s HQ is an inspirational show where ordinary people do extraordinary things.  It’s just the kind of thing our very own local champion, Ben Whittenbury would do. The magic of The Haymakers Survey is spreading! Our project about the power of art, love and nature is designed to help change the world - encouraging local champions and a new way of living, that sees a world beyond the grey, money and needless regulation.  Three cheers for Noel…

Well, the funds raised from our ‘not for profit’ scheme, in partnership with the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is currently supporting the campaign to save Balls Wood Nature Reserve.  Together we can!

http://www.harlowstar.co.uk/hertfordshiremercury-news/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=332073

We’ve given many examples on this blog about the syncronicity of our tale and world events, well we now have a very local and in many ways most extraordinary experience to tell you about.  Our story reveals how it seems that long ago a man called Ben Whittenbury was once involved in a confrontation with the Murderous Pie Man of Ware!  Well, at a fair at Castle Hall in Hertford today some distant relatives of the orginal Benjamin Whittenbury came to our book stall.  The odds against the union must be very high. It was a most remarkable and humbling experience.

Posted in Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.5 Do you believe in fate?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

08/09/2008 by admin.

Artists in Caracas, Venezuela, have used the living human body as a canvas. Amongst the exhibits was Nature Personified, which is very curious given Charles Lamb’s perception of Lucy Ebbs in his journal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7602547.stm

The exhibition coincided with a £3 trillion rescue package by the US Government for the American lending company, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  “What does this have to do with the environment?”, you may well ask.  Well, in our story did not Fanny plead to Ben for help, quote, “Please, I implore you, we have been waiting for so long.”  Is this life imitating art?  In some ways, the company’s logo resembles Keeper’s Cottage.

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

06/09/2008 by admin.

One of the most important parts of our story is a poem called Shadows, which includes the verse:

“Ah, be ours the task to stop it, ours the task this Earth to keep. With imagination blot it, woe decry industrial creep. Woe decry that icy tear, “Forget me Not,” the time is Near.”

In our tale, the poem was passed to Julia by her Grandmother who advised her to, “Look out for the signs. You have the gift…”  Charles Lamb’s journal reveals how the poem came about and who wrote it - that it captures concerns about the impact of machines upon Mother Nature.

Julia wondered if events in the poem were beginning to unfold in the world and at home. Well, Sarah believes the presence of a 50ft mechanical spider creeping about the streets of Liverpool (home of the Beatles) in icy rain represents the line, ‘woe decry industrial creep.’  The creation is by the french company La Machine.  The spider is made out of steel and popular wood and is operated by up to 12 people.

Here’s a video of the spider caught in the snow!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool08/video/08/lamach_lee_snow.shtml

A read of the poem inspired Julia to examine the 12 white stones our dog, Malachi, had helped to discover.  Funny then how a Labrador was discovered with 13 golf balls in its stomach - one of which had turned black and was decomposing.  The dog named Oscar had apparently swallowed the balls when accompanying his owner about a golf course in Fife, which is strange in itself as Malachi passed Ben a fife to help inspire his thoughts and actions on the survey. 

Commenting on the operation, the local vet said he’d never seen anything like it, claiming it was just like a magic trick!

Posted in Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q26 Do you take poetry seriously?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

29/08/2008 by admin.

The eccentric and controversial popstar, Michael Jackson, has celebrated his 50th birthday. It’s not for us to judge his personal life. We just wanted to share some things he said in an interview to a US breakfast show today. He said how much he enjoyed making people happy through his music.  The anniversary is curious as in May 2007, the singer auctioned a red-military jacket similar to that discovered Ben during our adventure.

During his interview, the fallen icon said his happiest time was during the release of the album, ‘Off the Wall!”  Did he have the Royston Cave in mind?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDzxl_Q0qYE&feature=related

He also had a huge hit with the song, Ben…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSqo17o2a1w

Another amazing video is ‘Don’t stop till you get enough’! Just take a look at those stones? They look just like those sacred to the Royston Cave. As Michael said, ‘The force, it’s got a lot off power!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_hz2am90Hk&feature=related

So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Michael once performed the ‘Earth Song’!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Hcd60VoRM

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q39 Do you believe in magic? | 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 »

09/07/2008 by admin.

Experts have been stumped by the appearance of a Capricorn beetle on a pavement in an industrial estate in Ashchurch, Gloustershire.  The beetle measuring over 3cm has been extinct in Britain since the start of the industrial revolution!  It’s probable that the beetle hitched a ride to the UK on imported timber. 

In astrology, Capricorn is considered an Earth sign. In January 2008, Pluto entered the sign of Capricorn and will not leave it until 2023. Each of the previous times Pluto entered the sign have witnessed major events, including the rise and fall of Rome, the birth of Christianity and the Boston Tea Party.

Meanwhile, further south, the painting La Surprise, by the French artist Jean Watteau has sold for £12m at auction - a world record for any French old master painting sold at auction. As featured in a previous ‘Watch’ item, the painting had been ‘missing’ for some 200 years, since about the time of Charles Lamb’s journal.  Given everything that’s happening related to The Beatles at present, it’s curious that the painting features a man tuning his guitar!

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

30/06/2008 by admin.

Another crop circle highly relevant to ‘The Haymakers Survey’ has appeared in Wiltshire.  Amazingly, we have a circle in the design of a diamond! What’s more, within the diamond are three circles which magnify parts of the diamond.  This is highly curious given Sarah’s detective work with her magnifying glass ahead of the mysterious re-enactment of the Beatles song, Lucy in the sky with diamond!

Perhaps this explains why several recent crop circles appear to resemble images seen when looking through a kaleidoscope (see example below) … especially as Sarah had difficulty seeing through her magnifying glass, ‘It’s like looking through a kaleideoscope’ she said (image on the right).

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics? | No Comments »

15/05/2008 by admin.

Levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have hit record levels. 

Scientists in Hawaii say levels of the climate change gas had hit 387 parts per million (ppm), the highest level for 650,000 years.  Levels of CO2 have been rising since 1958 and the rate of growth is increasing, rising by more than 2 ppm most years since 2000.  The level is just a few years away from what many regard as the tipping point of 400 ppm, when experts say the world will start heating up dangerously. 

Timely then that Madonna should release her new song, ‘Four Minutes to Save the World’, especially as her work, ‘Hey You’  was captured early in our Watch.  Here’s the video link:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5-BJY00nHI

More curious though is her YouTube message - what was it Malachi said to the world about humans obsession with cleanliness! Take a look (video contains a swear word)

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

Meanwhile, HRH Prince Charles has spoken of an urgent need to stop deforestation of the tropical rainforests.  The Prince asks for us to make the connection between felling of the Amazon, and the poverty of the local people.  He suggests investment in the local people is a like an insurance policy for the world; preventing climate chaos from escalating.  Acting against deforestation is a dramatic way to take action that will have an immediate impact, whilst other solutions are explored.  Listen:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7402104.stm

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?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »