30/01/2012 by admin.

Bird watchers in America are reporting a mass exodus of snowy owls from Arctic into the lower 48 states. The beautiful birds have been seen from coast to coast in a southern migration described as unbelievable by the owl research institute. The migration has baffled the experts with no logical explanation coming to the fore.

Snowy owls have been in the limelight for a number of years due to Harry Potter’s pet Hedwig, but we think this is real magic. The opening scene of our novel includes a white owl flying over the head of Ben Whittenbury as a prelude to all that follows, empowering him with the support of a hidden force - the Earth spirit or a divine creator - to serve as Nature’s Champion. This is deep magic and humanity neglects this sign at its peril.  Time for Bob Marley..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWw_gP0vDfE 

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, 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?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, 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 »

24/02/2011 by admin.

The Haymakers Survey uses art as a medium to help inspire love for Nature. Well. there’s an award winning museum and art gallery in Sandhurst, Gloucestershire which is the world’s first dedicated to art inspired by Nature.  Aside from the aesthetic and cultural appeal of what it has to offer we’re drawn to it today because of magical events in neighbouring Quedgeley.

The village of Quedgeley has close connections with the RAF. Its official name was No 7 Maintenance Unit, RAF Quedgeley with the motto, Omnibus Ubique Servimus which means, “We Serve All, Everywhere”.  Interesting…

The Haymakers Survey tells how if you put a frog in a jar of water and slowly heat it the frog will die as it fails to react in time to the threat that eventually brings its demise. It’s a parable often used to highlight the threat to humanity presented by global warming.  Is it just coincidence then that Donna Hunt discovered a tropical tree frog amongst strawberries purchased from her local Tesco store in Quedgeley? She found it at the bottom of her fridge and thought at first it was a mouldy strawberry. Is this rare event so close to the home of Nature in Art a clear message that humanity needs to ‘cool down’ the Earth by reducing its CO2 emmissions and moving away from our dependency on oil?

We’re not the story tellers - Mother Nature is. Is it weird or what?

http://nature-in-art.org.uk/

Maybe the frog arrived with a message from the creator…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4o8TeqKhgY&feature=related

Posted in Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

07/02/2011 by admin.

“What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming”, sang Christina Aguilera at the opening of the Super Bowl in Texas.  Lost in the moment she fluffed one of the lines from the US national anthem.  She ought to have sung, “O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming,” from the Star Spangled banner but belted out, “What so proudly we watched at the twighlight’s last gleaming.”  It’s really strange as she’s sung the anthem many times in public since the age of seven and never messed up yet.

So why now? As Christina is a supported of Defenders of Wildlife, we may have the answer. Remember this is the Whittenbury Watch and one of the most poignant scenes which inspired the Watch is at the start of our environmental novel. It takes place at “twilight’s last gleaming” when Mother Nature symbolically challenges the industrial world to clean up is act.

Maybe the force behind The Haymakers Survey prompted Christina to sing, “What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming,” to hunderds of millions in the most influential country on Earth and the tune “Yankee doodle”, features time and again, including in Charles Lamb’s journal.  Whilst Sarah played at her own form of super bowls to show that we’re playing with Nature. It’s now or never folks for humanity on planet Earth…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgxA3Aus8jY

Oh , The Green Bay Packers scored a historic win ove the Pittsburgh Steelers… need we say more?

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

22/12/2010 by admin.

On page 316 of our story dated 21 December 1822 Charles Lamb describes the winter solstice as “an unnerving and foreboding date” whilst introducing the arrival of many of his distinguished guests to Blakesware Hall, including William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. He mentions how Blakesware’s foundations shake with glee at their arrival. Adding, “Bring the Doubting Thomases to the door - those who said it would never happen”.  They talk about releasing a deep magic on the world.

Curious then that on yesterday’s winter solstice at about eleven in the evening an earthquake measuring 3.6 hit Cumbria, The epi-centre was the Lake District home for many years to William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge.  Nobody was injured but it was an alarming experience for many with Christmas trees shaking in their tubs.

There’s more! Page 186 of our story recounts Ben Whittenbury’s errie walk home in the snow on a 21st century winter solstice. Its a starlit night with a full moon. He carried an empty peanuts bag wrapper and was singing “Blue Moon”.  He checks his watch - it reads almost midnight (before GMT time adjusted it would be about eleven).  A disturbing supernatural encounter with Charles Lamb and Queen Caroline - they bring a clear WARNING left on a Peanut wrapper for humanity that time is nearly past to save Lucy Ebbs, Mother Nature personified. We are on a path of self-destruction.

So, with some trepidation we report the first total lunar eclipse to occur on the winter solstice in nearly 400 years. Not a blue moon but a one in coppery shadow, beautifully caught on camera.

Now the sting in the tale, which we report relunctantly - Bill Darvill pointed out that a ghastly inhuman individual who we refuse to name once described himself as ‘Peanut’ to an acquaintance. The person was rightly sentenced to life imprisonment for his henious crimes yesterday.  

Combined do these events amount to a WARNING?

Posted in Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q32 Are you afraid of the dark?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost? | No Comments »

15/12/2010 by admin.

An iconic lighthouse at lake Erie Cleveland Ohio has been covered with snow in ice. A combination of high winds, subzero temperatures and crashing waves have turned the navigation aid into an ice castle from the Snow Queen. Although of breathtaking beauty the frozen beacon is potentially dangerous as Coast Guard Units have issued warnings to sea mariners. 

Mother Nature loves her Winter Wonderlands. In our novel Ben Whittenbury issued his cry for action to preserve the environment - adopting a pose akin to a lighthouse - and Lucy herself later repeats the pose as a beacon of hope.  Malachi warns, “Snow, did someone say snow!” (page 100) Our 18th century hero Captain Richard Lewin is also lost at sea.  Whilst Lucy warns us about Erie (page to follow).  Its not looking good people…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_GO7cj0jk

Posted in Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

23/11/2010 by admin.

The opening scenes from our novel includes the flight of a white bird over the head of Ben Whittingbury. It happened just after he made his pledge to be Nature’s Champion and before his errie mystical encounter with the Lady in Grey.

In Christian faith the dove represents the Holy Spirit. Its also thought of as a symbol of love and peace. Curiously a white dove has befriended Rebekah Horsfield a 13 year old teenager from Surrey. Rebekah came across the bird last week sitting on the pavement. She approached it and it chose to fly up and sit on her shoulder. It now keeps close to her side and the pair are becoming inseparable. Rebekah has named the bird Snowy! Snowy sits on top of the computer when Rebekah is on the internet. She thinks Snowy might be a magician’s pet.

Meanwhile Bobby Haas a photographer has taken a remarkable arial photograph in Yucatan Mexico of hundreds of flamingos gathered to form the image of a bird. Mr Haas described the shot as the Holy Grail of photography. He said,”The reaction has been remarkable. Some people have said it is divine intervention and proof there is a God.”

Remember we’re counting on you to have faith, live in harmony and peace with Mother Nature and love this planet Earth.

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | 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 »

16/08/2010 by admin.

In our novel Lucy Ebbs, Mother Nature personified, alerts us to the wonder of the albino in demonstrating the wonder of diversity on planet Earth. Since the Watch began we’ve seen many examples of albinos in nature, but none as dramatic as Migaloo the hunchback whale.

The unique and majestic creature has been filmed professionally for the very first time.  The only albino whale of its kind in the world, Migaloo was filmed close to Green Island off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  Reef Magic Cruise’s owner Tim North said “It was a breathtaking sight that made your hair stand up on the back of your neck.” The idea to film Migaloo was to help show how precious he is and to help protect him. We whole heartedly agree.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QisofzOVwK8

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q48 Have you ever played solitaire?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, 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 »