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 »

08/10/2009 by admin.

On page 409 of our novel Charles Lamb reveals in his journal how Lucy Ebbs - Mother Nature personified - gives him an insight into the magic of the Secret Inheritance at the heart of all creation. Charles reports, “Gaia I have seen the inheritance for myself. The phenomena of the magic circle astounded me. Should the chance arise I shall share the truth with you” Lucy’s response was, “Now you know how miraculous life is… on this living planet that circles the sun, accompanied by the moon and the stars.” Charles’ account was penned on 1 May 1823.

Curious then that in Moscow people have been left mystified by a huge circular halo hovering above them. Although scientists claim this was no more than a simple cloud formation. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT2jwkCirP0&feature=related

It may well be just a simple cloud formation., but if there’s another explanation. Why Russia? Well aside from the affinity with May Day, the country features in the message on page 289 of our novel when Charles Lamb tells Lucy of Turner’s painting ‘Snow Storm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps’. He says, “The might of nature is the real subject of the painting. The message is that Napoleon should have turned back whilst he still had the chance, but he drove on and used up all his resources. It was the cruel Russian winter that turned the tide.” It implies that the cloud halo is a sign sent in kindness that we need to change our ways.

But perhaps it goes deeper than that! How about this extract from page 301 when beside the fallen tree that exhibits the web of life Lucy Ebbs tells Charles Lamb, “Humanity is the only species capable of influencing its destiny… I need you to bear witness to my deeds.”  The text then reads, My lips parted. “Charles, sh!” She put a finger to her pursed mouth. Bemused, I watched her use the long straight stick she’d found to draw a clear circle around her, dragging it in the uneven wet soil. She invited me into the circle. I hesitated. “I circle our world* with this rod, against the sore stitch, against the sore bite, against the grim dread, against the great horror that is hateful to us all, and all evil that enters this land.” 

*Caleb Hitch later recorded in his footnotes that Lucy was reciting a charm from the Lacnunga spell book - Anglo-Saxon and from the 10th century.

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

09/09/2009 by admin.

In a live TV event magician Derren Brown successfully predicted the six numbers for the UK National Lottery.  The numbers predicted were 2, 11, 23, 28, 35 and 39. Let’s see what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxua_V1AcM

Whatever artistry was involved its curious that this event should have occured during the Watch since Charles Lamb’s journal records two incidents of a magician predicting double numbers correctly. Whilst our very own Sarah witnessed numbers being predicted by a magician (page 154) prior to offering her questions for The Haymakers Survey, including double one - Snakes Eyes - which could be number 2 or 11 depending on how you look at things.

We also smiled because number 39 came up: Q39 is ‘Do You Believe in Magic?’ What were the odds? We have to ask who is the real magician? LOL!  This leaves 23, 28 and 35. Q23 about the laws of physics - probability?  Q28 about poverty, which is why many people do the National Lottery and Q35 about trusting instincts. So, do you believe the trick was real or fake?

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

09/08/2009 by admin.

Sarah was surfing YouTube when she came across an intriging video of a girl in Lebanon who cried frozen tears…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5_Rj2zKMy4&feature=related

The video describes the tears as crystals. Its from 1996 but has resurfaced in popularity recently partly through chain emails.  Some sites suggest the video is a hoax or a simple magic trick.

Truth or fiction the timing of the videos resurface is curious as 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.

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q55 Do you believe in truth?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

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 »