17/09/2009 by admin.

Page 184 of our novel recalls a discussion in the White Horse pub about Ben’s role as Earth Champion. Our anti-hero, Bill Darvill teases Ben and belittles the threat posed by climate change,

“I don’t get all this fuss about the polar bear. If the ice is melting in the Arctic then why not ship them south to the Antarctic.” In response Jonas Fosbrooke defends Ben saying, “Or to a greatly expanded Museum of Natural History… alongside the Dodo… and the countless others on the endangered list.”

So it comes as no surprise to us that the Museum has expanded - with Prince William opening a new £78m Darwin centre known as the cocoon - housing 17 million insect specimens and 3 million plant specimens. 

The centre also hosts a Climate Change Wall, which educates the public about the subject.  Yet more coincidences to serve as timely reminders on the need to preserve our living planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNhwLe8hSfQ

Posted in Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death? | No Comments »

09/09/2009 by admin.

We have the icing on the cake from The Beatles - a digitially remastered box set has been released, together with an X-Box Beatles game: ‘The Beatles: Rock Star’. 

Our fascination is with the date of release. In Britain, 999 means EMERGENCY = given the role of The Beatles as the creative influence for our project we believe this relates to the ecological emergency facing planet Earth. Why the X-Box Game even has E3 in the title and is rated 12 (another coincidence given the 12 mystical stones to feature in our novel).

The White Album included the song ‘Revolution Number 9′. It has a curious new meaning now…

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

Oh, the promotional videos below provide all the details of the new releases. 

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpBDOolcs9g&feature=fvw

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q34 Have you ever restored something? | 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 »

06/04/2009 by admin.

Tate Britain is rereating an interative exhibition from nearly 40 years ago. When it first showed in 1971 US artist Robert Morris’s ‘Bodyspacemotionthings’ featured cylinders, ramps and weights on chains.  The exhibit closed after just 4 days when audiences went wild, including ‘going wild’ on seesaws.  However, the relaunched exhibits will be much safer as they will have to conform with current health and safety rules.

So, how does all this relate to ‘The Haymakers Survey’? Well, Tate Britain is home to the ‘Haymakers’ painting by George Stubbs which triggered Ben Whittenbury’s pursuit as Nature’s Champion as recorded in our novel.  A novel which includes a scene where Julia and Sarah use a discarded cart as a make-shift seesaw.  On it they discuss the appearance of the ‘Lady in Grey’ who represents the spread of the industrial world over the natural world.  As they swing to and fro Malachi climbs aboard to keep everything in balance - which is what humanity needs to do much better. 

Posted in Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

05/04/2009 by admin.

Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have performed in concert together in New York in aid of the David Lynch Foundation - a charity promoting transcendental teaching in schools.

Sir Paul headlined the concert before introducing Ringo Starr as his pseudonym, “Billy Shears” - from the song Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

“At this point we would like to introduce somebody to you who you know, you’ve heard his name,” Sir Paul said. “He’s going to come out here and play you a little song this joyful night. Ladies and gentlemen: Billy Shears.”

The pair last performed together in 2002. During the performance Sir Paul paid a tearful tribute to thelate John Lennon, before playing ‘Here Today’ a song he wrote for him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxpKJAQ10yE&feature=related

So, we have another curious example from The Beatles clearly linked to our novel and one “Billie Shears”  supported by a really strange indirect reference to the transcendental cause promoted by Charles Lamb in his jorunal. Sir Paul or Ringo - if you ever get to read our tale and view our Watch… we truely hope you have been entertained.   

There is of course a serious note to all of this - to look at climate change and environmental issues in a transcendental way.  Interesting then that on the day the two legends chose to reunite, an ice bridge the size of Jamaica breaks in the Antarctic signalling further evidence of rapid change in the region.

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q50 Do you miss someone you love?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

19/01/2009 by admin.

The number of foggy, misty and hazy days is diminishing across Europe, say scientists.   Since the 1970s, European temeperatures have risen by 0.5 degree Celsius per decade.  As the mists fade, they point to legislation that has helped clear up the continent’s air as a possile cause.  Fewer fogs, mists and haze mean more of the Sun’s energy has been reaching the surface, contriuting to a rise in temperatures.

Its an interesting perspective given the mysterious experiences in ’The Day of the Long Lingering Fog’ recording in our tale and in Charles Lamb’s journal.  It was a day in which Julia inadvertently found herself back in the 1800s witnessing for herself the arrival of Yggdrasil, The Tree of Life, under the watchful eye of Mother Nature.

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts? | No Comments »

14/11/2008 by admin.

Many happy returns to Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, who is celebrating his 60th birthday today.

The life of the heir to the throne of the UK and Commonwealth has been eventful and not without controversy, especially on his marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales.  The Prince is well known for his interest in the environment, conservation and natural foods. The landmark anniversary is significant to us given the reference in our story to the Prince of Wales’ heraldic badge.  It consists of three white feathers above a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet reads ‘Ich Dien’ - German for ‘I Serve’. Legend has it that the feathers represent those from an ostrich - another feature in our novel.

We can do all the mind games and play with your brain, but the coincidences just keep rolling in! We simply present the truth. In Mother Nature we serve!

Here’s the Prince’s thoughts on the world’s rainforests…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Cqo1Aksv4

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q55 Do you believe in truth?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth? | No Comments »

13/09/2008 by admin.

Sir Cliff Richard has celebrated 50 years in showbusiness by publishing an auto-biography. Sir Cliff used to live in a council house at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. The house was tiny and he had to share a room with one of his sisters. It was in 1958 that he burst on to the music scene with the song, ‘Move It’ with a style initially based on Elvis.  Sir Cliff has has number one’s in each of the four previous decades. The relevance of the anniversary to to our story is simple - for early in our tale Sarah asks Julia about Peter Pan and Netherland! Sir Cliff seems to defy his years, so was fondly dubbed, the Peter Pan of Pop!  He was also the front singer of ‘Cliff Richard and the Shadows!’

A devout Christian, Sir Cliff has remained a Bacholor Boy throughout his career. What can we say, other than Congratulations!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iArJm9gBvg

Posted in Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q80a Do you keep a diary?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q62 Have you ever helped the poor?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q31 Are you a charitable neighbour? | No Comments »

10/09/2008 by admin.

Scientists have switched on the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland in the hope of shedding light on one of the fundamental questions in physics, ‘What is mass?’ 

The current favoured model involves a particle dubbed as ‘The God Particle’.  The enormous experiment is designed to throw light on this - to understand how Nature works - and on the mysterious ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy’ that makes up the large majority of the Universe.

The LHC is the biggest and most complex machine in history, taking 13 years to construct at a cost of 5bn.  The experiment involves sending two beams in opposite directions  - revolving about a huge circle of magnetic tubes. Dr Shears a particle physicist from the University of Liverpool said, “We will be looking at what the Universe was made of billionths of a second after the Big Bang.”

The project has not been without its critics with some fearing the formation of a black hole that might swallow the Earth!  We’re not merchants of doom but it’s curious that the experiment is taking place within the proximity of Lake Lucerne - the source of inspiration for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstien.

Scientists clearly hope that the LHC experiment will live long in the memory. Perhaps they’ll adopt an iconic song to remind them of the day, for a study using Beatles music has been set up which catologues 3,000 recollections of Beatles related memories.   For a long time people have noticed that music is a great way to remember events from the past.  See www.magicalmemorytour.com for details.

Our Beatles choice to make the launch of the LHC is ‘Revolution’ … It’s going to be alright!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87yq372R4Ts

Posted in Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »