17/12/2009 by admin.

A first edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic book “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There”,  dedicated to the real life Alice who inspired the story has sold at a U.S. auction for $115,000.

Southern California-based Profiles in History said the book, the sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland“, was the highlight of its children’s literature sale. “Through the Looking Glass“, published in 1871, includes the nonsense poem “Jabberwocky.” Both works were inspired by 10 year-old Alice Liddell, the daughter of an academic friend of Carroll’s. The edition is inscribed in ink “Alice Pleasance Liddell”, and was described as having been presented to her by Carroll.

Okay - we need to offer another explanation on how this links to our novel. Our very own Eath Detective - Sarah Whittenbury - examines a magic circle drawn in the soil before the ’Web of Life’ through her looking glass (pages 162 - 164).  She discovers a frozen tear! Is this a reminder to humanity - a message to let us know what’s really going on. That a state of emergency is being declared for the web of life is in peril!  

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

12/12/2009 by admin.

We may have just witnessed the most startling event linked to The Haymakers Survey on our 3 year Whittenbury Watch! Our readers will be able to vouch for this.

On 9 December near Tromso, Norway on the edge of the Arctic Circle a strange giant helical spiral of light span in the sky for some 12 minutes. It was accompanied by twisted beams of blue light from the centre of the spiral to the ground resembling MayPole ribbon.  After the sprial stopped spinning it went into itself and a black aperture appeared - like a black hole.  The diplay could be seen all over Northern Norway so it must have been very high up in the sky. Here’s one the videos that captured the event…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hrWjkn_DHs

A popular explanation given is that it was a Russian missile fired from a submarine in the White Sea that went spiralling out of control.  However, there’s very many people who doubt this on the internet including some scientists. 

We have our own version of events and this is where things get really interesting. In our novel Charles Lamb’s journal features helical spirals. Pages 401- 403 tells how a spiral of light appears in Royston Cave, Herfordshire after the Samoyed messenger, Malachi, forces his way into the cave.  Here’s the extract,

“Then Gaia it happened exactly as I describe. A miracle emerged from the chaos! The stones clustered at the centre of the cave and began to speed in a dynamic spiral - a helical twist. The stones gave out a luminous glow as they span…. How long did they spin? It was hard to tell. The stones were hypnotic, seeming to suspend time and space. It was a moment when the ideal and the practical collided. A fushion of time and space.

Stukley [the cave guide] broke our collective silence. “What are those things?” “I brought then home… in search of meaning… of truth, ” was all Reverend North could muster.  “It reminds me of a whirlpool,” claimed Mary [Shelley].  The Reverend’s eyes widened, “As water washes away stones and torrents wash away the soul, so you destory man’s hope” [Christian Bible Job 14-19], he said, prophetically as the stones settled at the cave’s core.  Mary Shelley was the first gather up a stone. “De profundis clamavi”, [Out of the depths i have cried unto the] [Psalms 130].  Stukely says.. “What force is this to defy the laws of gravity… ” … Captain Lwein says, “… that was a force for sure… the Force of nature - a warning to mankind to mend our ways.”

Pages 408-409 also tell of a spiral - this time in water in which Lucy Ebbs [Mother Nature] allows her blue ribbon to fall into it when, with Malachi beside her, she reveals to Charles Lamb an insight into the magic of creation [see October 8 posting] “I shared the truth with you as I’m afraid for the future. I am in grave danger.  There are so many demands on me. I’ve only so much to offer.”

So, we have two examples of active sprials in our novel - one that glows and another with a blue trailer within it; just like the spiral in Norway.  Strange too that this phenomena should take place in Norway - given the significance of Yggdrasil and Nordic legend in our project and novel.  Tromso has been inhabited since the end of the ice-age and the Sami-culture - from which the Samoyed dog is linked - is the first known culture of the region.

A higher force is at work - we have faith.

Posted in Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

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 »

10/11/2009 by admin.

In Brazil some are blaming an intense concentration of lightening, rain and wind near Itaipu for triggering a huge blackout - possible the world’s worst ever - which covered half of the country. Some 800 cities were without power for around 3 hours, including Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo.  Power supplies have been a sensitive issue in Brazil since blackout in 2001 and 2002 affected large parts of the country - although nothing on this scale. In response Brazil has invested millions in improving the electricity infrastructure which has prompted many to seek answers about the blackout - with a potential cause being the failure of 3 high-tension transmission lines.

Well, how about our explanation for the massive and mysterious blackout - Mother Nature has intervened to warn us in the run up to COP 15 that we need to change our ways! Why are we so confident - simples! Our novel includes an account of how an intense storm caused a blackout at Keeper’s Cottage, which prompts Ben Whittenbury to ponder life prior to the industrial revolution and the value of a life lead in harmony with Nature, exemplified by The Haymakers painting by George stubbs.  And, what better place to host a blackout than in Brazil - home of the Amazon Rainforest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd7aWWTnrAc

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q32 Are you afraid of the dark?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

07/11/2009 by admin.

We’re delighted to report that the British heavyweight boxer David Haye has enjoyed an incredible ‘against the odds’ truimph over the 7ft plus Russian giant, Nikolai Valuev.  The Londoner was 11 inches shorter and 7 stone lighter than his opponent. The bout went the full 12 rounds with David winning on points. He becomes the first British heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.  The victorious boxer described his victory as a ‘dream come true’.

We see this as a message of hope in the run up to the climate change conference in Copenhagen. Why? As mentioned in an earlier posting, the boxer is nicknamed The Hayemaker!  Well our story records how the black boxer Bill Richmond, the unofficial world champion from the 18th century, participated in the Blakesware Set and was dubbed ‘The Haymaker’ by the Duke of Wellington.  Bill had a symbolic role in the direction of the Blakesware Set - take a look at the rear of our journal extract. http://www.thehaymakerssurvey.com/Journal.php  proclaiming ‘Now is the time for action, set Mother Nature free’. 

World leaders at COP 15 take note - this is Haymaker magic! As William Wordsworth says in the video, “Don’t throw away this chance” - search for the specific video  http://www.youtube.com/cop15 

Posted in Q80a Do you keep a diary?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

21/10/2009 by admin.

A new and rare species of ‘giant’ orb Nephila spider has been discovered in Madagascar - its the largest web spinning spider known to science.  The female of the species can spin webs up to 3ft 3in in diameter. 

The spider is located within two endangered biodiversity hotspots: Maputaland and Madagascar.

We see this as vindication of the Web of Life which features in our story and in Charles Lamb’s journal when Lucy Ebbs - Mother Nature personified - draws his attention to it to show that everything in nature is connected and if we continue as we are the eco-system will soon collapse.  Its another warning in the run-up to Copenhagen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhVB_wZ73WU&feature=related

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

11/10/2009 by admin.

Last night on the BBC’s AutumnWatch the presenters, Kate Humble, Chris Packham and Simon King discussed the millions of Painted Lady butterflies that invaded Britain in the Spring.  Painted Ladies are a regular summer visitor to Britain and conservationalists believe the number of Painted Lady butterflies this year was the largest seen here since the 1960s.   

Kate, Chris and Simon were curious as to what happened to them all - they seemed to have just disappeared - they’ve asked for viewers to give their views or offer clues and help solve the mystery.  Chris suggested the butterflies might be flying back to Africa at higher altitude, but he liked the fact that we don’t know for it shows we have lots to learn about Nature.

One solution might be that the butterflies arrived in such numbers to guide us to take note of another painted lady - Lucy Ebbs in the Haymakers painting by George Stubbs.  Our story reveals that she is Mother Nature personified. The butterflies mysterious departure maybe another hint that we risk letting everything precious in our natural world fade away! Malachi seems to alert us too - on page 35 he says, “the flame of a butterfly before it settles”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7W44Ljn5FA

Whatever, the arrival of the Painted Ladies are a spectacular phenomenon. Here’s a link of interest…

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

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?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

07/09/2009 by admin.

LORD MAY ‘GOD HELP US’ 

Lord May, president of the British Association of Science, has suggested that the world [humanity] may have to turn to God to save itself from climate change. On the eve of the association’s national conference, the government’s former chief scientist warned that no country was prepared to take the lead on the issues and a supernatural ’punisher’ was needed to ensure the rules of co-operation were not broken. 

He said that in the past a belief in a god, or gods, that punish the unrighteous may have been part of the mechanism of evolution that maintains co-operation in a dog-eat-dog world. He also believes religious leaders should be doing more to persuade people to combat climate change.

Well our project is designed to help show a deeper magic to creation - be it through God, the Earth Spirit or some other force - through the many examples on this Watch, including…

EASTER ISLAND: HATS OFF

Archaeologists believe they have solved one ancient mystery surrounding the famous Easter Island statues - the source of their giant red hats!

Researchers, Dr Colin Richards and Dr Sue Hamilton from the University of Manchester and University College London, think the hats were rolled down from an ancient volcano.  They came to the conclusion based on a series of clues on the island. Each hat, weighing several tonnes, was carved from volcanic rock. They were placed on the heads of the famous statues all around the coast of the island.  The researchers are joint directors of the “Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Landscapes of Construction Project”. They will be working on the island over the next five years.

We find the timing of the research and its early findings fascinating, especially as a ceremonial adze (axe head) was found in pristine condition next to the hats.  

Precisely how and why the hats were attached is unknown but the comparisions with the mystical top-hat figure at the heart of our story are striking. Its also intriguing that the axe head was discovered beside the monuments given that Charles Lamb’s journal records how Capt Lewin bought one back to Britain following his transatlantic tour and how he inadvertantly caught Charles’ hand with it at ‘The Haymakers Survey’.

The significance of the links is that Easter Island is infamous for the destruction of the eco-system through one of the worst cases of deforestation ever, potentially to help provide sustenance for an ever increasing population. There’s a clear lesson here, especially given the mysterious man in the top hat who seems to be orchestrating every in our tale.

Posted in Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

30/08/2009 by admin.

On Sunday afternoon drinkers at the Castle Hotel, Neath in South Wales, had the surprise of their lives when a 16in Dogfish fell from the sky and landed on a canopy above them.  Andrea Lewis, Assistant Manager, said ’something hit the canvas really hard, startling the guests and started flapping around.’

Its far from a fishy tale and where it came from remains a mystery. The favoured suggestion is one of a pair of rare Osprey’s in the area may have dropped its catch.  Whatever the reason we’re interested because of Bill Richmond’s claim recorded in Charles Lamb’s journal and in our free Journal extract that, “I’ve seen fishes fall from the sky” to help illustrate the miraculous is all around us.  Strange that the fish to fall should be a Dogfish given the role of Malachi our Samoyed dog as Mother Nature’s Messenger!

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

06/08/2009 by admin.

From time to time we speculate on possible explanations for the curious coincidences between our project and events on our Watch. In one of his crazy outbursts the ever sceptical Bill Darvill joked that, “Maybe its aliens trying to warn us. Hell look at the strange things happening in space - on Venus, Mars and Jupiter - could they have done it? Do they know how much we’re at risk?”  He spoke in jest of course but look at this from ‘Look North’ (to the Polar region perhaps?).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8186289.stm

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »