10/03/2011 by admin.

Scientists working for the United Nations report that the mysterious collapse of the world’s honey bee population has spread to Asia and Africa.

The authors include some of the world’s leading honey bee experts and the findings amount to a stark warning for humanity as honey bees are crucial crop pollinators around the globe. A number of factors are thought to be contributing to the problem including:

• transformation of the coutryside and rural areas over the last 50 years or so 
• loss of flowering plants, and other habitat
• use of damaging insecticides
• air pollution - scents that once travelled 800 metres in the 1800s now travel just 200 metres.
• parasites and pests

Society is investing heavily in ‘industrial hives’ but we need to better manage the landscape in order to help wild bee populations recover.  Achim Stiener, UN Environmental Programme director said, The way humanity manages or mismanages its nature-based assets will define our collective futures. We have fabricated the illusion that we have the technological prowess to be independent of nature. Bees underline the reality that we are more, not less, dependent on nature’s services in a world approaching seven billion people.”

His capture the essence of The Haymakers Survey. As Malachi warns our actions now will determine if humanity will ‘be or not be’ that is the question?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpyY9_9y9Qw&feature=related 

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

16/03/2010 by admin.

‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ are the opening words from arguably one of the most popular poems in the world.  Commonly known as ‘Daffodils’ or ‘The Daffodils’ the poem is usually considered William Wordsworth’s most famous work.  William is one of the romantic writers to feature in our novel and such is our admiration for his work that we chose to adapt his poem as our entry for the Copehagen climate change conference video competition (see end).  Perhaps it was aired at some point during the proceedings but there is a subsequent curiosity of which we wish to tell.

The inconclusive outcomes from the conference were a disappointment to many whilst the subsequent coldest winter in 30 years coupled with the debate on the validity of climate change data has left the issue side-lined in many people’s mind.  But we wonder - here we are in mid-March and the question is ‘Where are all the daffodils?’ 

In recent years warmer winters have meant that the much loved flower has been in bloom in January or early February. Not this year and at the same time snowdrops can still be seen at an incredibly late date.

In response visitors to the Lake District in Cumbria, which inspired William’s poem, have been urged to report the appearance of daffodils on Twitter.  Cumbrian tourist expert Eric Robson said ‘its almost unheard of to have no daffodils in the Lake District by mid-March.  The project’s been called ‘Daff Watch’ and is perhaps an inspired attempt to encourage visitors to an area usually playing host to golden daffodils.

We think there’s a subtle message here - the daffodils are very late and the snowdrops linger well passed their usual end!  Given the significance of Mr Wordsworth in our story is this Mother Nature’s way of protesting to humanity in stark terms that the hour is late for action to preserve the natural world? Indeed the late presence of the Snowdrops appears to reaffirm this as in our novel they feature strongly as Yggdrasil’s friend - a sign that there is still hope to turn things around at this late hour. 

We do not mean to preach but there’s no need to apologise for being passionate about something. There are also many that expect us to fail but we believe it is our common duty to act today to save our tomorrow.  Industry continues to expand apace to feed a seemingly ceaseless hunger for economic growth as the human population soars ever upwards - this as the natural world is stripped away and many species are on the edge of extinction.  Time to revisit our video…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRF8EAgIgK8

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q26 Do you take poetry seriously? | No Comments »

25/01/2009 by admin.

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard.  Events are taking place across the globe, celebrations including dancing, laughter and song.  He is regarded as the pioneer of the romantic movement, influencing William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. 

Aside from this connection, we find yet another remarkale anniversary coincidence and we’re especially interested in one of his most famous works, “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose” due to the role of the everlasting rose in our tale and Charles Lamb’s journal. 

 Let’s recite the wonderful words,

“My love is like a red red rose That’s newly sprung in June; My love is like the melodie That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in love am I; And I will love thee still, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: And I will love thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love And fare thee weel, a while! And I will come again, my love, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.”

So, there we have it - another curious connection, describing a love that’s fresh and long-lasting.  Let’s celebrate!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9lAi9A9s5lg&feature=related

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q50 Do you miss someone you love?, Q26 Do you take poetry seriously?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

25/09/2008 by admin.

There’s no cause for a-Lamb, but there’s blue sheep roaming the fields of Tyneside! The blue sheep are the result of a farmer putting blue dye on them so he could check whether mating had taken place. Only trouble was that the rams chose to fight amongst themselves, spreading the dye over their bodies in the process.

All very quaint yet the curiosity for us is that in his diary the colour blue was especially precious between Charles Lamb and Lucy Ebbs! Time to celebrate with some animation …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C81NxEQW01U

And a song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ejP-KZ_tk8

Meanwhile, further South, the former Beatles singer, Sir Paul McCartney has performed in concert in Israel.  The concert comes 43 years after The Beatles were banned from playing in the country for fear of corrupting the nation’s youth.   During his visit he went to Bethlehem. Outside of the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, Sir Paul said, “All we need is peace.” 

What’s remarkable about the visit is that in our tale, Caleb Hitch tells of the curious triangle surrrounding Keeper’s Cottage, with its lines leading east towards Stonehenge, north towards Royston Cave and south towards the Holy Land in Israel - which we suspected was too far to count, but clearly not!  The curious link between our story and The Beatles rolls on.  Here he is performing at the concert singing the Long and Winding Road!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS58AOGpLCQ&feature=related

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q73 Do you like nursery ryhmes?, Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

10/07/2008 by admin.

Liverpool, The Beatles’ home city, held its first ever Beatles day today.  As if in celebration, two significant items of Beatles related memorobilia achieved remarkable sums at a rock and pop auction at Christies in London.

Top of the Pops was the hand-painted drumskin used on the front cover of the world famous 967 album Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.  It sold for over £540,000, well in excess of the £150,000 pre-sale estimate.  The drum was designed by Sir Peter Blake. It’s regarded as arguably the most iconic image associated with The Beatles and the album cover is the most famous of all time, capturing the spirit of the Sixities. Ringo Starr summed the album with the words, “It was flower power coming into its fullest. It was love and peace…”

A close second were John Lennon’s hand written lyrics for the iconic ‘Give Peace a Chance’ which became an anthem for peace campaigners.  The lyrics reached over £420,000 - more than double the pre-sale figure.  They were written in black felt pen on a piece of white-card.  John gave the lyrics to Gail Renard a 16 year-old girl who dodged tight security at a hotel in New York to request an interview for her college magazine.

It goes without saying how significant the Lonely Hearts Club Band is to our story, and there’s flower power, of course, and Charles Lamb spoke of securing a peace between humanity and nature - no more exploitation of our world’s precious resources! Here’s the lyrics below…

As if to drum home the point, researchers say that one third of the world’s coral species are under serious threat due to pollution, coastal development, over-fishing and climate change.  These are the stark findings from the first ever global survey of its kind. The figure is alarming and the wider consequences frightening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBgh_YmY4lU&feature=related

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | 1 Comment »

11/04/2008 by admin.

Jonas recently discovered this amazing video from Thailand of an elephant called Hong painting her ’self-portrait’. On a first viewing we were speechless.  take a look…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LHoyB81LnE

We just had to find out more about the elephant involved. Whilst doing so it became clear to us that although there are many elephants listed on the site below who have been trained to use a paint-brush, none come anywhere near this beautiful animal.  Curious that an animal renowned for ’never forgetting’ should paint itself holding a flower! Is this Mother Nature’s way of alerting us of the need to show her more respect? We think it is.

http://www.elephantart.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=69

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

14/02/2008 by admin.

Another example of an animal with unusual heart-shaped markings! This time it’s a piglet born just days before Valentine’s Day. Breeder Eric Freeman was amazed at the shape when the Gloucestershire Old Spot emerged into the world.  The 75 year old farmer has never seen anything like it before.  We wonder what the piglets on Noblin Green farm would have made of such a newborn? Here’s some pictures…

Perhaps our greatest love should be for Mother Nature?

Meanwhile, across town - well Brussels to be precise, HRH Prince Charles has demanded urgent action to stop the Climate Doomsday Clock, which was currently getting ever closer to midnight. Charles claimed the world was sleepwalking into catastrophe.  Hang on now, didn’t Charles Lamb sleepwalk when being introduced to the ‘bigger picture’ ? 

The Prince said, “Climate change presents such a threat that, uniquely in history, it will surely require the effort of every nation and every person to find and implement a solution before it is too late.”  He also recalled his shock at hearing predictions that the north polar ice cap could disappear in just seven years.  He said: “We are simply not reacting quickly enough. We cannot be anything less than courageous and revolutionary in our approach.”

A woman known as AJ is startling scientists because of her incredible memory.  The 42 year old Californian can recall trivial detail from every day of her life. She can recall the day of the week, major news events, and usually what the weather was that day, in what she describes as a “running movie that never stops”.  She can even remember the date’who shot J.R was shown on TV.

Only about 4% of the world’s oceans remain undamaged by human activity, according to the first detailed global map of human impacts on the seas.  A study in Science journal says climate change, fishing, pollution and other human factors have exacted a heavy toll on almost half of the marine waters.  Only remote icy areas near the poles are relatively pristine, but they face threats as ice sheets melt, they warn.  The authors say the data is a “wake-up call”

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

14/12/2007 by admin.

Scientists in the USA have calculated that Artic summers may be free of ice as early as 2013 - just 6 years from now.  This is much sooner than previously forecast, after summer melting in 2007 set new records.  This, as 3,000 metric tons of oil have accidentally spilled into the North Sea during the loading of a tanker, the Navion Britannica, off the coast of Norway.  isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?

An amazing story may be unfolding! The wife of a window washer who miraculously survived a terrible accident involving a 47 story plunge - that’s 550 feet - says, he has started to move his arms and legs.  Drs say the man should absolutely have died! his survival was impossible. The building was on E. 66th Street.  The survivors name was Alcides Moreno. An anagram of which is ONE DO MIRACLES!  Alcides remains in a critical condition but there are signs of hope!

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q62a Is life logical?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »