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 »

21/10/2008 by admin.

We have an encore! A mysterious luminous fushia cloud appeared in the sky above London last night, turning the heads of amazed commuters.  Metrologists suggest that the pink cloud is simply a reflection of city lights on a low cloud against the background of a low sun.  Others suggest it’s the work of Breast Cancer Awareness - pink is their adopted colour and October is devoted to their campaign.  The proposal is they simply sent a beam of pink light into the sky.

None of these explanations are especially convincing.  We judge this the most amazing of all the signs from Mother Nature or a divine force of the need to change our behaviour. Why? In our story Charles Lamb’s journal opens in May with he and Lucy - Nature personified - sat upon Philosopher’s Point when he witnesses a rose cloud in the zenith. He tells Lucy it represents his undying love for her.  Prior to this he had speculated about adorning her way with petals from the Mayfair celebrations from the day before.  So, on the eve of the birthday of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, we have the spectacle of ‘The Rose Cloud over Mayfair’.     

For the benefit of the doubters, here’s the text verbatim (from page 227)! Remember - we published the book in May!  In the journal Charles wrote:

‘To convince her of my devotion, I searched the heavens for inspiration. Clouds drifted serenely from west to east, from whence it came; and ambassador of love.  “Lucy, open your eyes,” I enthused. “Look, directly above us - in the zenith.  There, the cloud, do you see it?” I asked.  In the heavens was an ancient symbol of love  - a rose in the shape of a cloud, as though sent to us as a gift from the Greek goddess, Aphrodite herself. “Mother Nature speaks,” she said. “Why it is the rose I vowed to thee, to honour our eternal love,” I claimed.  Lucy smiled. I kissed her. “hark, they call in celebration,” I cried, as a peel of bells rang out from the distant St John’s Church, Widford. “May this rose endure?” I called, with my arms outstretched.  “Do you wish it so, Charles?” she said, as I watched the rose travel across the sky. “I do.” Two little words that rang in my heart. “Then it shall be,” she claimed, but the shape of the cloud was soon lost.”

Surely, this is beyond coincidence? What’s more, the cloud appeared at 08:30pm for an hour or so before fading away, which is also very strange as there are 83 questions in ‘The Haymakers Survey.’  As the magician in our tale says, “I save the best ’till last”.

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

22/09/2008 by admin.

Summer? What summer? The season officially ended yesterday - in an ironic blaze of sunshine.  But the warm weather could not save this year’s summer from a place in the worst top ten on record. There was 14 inches of rain and 464 hourse of sunshine - 7% less than the average.  As mentioned earlier on our ‘Watch’ August was a particularly gloomy month.  The poor weather was blamed on a jet-stream of fast winds high over Britain which blocked warm weather arriving from Southern Europe.  All very interesting given Mary Shelley’s role in our story and the reference to ‘A year without a summer’ which led to her writing the famous Frankenstien story.

Meanwhile, the number of fake £1 coins in circulation has doubled over the past 5 years, and now stands at nearly 30 million.  A Survey conducted by the Royal Mint revealed some 2% of £1 coins are now fake.  There are ways to tell a forgery from the real thing, you just need to know what you’re looking for. This curious to us given our discovery of coins from the Maundy Ceremony and Julia’s observation, “Are the coins genuine?’ Coincidence?

And finally, habitat loss is contributing to the worldwide decline of populations of common birds, with Birdlife International reporting fa fall in numbers of 45% of Europe’s common birds.  Farmland birds were the worst affected with the number of European Turtle Doves falling by 79%.  The study shows that environmental degregation is having a major impact, not just on birds but on bio-diversity in general.  Readers may recall how Emma Isola and Ralph Emerson sing a lament to the newly weds, Captain Lewin and Lady Katharine on Christmas Eve, which is all about two Turtle Doves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCB4-JWZ1kQ&feature=related

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

12/09/2008 by admin.

A study by York University’s Centre for Sustainability has found that residents in East Hertfordshire have the largest carbon footprint out of all regions in the UK! The study claims that those living in the district are responsible for 14.68 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.  The Chair of the local environmental scrutiny committee, said, “It doesn’t surprise me. We’re a very large, rural district.  A lot of people need cars and a lot of people have very large houses, which would also contribute to the carbon footprint.” The data was collected in 2001, yet has taken a long time to analyse. Here’s a map of the area…

The findings are really curious given our story takes place in the area! Was this deliberate? Did some unseen force have an insight to the challenges which led them to reveal the magic of ‘The Haymakers Survey’ to us? Even the name of the study - Censa - is linked to our survey since Charles Lamb’s journal includes a lenghty debate on the role of the Census.  Can you keep an open mind? Are there extraordinary things inside ourselves?

Maybe its also due to 10,000 years of local history…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOp8FMrRGhQ

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q62a Is life logical?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q46 Do you value a good education? | No Comments »

07/09/2008 by admin.

At a zoo in Japan, the fur of 3 polar bears have turned green! They changed colour in July, after swimming in a pool with algae.  Masami Kurobe, an official from Higashiyama Zoo, said, ‘High temperatures in July and August and less changing of the pool’s water, because of conservation efforts, caused the algae growth.  The animals are unharmed and should return to their normal colour in November.”

How curious that the three bears should go green - is this a protest? Are they trying to tell the authorities to go green? Oh, there’s the words, BUSH IM A HAYMAKER hidden within MASAMI KUROBE, HIGASHIYAMA as well as a SAMOYED!

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? FREE CHRISTMAS PRIZE DRAW!, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

03/09/2008 by admin.

In his journal, Charles Lamb records the importance of the Harvest Hockey to the local farming community.  Perculiar then that the climate ‘hockey stick’ graph first presented in 1998 has been vindicated ten years later by scientists.  Assessments of an array of evidence, including extra data covering 2,000 years and more methods to anaylse the information led them to conclude that Northern Hemisphere temperatures are ‘anomolously warm’. 

The ‘hockey stick’ graph includes the shaft of the stick, representing a sharp upturn in temperatures since the industrial age.

As if to ratify the findings, scientists have reported a collosal loss of ice shelves in Canada’s High Arctic. Floating tongues of ice attached to the Ellesmere Island, which have lasted for thousands of years, have seen more than a quarter of their cover has broken away to become floating sea-ice. Loss of ice in the Arctic, and in particular the extensive sea-ice, has global implications. The “white parasol” at the top of the planet reflects energy from the Sun straight back out into space, helping to cool the Earth. 

Further loss of Arctic ice will see radiation absorbed by darker seawater and snow-free land, potentially warming the Earth’s climate at an even faster rate than current observational data indicates.

Scientisits have confirmed that another consequence of a warming world is evidence of the strongest storms becoming stronger - they are delivering a more powerful punch. A 1 degree rise in ocean temperatures would increase the incidence of stronger storms by about one third.  Our readers will know that we recorded a fierce storm and a wind of change in the lead up to the discovery of Charles Lamb’s journal.

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | 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 »

16/08/2008 by admin.

Mystery surrounds the ‘discovery’ of the remains of the legendary ape-like creature Bigfoot by two men in Georgia, US.  Matt Whitton and Matt Dyer claim to have come across the corpse in the North of the state in June. Bigfoot experts have reacted sceptically to the claims, and are refusing to investigate further. Whatever the truth, the timing of the ‘incident’ is curious - perhaps linked to our carbon footprint?

Another annivesary linked to our project - Madonna, the celebrated Queen of Pop, has turned 50!  Since 1983, the highly-talented artist has had a steady stream of hits making her the most successful female popstar of all time. Her hits included True Blue! She has reinvented herself many times, which is a lesson for us all. 

 Our Watch recorded her appearance at the July 07 Earth Live concert, and we find her ’Hey you’ song especially inspirational.  Happy Birthday Madonna - and thank you for all the beautiful music! Here’s one of Ben’s favourites…

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

As if to honour her birthday and Ben’s favourite Madonna song, the sprinter Usain Bolt has set a new world record for the 100 metres.  In the competition’s Blue Ribbon event, he raced like a bolt of lightening, making the line in an amazing 9.69 seconds to claim Olympic gold. He left the rest of the field in his wake.  Given the Frankenstien links in our story, does this mean the human race needs to act in record time on environmental issues?

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Q55 Do you believe in truth?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

17/07/2008 by admin.

Our policy with the Watch has largely been to avoid commentary from politicians and other influential people.  However,  Ben was determined to flag this speech from Al Gore, which issues a challenge to America to end its dependence on carbon based fuels within 1o years.  Its a generational moment.  We have an opportunity to take a giant leap for human kind. Now, didn’t Malachi say something similar in our tale! Let’s spread the call beyond the shores of America - let’s make this a world-wide mission!

http://www.youtube.com/user/WeCanSolveIt

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

07/07/2008 by admin.

Readers of The Haymakers Survey will know the significance of 7 July in the story in helping to bring the ‘action now on nature’ message to the world. They’ll also know of the specific role played by Sir Peter Scott, founder of the WWF and designer of the panda emblem used by the charity.  Our story also features two identical characters - Ben Whittingbury and Captain Richard Lewin.

Curious then that a 12 year old Giant Panda, rescued from a recent quake zone in China, has given birth to twins.  They’re the first pandas to be born in captivity in 2008. Here’s the video. Warning - high cuteness factor!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7492999.stm

Meanwhile couples in London have today tangoed in silence to promote a sense of ‘compassionate togetherness’ . Wearing headphones as they danced on seven bridges and seven railway stations, it reminded Ben and Julia of their silent tango to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, as recorded in our story. Shall we dance…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7F2X3rSSCU

Maybe some were dancing in memory of lost loved ones, for it seems the spectacular sight of red poppy fields are becoming a rare-sight in Britain.  Numbers have declined dramatically over the past century because of the wildspread use of weedkillers.  Conservation charity, Plantlife, say, “It’s very sad poppy fields have become such a rarity, as they have provided the inspiration for many famous paintings.” The plant is synomous with remembrance as thousands grew on disturbed ground near the trenches during World War I.

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q50 Do you miss someone you love?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q13 Have you ever been mistaken for someone else?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »