03/07/2009 by admin.

We’ve previously commented on the sad death of Michael Jackson, the ‘King of Pop’ and how the star linked with our story.  Well given the reference Sara made to Neverland and the ghost seen by Ben and recorded in Charles Lamb’s journal, we were curious about the mounting speculation about a ghostly shadowed figure seen during a CNN tour of the popstar’s former residence. 

There may well be a logical explanation but it makes for fascinating viewing….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Am67-Sew7k&feature=related

Posted in Q62a Is life logical?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q59 Do you like surprises?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.6 Do you believe in fairy tales?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

13/05/2009 by admin.

Our story reveals the discovery of a jar containing treasures which help to illustrate the enchanted and miraculous nature of life on planet Earth.  Curious then that the RSPCA - founded by William Wilberforce (one of the members of the Blakesware Set) - had to come to the rescue of a fox cub with his head trapped in a jar. 

The animal, named Fizzle by his rescuers, was apparently in quite a lot of distress.  His rescuers wet his neck to loosen it and pulled the jar off.  Fizzzle was thought close to his parents and quickly dashed to freedom.   Its also uncanny that the animal caught in the jar was a fox given the references to a fox hunt recorded in Charles Lamb’s journal.  Mother Nature isn’t happy with us. 

THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS

Some may say there’s a spiritual link to our project - that a divine force is behind it. Our readers will know of the meaning of the man in the shadows… the secretive one who wears a top hat. Well, we’ve seen a magical photo in the Metro newspaper which intrigued us - take a look!

http://img.metro.co.uk/e-edition/A17s0z/Metro20090513/resources/17.htm

TREASURE CHEST

Passengers on a Japan Airlines 747 plane were amazed when their flight was brought to an abrupt halt before take-off due to a transit box stuck in engine No 1.  The pilot was forced to a standstill only when police raced onto the runway and flagged him down.  Authorities at Los Angeles International Airport believe the container may have been sucked into the engine after being parked too close to the engine. 

Another curious coincidence since the magician in our tale stores all the Earth props used to perform his tricks in a large chest.  He laments that his attempts to persuade us to live better with Nature have failed. So who could blame him for resorting to desperate measures to stem our love affair with the plane?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=picE8ZvknpA

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

16/04/2009 by admin.

Our readers will know all about the mystical ‘Tree of Life’ at the heart of our story and recorded in Charles Lamb’s journal.  Yggdrasil is an evergreen or fir tree and represents the essential role of trees in the continued survival of humanity on this planet. Trees are often said to be the ‘Lungs of the Earth’ so at a time when deforestation threatens the beauty of the Amazon rainforest isn’t it strange that a small fir tree has been found within the lungs of a man?

Reports claim that Artyom Sidorkin from Russia inhaled a seed which then sprouted inside him. After he complained of severe chest pains, doctors were convinced he had cancer after an X-Ray revealed what appeared to be a tumour. 

However when he operated, Dr Kamashev, thought he was hallucinating for growing inside Mr Sidorkin’s lungs was a 2 inch spruce!  He blinked three times as he was sure he was seeing things!

The presence of the tree is a real mystery as biologists say it is absolutely impossible for a green plant to grow from a seed inside a mans body; claiming that they need certain conditions -light, water and certain temperatures.  So, we have a person from Russia - home of the Samoyed tribe - operated on by a doctor whose names (Artyom and Kamashev) include the word HAYMAKERS!  It’s magic!

Celebrate for all we need is the ‘Air that We Breathe’….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMSAnZR2Q8Q

Posted in Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

02/12/2008 by admin.

Happy 27th Birthday Britney Spears. Let’s celebrate - in the last year, Britney Spears was the most searched for term on Yahoo.com.  There are billions of searches each year and the troubled pop artist drew more hits than Barack Obama.  He was third on the list, behind Britney and ‘World Wrestling Entertainment’. 

This is all very interesting as some recent buyers of our novel initially mistook it to be by Britney Spears, not Billie Shears.  This was simply an ‘at a glance’ problem, but their names are very similar and rhyme.

Then we realise that Britney’s breakthrough song was, ‘Baby one more time’ with the lyrics, ‘Give me a sign, hit me…” She still believes. Do you? Here’s the video, complete with the clock ringing at 3.00.

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

Curious as a definition of ‘Haymaker’ includes one able to deliver a good punch. Which leads us on to the ‘World Wrestling Entertainment’. Interesting as ‘throwing a haymaker’ is a wrestling move.

Perhaps this all explains why Britney Spears made an appearance on the show, ‘The X Factor’?  Does not our novel ask whether we - the human race - have the X factor? Are we equipped to care for our planet and its eco-systems? Why Britney even chose to wear a top hat, just like the mysterious man in the shadows - the character orchastraing our story is clearly making a big impression.

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q62a Is life logical?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | 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 »

29/07/2008 by admin.

In Humberside, England, a young romantic named Robert ploughed a proposal for his sweetheart to marry him. The message read ‘Sarah Marry Me’.  He then flew his surprised girlfriend of 10 years over the field. Sarah was amazed, and shed a few tears. She accepted at once, saying the magic words, ‘I do’. 

The Blakesware Set must be delighted. Our Sarah hopes that one day someone might do something similar for her!

Another celebration - The National Areonautical and Space Administration (NASA) are celebrating 50 years since they were established.  The highlights are many - orbiting the Earth, landing on the Moon and adventures into our solar system.  The most famous quote remains, ‘One step for a man, one giant step for mankind,’ and echoed in The Haymakers Survey.  NASAs motto is ‘For the benefit of all’.  NASA’s Office of Education’s motto is ‘Shaping the Future’. 

We recommend a visit to NASA’s website to witness all they’ve achieved.

 http://www.nasa.gov/50th/home/index.html

We come down-to-Earth with a visit to the West Midlands and a safari park to rejoice at the sight of six rare white lion cubs, which is remarkable since according to African legend white lions are a lucky charm and only come along once every 100 years.   Take a peep at the darling cubs…

Word for word, letter for letter, their names are Star, Haze, Neptune, Ariel, Oberon and Ophelia. Fortunately, none are made of stone, unlike Uncle John Plumer’s lion head statue!

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q25 Do you believe in fairies?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

23/05/2008 by admin.

Dramatic evidence of the break-up of the Arctic ice-cap has emerged.  Scientists have found major new fractures during an assessment of the state of giant ice shelves in Canada’s far north. They found a network of cracks that stretched for more than 10 miles on Ward Hunt, the area’s largest shelf.  The scientists were astonished to see these new cracks, saying: “It means the ice shelf is disintegrating, the pieces are pinned together like a jigsaw but could float away. We’re seeing very dramatic changes; from the retreat of the glaciers, to the melting of the sea ice.  What’s happening to the ice shelves is part of that picture.” 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7417123.stm

After the record Arctic melting last year, all eyes are now on what happens to the sea ice this summer.

Perhaps this explains why Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ has been put back on display in a Norwegian museum, having been largely restored after it was damaged during a heist in 2004.  The painting is not quite its former self, carrying a humidity stain in the bottom left-hand corner. The painting, of course, features within our story to represent nature’s torment at our destuctive hands. We see its restoration as a message of hope for the future.

Let’s celebrate with this version of Norwegian Wood, by The Beatles.  Look out for the man in the shadows!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG0xiweOaMw

Posted in Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

21/05/2008 by admin.

Mysterious bands of shadow which sometimes pass across the ground during an eclipse might be produced by sound pulses, according to a new theory.  “Shadow bands” have been observed travelling across the ground before and after totality - when the Moon completely covers the Sun. Astrophysicist Dr Stuart Eves thinks the phenomenon could be down to something called infrasound - a sound with a frequency too low to be heard by the human ear.

“As the eclipse shadow moves through the atmosphere, the sudden disappearance of the Sun changes the Earth’s temperature. This rapid cooling of the air sets up a difference in pressure. The potential energy associated with this pressure difference then escapes as high-intensity infrasound. The speed of the Moon’s shadow is generally supersonic and likens the phenomenon to the sonic boom of a jet breaking the sound barrier. But the sound pulses are not generated as single events. Instead, they are created continuously along a “shock front” which moves ahead of the eclipse itself.  This infrasound “front” may create a pattern of peaks and troughs in the atmosphere, which changes the speed and direction of light waves - an effect called refraction - passing through it.  This in turn is responsible for generating the shadow bands seen on the ground. If proven, it would be a something of a revelation that eclipses are a sonic as well as an optical phenomenon. But none of the [existing] theories seem to take account of the fact that shadow bands change direction,” he explained.

Dr Eves also thinks the disruption to pendulums may be caused by infrasound pulses causing the ground to vibrate, disrupting the pendulum’s rhythm.  In addition, animals, and in particular birds, have been seen to exhibit unusual behaviour. In the case of birds this includes premature roosting and apparent signs of distress or alarm.  Birds have auditory ranges that extend well beyond those of humans, and might be affected by low frequency sound pulses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv7SgYNA_ec&feature=related

Posted in Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery? | No Comments »

09/04/2008 by admin.

The influential artist David Hockney has donated his largest work, Bigger Trees near Warter to Tate Britain, home of Stubbs’  Haymakers painting.  The landscape - 12 metres long and 5 metres tall - was first exhibited last year at the Royal Academy.

It was painted in situ on 50 individual canvases that fit together like a jigsaw.  Trees especially have caught his imagination - we know the feeling! Oh an anagram of DAVID HOCKNEY is C KIND HAY DOVE!

Proposals to protect honey bees in England and Wales have been announced, with the Government seeking advice of 44,000 bee keepers. Numbers have fallen by 30 percent in the past 50 years. One of the main causes has been an invasion of foreign bacterial diseases which have been thriving thanks to higher temperatures in recent decades.  The Farming Minister, Lord Rucker to the House of Lords has said the English honey bee population could be wiped out within 10 years.  Sir David Attenborough recently said, “If bees and butterflies disappeared, you wouldn’t have any food on your table.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niEZaD_G6PM

What do you think of it so far? Rubbish! Well plastic rubbish. The quantity of rubbish on British beaches has increased by over 100% over the past decade, and most of it is due to plastic. Not only is the rubbish ugly, its also a threat to wildlife. As Emma says, “its like living in the dark ages.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7339737.stm

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q74 Do you like puzzles?, Q31 Are you a charitable neighbour?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »