14/02/2011 by admin.

In our novel Mother Nature is portrayed by Lucy.

We’re fascinated that scientists have confirmed that a 3.2million year old fossil of one of our key ancestors could walk upright consistently. The evidence comes from a metatarsal bone that was found in Hadar, Ethiopia.

It represents one of the major advances in human evolution.  The bone has all the hallmarks of the form and function of the modern human foot.  The initial skeleton find was in 1974 and called Lucy.  Here’s an artist’s impression of her from all those years ago…

We wanted to celebrate confirmation of this evolutionary link as its a timely reminder of the need to be wary of the human footprint on this beloved planet Earth. How about the Woodstock anthem..

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSzak2dJOAw

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q46 Do you value a good education? | No Comments »

17/11/2010 by admin.

Using a metal detector, James Hyatt, a 3 year old boy from Essex has unearthed an amazing engraved 500 year old gold locket estimated to be worth £2.5m. Believed to have once belonged to royalty the locket carries an engraving of a woman - assumed to be the Virgin Mary holding a crucifix and depicts a rose bud. The figure is also standing on a mesh or web. On the reverse are five bleeding hearts. On the sides are the names of the three kings or Magi who visited Christ after his birth, including Jaspar in Latin. Experts believe the locket once held alleged parts of Christ’s thorn of crowns.

James found the lost treasure in a field near Hockley when out with his father, a web designer. James said, “I was holding the detector and it went beep,beep,beep. Then we dug in the mud and there was gold there”.  

The discovery of a gold locket in mud against a web-log is central to our story - see free sample. A metal detector is also a key part of the journey of discovery. The locket in our novel belonged to a Great Creator and represents Mother Nature. It was heart shaped and brings a message of faith and hope. A message that we need to take care of Planet Earth and the natural environment. The locket’s discovery shows us that humanity is at the crossroads. It’s the begining of the journey that led to the Whittenbury Watch and the magical events recorded on this site.  A rose bud also features strongly in our tale - to symbolise the beauty of our world and we are warned that the rose is dying.

We believe the discovery is priceless. It vindicates the messages in the Whittenbury Watch. Afterall the very final words in the book are ‘To Jasper - we did it!” Do you believe yet?

It’s all a matter of faith!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=883t2Pac8pk 

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.5 Do you believe in fate? | No Comments »

03/09/2010 by admin.

A unique Roman lantern made of bronze has been discovered in a field in Sudbury, Suffolk by Danny Mills - a young metal detector enthusiast. The lantern’s believed to be the only one of its kind in Britain. Dating from around the 3rd century AD the object’s been restored to its former glory by Emma Hogarth, Conservator at Colchester and Ipswich museums. Emma was amazed that the chains that suspend the lantern showed no sign of corrosion and move like any modern chain.

Coincidentally, our novel reveals how a metal detector leads to the discovery of buried treasure. More exciting perhaps is how Charles Lamb’s journal tells how they use a lantern when first entering mystical Royston cave. Here’s the extract from page 397

“Stukeley hung his perforaed lantern on a swivelling hook. Before it settled its light settled like a pendulum casting shadows that danced about the cave. As the carvings flickered in the unnatural light I wondered about the invisible people from days gone by whose feet had traversed the floor of the cave, whose hands had carved the figures into the stone. What would they make of us?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZhY7fD1d4c&feature=related

Posted in Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q32 Are you afraid of the dark?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

22/08/2010 by admin.

On 5 August the roof of the San Jose copper-gold mine near Copiapo in Chile collapsed trapping 33 miners some 700 metres underground. We’re delighted to report that after days of searching the miners have been located alive and seemingly well. Through a bore hole used to locate them they’ve sent a message to emotional loved ones above which translates to ‘The 33 of us are fine in the shelter’.

Hours later cameras were lowered into the bore hole, taking the first images of the trapped workers. How amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryUuw385jKk&feature=related

Plans are now underway to find a way to evacuate the miners, but in the meantime Los 33 have to live in a cave. Uncanny given the Whittenburys’ discussion in a novel about life in a cave… and the conclusion of the first part of our trilogy has similarities.  The shape of Chile is a distinctive ribbon of land. Chile’s territorities include Easter Island in the Pacific, featured in another Watch story because humans exploited the environment. Chiliens also call their country the ‘pais de poetas; the country of poets.  We’re sure Charles Lamb, Samuel Coleridge and Percy Shelley would be most interested in these coincidences. It’s a strange old world.

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

24/09/2009 by admin.

Terry Herbert, an amateur metal detector, has found the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered. The harvest of over 1,500 pieces of treasure included weapons, coins, helmet decorations and Christian crosses. The first scraps of gold were found by Terry in July with the last pieces removed by a small army of volunteers a couple of weeks ago.  The hoard is believed to have been in the ground for some 1,300 years and has been declared treasure by coroners with a monetary value of £1m.

Its a magical discovery and we ask, did we foresee it? Page 212 of our novel tells of Bill Darvill’s search for ancient treasure using a metal detector and how he paused now and then to dig the soil of an open field to hunt for gold. It was the prelude to the discovery of Charles Lamb’s journal (page 214). Here’s an extract:

“Legs astride, the metal detector swung too and fro in his [Bill’s] hands like a hypnotic pendulum…. [He] witnessed the heavy clunck as Jonas’ spade struck something buried within the soil. [He] also heard Sarah’s excited shriek, “Yes we’ve found the treasure”.

In response Malachi says, “Open your heart, we’ve got to change. There’s still a chance for us.” He adds in Latin (page 215) “Multorum minibus magnum levator onus” which means “By the hands of many a great load is lightened.”  His words have extra poignancy given a Latin inscription in a strip of gold amongst the Staffordshire hoard which translates in “Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and they that hate the be dispersed.”

Could it be that the discovery is a timely reminder that we need to work together to salvage the real treasure - the diversity and ecology of the majestic and miraculous planet we inhabit?

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

10/09/2009 by admin.

In our novel (page 177) Malachi quotes from a collection of old Nordic poems preserved in the Icelandic medieval manuscript Codex Regius, (Latin for King’s Book). He says, ”They stretched out strings of Gold and fastened them under the Hall of the Moon”. 

Malachi said this after mention of how an invisible magical force holds everything together. Let’s look at this more closely. We believe in Nordic mythology Vidofnir sits glistening like Gold in the tree tops and its around his staff that Icelandics weave their string or thread. It is this thread that is tied to the hall of the moon -its crescent.  It explains how the Earth and the Moon are tied together in orbit - by [unseen] strings of Gold. 

So, with this in mind we’re fascinated that scientists believe they’ve discovered the oldest example of humans making cords. In a cave in Georgia, when looking for pollen they were surprised to accidentally stumble upon microscopic fibres more than 30,000 years old.  A researcher from Harvard University said they are weaven in a way that suggestes a very old princple of making rope or cord, preserved in mud that accumulated over thousands of years. Some of the fibres were coloured using natural plant pigments - were they Gold perhaps?

Maybe Malachi’s quote also suggests we are risking upsetting the natural balance of things! That things are hanging by a thread - in the Antarctic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_k2Vbhza9o

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

06/09/2009 by admin.

In our novel Charles Lamb’s journal makes early mention of a May Fair and his desire to love and care for Lucy Ebbs - Mother Nature personified. Whilst in the run up to the discovery of the journal The Beatles song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds helped lead us to it.  We also make a link to the prospect of converting peanuts (a metaphor for those with little care for the environment) into diamonds (those who do and seek and take action).

 FROM  INTO   MEANS

Mayfair in London has already featured a few times on this Watch and we have another example: on 6 August Britain’s record gems heist took place in Mayfair.  £40m worth of necklaces, earrings and watches were taken after a gang forced a member of staff to fill a bag with 43 items.  The gang were smartly dressed and wore masks to disguise their features. They made their getaway in a BMW - the same initials as Ben Michael Whittenbury -our self-appointed Earth Champion.

Six people have since been arrested in connection with the robbery, so we now feel comfortable about including the raid in our Watch.  We see it as a timely reminder of the true value of diamonds - they are forever - just what Mother Nature needs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KdY_rm1SE&feature=fvst

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

11/08/2009 by admin.

At Maize Maze in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, a pig named Ginger has swallowed a diamond from a solitaire ring on the hand of Ann Moon. Farmer Paul Caygill runs the attraction believes Nature will take its course and the ring will turn up in the pig’s sty. Mrs Moon, from Sowerby near Thirsk, had put her hand into the enclosure to pet the animal but it put its mouth to her hand and nibbled at the ring.

Ok an amusing story but so what, you might reasonably ask? Well, our readers will know of Ben Whittenbury’s wish to restore the pig stys at ‘NoBling’ Green, whilst Malachi complains that, ‘It’s gone to pigs and whistles’ implying that we need to rediscover the right working relationship with Mother Nature.  Perhaps the pig is unwittingly reminding humanity to loose our obsession with wealth and other false riches! Go Ginger!

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q71 Is there something missing in your life?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q48 Have you ever played solitaire?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

17/07/2009 by admin.

Following Ben’s sighting of the runaway horseman and the ghostly lady in grey, our novel includes discussion on the exploits of highwaymen in Hertfordshire folklore, including the notorious Sixteen-String Jack - a character mentioned by Charles Lamb in his journal. 

Curious then that a photo E-fit of the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin has been released by North Yorkshire Police some 270 years since he was sent to the gallows for murder, robbery and cattle rustling. 

York Castle are displaying a wanted poster based on the E-fit drawn from descriptions from the 18th century.  Dick Turpin is legendary for riding 200 miles from London to York on his beloved Black Bess! Maybe he was the ghost rider Ben saw - all will be revealed!

Here’s the opening music to the TV series Dick Turpin. It reminds Ben of his ghostly encounter. You can read about his experience in our novel extract.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GrOcTAKboE&feature=related

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost? | 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 »