07/09/2010 by admin.

We’re very sad to report that Mike Edwards an early member of the British rock group the Electric Light Orchestra has been crushed by a giant bale of hay.  The bizarre accident happened near Totnes in Devon when the hay rolled down a steep hill and smashed into his van.  Police believe the 600kg bale fell from a tractor in nearby farmland.  The cellist was 62 years old and lived in Totnes - a place with a thriving centre for music, art and natural living.  It has a sizeable ‘New Age’ community. In 2007 Time magazine declared Totnes the captial of New Age Chic.

When ELO was formed the idea was to take rock music in the direction that the Beatles had left off. The band’s debut album was called No Answer. The band’s second album produced its first big UK hit ‘Roll Over Beethoven’.  They had a range of hits in Britain and the USA. Perhaps the most popular album was Out of the Blue which featured the songs’ Turn to Stone, Mr Blue Sky, Sweet Talkin Woman and Wild West Hero. 

Our condolences go to Mike Edwards and his family and friends. In celebration of his life and contribution to a fabulous pop group here’s ELOs version of Roll Over Beethoven which begins with a haunting rendition of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony - which features on page 27 of our novel. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNR4xfh1Qc

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | 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 »

20/12/2009 by admin.

The icy spell across Europe has brought travel misery to thousands of passengers using the Eurostar between London and Paris. A number of trains have broken down due to the difference in temperature outside the tunnel and within. Many have endured extremely long and uncomfortable journeys and we feel for their plight.

So, what does this have to do with our Watch we hear you ask? Simple really - maybe its Mother Nature’s way of drawing everyone’s attention to the role of the star in revealing the hidden message in ‘The Haymakers Survey’.  In our story, the star is at the centre of the unveiling of the key message - see page 198. What’s to follow we wonder?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | 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 »

05/12/2009 by admin.

Some 40,000 people gathered in London today to send a message to world leaders gathering in Copenhagen about the need for action on climate change.  Replicating his presence at a similar event recorded in our novel, Ben Whittenbury joined them in his polar bear outfit.  Ben, Julia and Sarah enjoyed taking part in the ‘blue human wave’.  Sarah loved the open top bus and the many blue ribbon’s waved truimphantly from it. All in all a happy event with a serious message.

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

Perhaps the organisers, and the PM Gordon Brown, were inspired by our novel - and page 183 in particular! Go take a look it includes the vision of the ‘wave’ symbolising predicted sea level rises and the blue ribbon which features to illustrate our fragile world - just ask Dr Mark Penning, President of WAZA for confirmation on how perilous things are!  

Remember people -we’re not one to gloat but we did after all receive the coverted ‘Blue Ribbon Award’ for our efforts.  Finally, page 183 also includes a reference to the ‘Flat Earth Society’ to illustrate how people often only grasp the truth when there’s tangible visible and physical evidence! Trouble is we’re at the point of no return! Its all a matter of faith. Bring on the magic fairy dust?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSIvZXuoj2s

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q25 Do you believe in fairies?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

13/09/2009 by admin.

On page 86 of our novel, Malachi, says, “What is it with humans - this obsession with keeping things clean and tidy?”  

How charming then that Sir David Attenborough, the famed wildlife ambassador, presenter and naturalist appeared at the Last Night of the Proms playing a FLOOR POLISHER as a musical instrument as part of a comic music piece, ‘A Grand, Grand Overture by Sir Malcom Arnold. Sir David was joined at the Royal Albert Hall by pianist Stephen Hough.

Did Sir David unwittingly endorse Malachi’s words? Might we substitute our obsession for cleaning and tidying with caring for the environment?

Another curiosity with Sir David’s appearance is that the Last Night is traditionally connected with British Patriotism because our discussion under Star Question (page 499) explores why The Haymakers Survey was shared with the world in Britain.  We identifed many reasons why here and now. Let’s celebrate with Jerusalem with its reference to those ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ mentioned by Charles Lamb at the start of his journal (page 233).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bggV_Dbj87w

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

22/06/2009 by admin.

In our story, Charles Lamb’s journal records the significance of a blue ribbon taken from Lucy Ebbs’ hair in helping to flag the needs of Mother Nature. How surprising then that Oxfam Campaigners are asking people to demand action on climate change until their ‘Blue in the Face’.

A host of celebrities agreed to have their face painted blue to show their support for the global movement determined to take action on climate change; people like Fatboy slim, Jarvis and VV Brown. Its all part of the run up to the Copenhagen event in December when world leaders will come together to agree a new global climate deal.  The video in the link will be shown at Glastonbury.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/festivals/index.html

The less brave at heart might want to follow Lucy’s lead and wear a blue ribbon instead?  Forget-her-Not?

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q31 Are you a charitable neighbour?, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty? | No Comments »

24/01/2009 by admin.

An exhibition at Leicester Museum launched today and tells the story of polar bears, the largest land predators on Earth, and their journey to the museums and stately homes of Britain.  Titled, Nanoq - Inuit for Polar Bear - its a visual art display. Between 2002 and 2004 artists Bryndis Snaebjorndottir and Mark Wilson carried out a study of taxidermied polar bears in the UK.  33 bears were traced and photographed in situ.  The research forms the photographic exhibition and documents the history of each bear; its captivity and age at death.

The touring exhibition runs until 5 April.  It has previously exhibited at the University of Iceland, the Horniman Museum and the Fram Museum, Oslo. Nanoq also featured as part of HEAT: Art and Climate Change in Melbourne.

We’re still tickled that they identified 33 polar bears, given the significance of number 3 in our tale!

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

16/01/2009 by admin.

Boy George, the former controversial frontman to the 1980’s band Culture Club, has been given a 15 month prison sentence for false imprisonment and gratuitous violence.  A barrister in the case said that, “At the heart of the matter was a descent into self destructive behaviour.”  The singer’s solicitor later claimed, “George is on the way to recovery, I sincerely hope this sentence doesn’t knock him back.” 

This is George in his hey-day! An artist known for wearing a ribbon or two in his hair and an ambassador for diversity in our world.

So, what does this have to do with the environment, we hear you ask? Simple really - in response to Ben Whittenbury’s decision to draw up ‘The Haymakers Survey’ our Magician invited the climate change sceptics to say no to climate chaos and join the Culture Change Club.  The implication is that Boy George’s troubles are a reflection of the unwillingness of many on our planet to take the environment seriously or see any real threat.  The culture change required remains a distant vision. 

Allow George to take you back to 1870 …

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeTpbV9nt0

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

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 »