Crop Circles and Drones ~ Press Report

©Lucy Pringle

On Thursday 13 July a shockingly inaccurate and nasty report appeared in the press. Maybe the most unpleasant pieces in the article is the suggestion that all money collected from circle sites is taken by people posing as the farmer and then pocketing the proceeds. There may be certain isolated cases of scurrilous behaviour but there are several farmers who are persona grata and who are collecting money for charities. There is one in farmer in particular who has raised a substantial amount of money in memory of his wife who recently died of cancer. He set up a charity to equip a breast screening radiotherapy unit to be built on the site at the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, as the closest unit was in Oxford as before people had to travel many hours for a daily treatment lasting a few minutes each time over a period of six weeks which was altogether too exhausting and draining. He opens his fields so that visitors can visit the circles on his land and we are all delighted to contribute to such an excellent cause that is benefiting so many people.

The target of £2.9 million has already raised £750,000.  This is a really splendid and worthwhile charity worthy of support.  The charity, Brighter Futures https://www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk/

who are running the appeal have received support from other companies in Swindon such as Sainsbury’s 'Stratton and TE Connectivity'.  Staff at other companies including Corporate Events, Arval, Jury’s Hotel, Nationwide and Santander have all supported the appeal by fundraising for the charity.

In addition money raised from a crop circle in Dorset this summer has raised a considerable amount, much of which has been donated by the farmer to the local village hall.

After an objection was lodged by one of the farmer’s involved, an amendment was placed on the Facebook (but not reported in the national press) saying:

The national paper in which I first read the article had the headline "Police target crop circle 'criminals' who profit from drone footage." Who are these criminals? I am not sure who instigated this press release, but they certainly provided incorrect information which unfortunately the police did not check out before providing material for their interview.

The piece suggested that web sites using drones are profiteering from advertising.  I cannot see why they are targeting drone users when other web sites using other means of flying such as helicopters who could also be making money from advertising. I do not see the difference. Could there be something vindictive behind the scenes in whoever got in touch with the press in the first instance?

Another strange statement tells us that there have been a number of drone incidents this summer which have a'huge impact on the hardworking landowners and farmers whose crops are damaged'.  Damaged by drones — how can that be when helicopters legitimately have permission, keeping to the strict aviation laws, to fly just a low as drones and they don’t create any damage (I fly in helicopters so I know). In addition despite the above, it seems that 'many farmers do not report them'.  We therefore must ask if indeed ANY farmers have reported them this summer and I suspect the answer is NO, else the farmers who complained would have been interviewed for this article.

General letter ~ 19th July 2017

There have been two unexpected last minute cancellations for the Crop circle tour on 25 July with the optional extra of a wonderful private evening entry into Stonehenge.

In addition, I have one more special private entry Stonehenge ticket for that evening so that makes a total of 3 private entry evening tickets to Stonehenge. 

Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join me as I expect they might go quite fast.

We have had some really wonderful circles recently including the Hackpen event lying just below the Hackpen chalk White Horse.

If you look closely at the image you will see it appear in 3D!

I am flying tomorrow morning (weather permitting) over a spectacular circle at Cley Hill, near Warminster, Wiltshire, so please keep an eye on my website.

Hackpen is a special place of legend and mystery. There is a well documented report of Faery happenings. These were recorded by John Aubrey and tells of a shepherd who was taken under the hill; the hill at certain phases of the moon, being raised up on pillars. Music was heard and revelry was seen by the shepherd before he returned. It seems he was never quite the same after his visit to the fairies. There seems little doubt that crop circles are linked to hill carvings, ancient monuments, tumuli and faery places.

James Hussey has kindly opened his field for visitors and we are all happy to pay an entrance fee. The money goes towards the charity James set up in memory of his wonderful wife Gill to raise money to equip a breast screening radiotherapy unit to be built on the site at the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, as the closest unit was in Oxford and for Gill and others to have to travel many hours for a daily treatment lasting a few minutes each time over a period of six weeks was altogether too exhausting and draining.

James continued to allow people to enter his fields, charging a fee to visit the circles which went towards the target of £2.9 million having already raised £750,000. This is a really splendid charity worthy of support. The charity, Brighter Futures who are running the appeal told me that to date “we have received support from companies in Swindon such as Sainsbury’s Stratton and TE Connectivity”. Staff at other companies including Corporate Events, Arval, Jury’s Hotel, Nationwide and Santander have all supported the appeal by fundraising for us.

Many schools, nurseries and centres for learning have also adopted us as their chosen charity for the year, as have many other smaller organisations such as churches, local groups and WI’s and Rotary Groups. To find out the latest news about what we are doing with the help of local people visit our website on www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk

This is my most hectic time of the year with Crop Circle tours, the wonderful Glastonbury Symposium and my Scientific Research day plus getting up in the air to take photographs. So very many apologies and please forgive me for such a short letter. I will try and do better next time!

With my love and blessings.
Lucy.