Last but not Least – October 2022

Ipuacu, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Anxious not to be left out, Brazil has been graced with the final circle of the year.

The report came in on the 4th October. We are told that 'it appeared overnight along the side of a steep hill, just outside of the small town of Ipuacu, where many local people could see the field from their homes. No one there heard anything or saw anybody.'

The formation contains interesting and playful geometry. In the centre of the circle, there is a triangle containing a small circle and outside the circle, there is a pentagon. The triangle has three sides and the pentagon has five - making a total of eight.

In Pythagorean numerology the number 8 represents victory, prosperity and overcoming.


Ipuacu, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Ipuacu is famous for its waterfalls and Wikipedia tells us that 'Iguazú Falls or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. Together, they make up the largest waterfall system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.'

There is also a legend that 'that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. The first European to record the existence of the falls was the Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.'

Pam Gregory
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fzzEWEw794[/embedyt]

Trying to Catch Up! – September 2022

General Letter ~ Trying to Catch Up.
My 2023 Crop Circle Calendar containing photographs of the 2022 circles is in my shop. It will be posted to you as soon as it is available in mid-October.
Dear Friends,
O dear, O dear, what has happened to the year? I do not seem to have quite caught up with it yet. So far, it seems to have been a year of chunks of time, all different, some being more demanding than others. I don’t seem to be able to quite put my finger on it exactly, but what does stand out to me is the fluctuation and change that has been going on, not just globally but in my life and the lives of others - with whom I discuss these things.Certainly, if we look all over the world we see these quite unexpected new changes. Change seems to be the dominant factor almost everywhere. I know it is hard to be optimistic, but strangely I am. I see a new world coming, taking time to readjust itself, but ultimately wholesome and beneficial. I am acutely aware of all the terrible suffering that so many people in distant lands, and here, are going through. Like times past, change has brought about new awareness and order by benefitting from experience.

I am going to move on and take you with me into the fields to see what has been happening this summer in these green and verdant pastures. Not much to be perfectly honest, but we have had some special ones.

We have had precisely fourteen formations, including one in France. Is there a reason behind this? Has the phenomenon also been affected by change?

Over the years, it has remained steadfast and resolute, and no matter how much people have scoffed, it continues to grace our fields - much to most farmers’ dismay. Sometimes I do ask myself, is this a finite or infinite phenomenon - who knows, and maybe this is one of the joys as it teases us each year, rather like the swallows - when will the circles arrive? Incidentally, I was not the only one who saw worryingly few swallows or swifts this year. One of the reasons could be the increase in kites and other birds of prey - raptors - who might have caught them on the wing before they had arrived safely.


The first circle to be welcomed joyously was at Little Down, near Hippenscombe, Wiltshire. It was reported on the 22nd of May and was in Barley, and it measured c.150 feet (46m) overall. Its sharp and concise geometry consisted of a saw-form motif containing a sun and four planet motif, all contained within an octagon.
© StonehengeDronescapesPhotography.

In between the arrival of more circles - and one in France at Saint Denis en Bugey, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, reported on the 30th of May, I took two happy tours - the first one at the end of July. We were fortunate, as the first circle at Etchilhampton had just arrived and we were most grateful for the kind farmer’s permission to allow us to go in. Circles have appeared many times on his land and like generous farmer James Hussey, he grants people permission to enter. It was a bakingly hot day, but there was an easy entrance downhill into the circle. Just as we had been driving up to park our cars, I passed a car. Sitting inside was a man I thought I recognised. When we entered the circle, there was the same man lying meditating in one of the circles.

A little later he came through to the circle where we were, and yes, it was Brian. I had first met Brian at the Glastonbury Symposium in 2005 where he had told me a strange story. I asked him to retell the story to my group.

In 2004, on August 3rd, there had been the most intriguing circle, which we called the Mayan Calendar. It was perfect in every way, right down to the detail of the five missing days of the Haab calendar. Brian and his family are New Born Christians and had the most extraordinary story to tell. On the first night, the outline of the formation was drawn up by a young man who had called in at the Barge Pub asking if anyone would help him make a circle opposite Silbury Hill that night. He was asked if he had the farmer’s permission and on replying 'No', no one agreed to go with him. The following day there was a rudimentary design in the field.

However, on the 6th of August, Brian and his family went up the slope to sit in the circle. It was a lovely warm summer’s evening, and as they were sitting there, men came in with their gear and as Brian described 'they moved as fast as a bus'. If you look at this picture, not only does it contain quite astonishing detail, as I described above, but how could men moving 'as fast as a bus' possibly produce such extraordinary fine, precise and perfect workmanship?

Shortly after Brian had told me his story my brain started whirling. I could not doubt Brian in any way, yet how had people moving at such speed made this immaculate circle? There had to be an answer. For some time I have had a nagging thought - something I didn’t want to put into words - could there be an unknown, hidden hand guiding the hoaxers on certain occasions? On reflection, that seemed the only explanation. I have talked to many other 'old timers' and they too have come to the same opinion. A gradual realisation that there was no other explanation behind this phenomenon but - an Intelligence.


Opposite Silbury Hill, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. 3rd August 2004. The Mayan Calendar.

Brian is a spiritual man with a fine sense of humour, and he was a great addition to our group as we swapped stories and experiences. Before leaving, we joined hands in a circle and chanted. It seemed a proper thing to do, as we gave thanks to the circle and the welcome it had given us.

Alexia Willen sent me this report:

My experience in the first Crop Circle.
I felt very tired.
Wanted to sleep.
Felt a feeling of letting go.
Peace.
Alexia.

Another report from the Mayan Calendar circle reached me that year from Jennifer Denning. I have put this at the end of my letter.

After a delicious lunch at the Honey Street café, sitting outside at a long table in the tent. We drove to Barbury Castle where the magical Pi formation had appeared in 2008.


Barbury Castle 1st June 2008 Pi chart explanation.

The circle was the same field as the Pi formation but this circle was quite different, but of equal beauty. There is a public path through that field giving easy access to the circle which lay adjacent to the path.


© Simon Young.
Barbury Castle, near Wroughton, Wiltshire.
Reported 17th July 2022. Wheat. c.120 feet (36.5m) diameter.
This one appeared over two days.


Barbury Castle, near Wroughton, Wiltshire.
Reported 17th July 2022. Wheat. c.120 feet (36.5m) diameter.

To finish the day we all went to a magical private entry evening visit to Stonehenge. As always, no matter how many times one has visited the stones, as they come into view and the closer you get to them, one has a sense of gradually increasing excitement and wonder. These majestic megaliths stand majestic and proud, reigning over the surrounding countryside. We had a most excellent guide who was just as enthusiastic as we were. She gave us fascinating and interesting facts, one after the other.

This time I had a strange experience. Having had the privilege of visiting Stonehenge many times, sometimes the hour we have inside has seemed quite long for one reason or another, for instance if it is cold etc., but this time, it seemed to fly by and I couldn’t believe when told our hour was up. Walking back with Paul Stillwell, who was one of the group, turned to me and said: ‘I can't believe how quickly the time went inside Stonehenge! It felt like 1 minute rather than 1 hour.
Happy smiles all round. What a perfect end to a happy day.

For the second tour on the 2nd of August, due to the hot weather, many circles had been harvested including the formation at Etchilhampton we had visited on the first tour. We visited the Barbury Castle circle, which thankfully was still there and, quite remarkably, undamaged.

After another delicious lunch at the Honey Street Café and visiting the excellent Crop Circle Exhibition, we went up to West Kennet Long Barrow - one of the very oldest Long Barrows in the country and full of intriguing history. This is one of my most favourite places. It is strategically situated so that at certain times of year, at either sunrise or sunset, the sun sets or rises behind sacred sites in this sacred landscape, Silbury Hill, East Kennet Long Barrow, Waden Hill and Windmill Hill.

When first built, West Kennet Long Barrow, being made of chalk, gleamed white, as did Silbury Hill, which was built later. They were places of importance and dominance in the landscape.

Two more people kindly sent me reports of their experiences this summer.

Gemma Jones sent me this lovely report after visiting the Micheldever circle.

‘Recently I was blessed to visit a crop circle ? ️

I went to work out on the road with my partner for the day and had learned about the crop circle 2 days before. We knew we would be near it so left it open that we will visit if it’s meant to be.

We were a little against the time so decided to head home but the road we needed to go on was closed, the road we had to take…..the one with the crop circle.

We also made it home in time for collecting my daughter.

The energy was so powerful and I could hear Sirius high council calling within the space and light language moving through me.

As we left the circle all of a sudden my entire body felt heavy. The only other time I’d felt this was after getting out of a swimming pool when I was pregnant ?‍♀️ ?? I felt like I’d come back into a denser space for sure.

There happened to be two other people there, one man and one woman plus my partner and I. We all sat in the centre of the circle together and tuned in to the frequency, the sound of the traffic disappeared and I felt waves of energy moving up and down through me. The 4 of us - the two masculine and two feminine felt so relevant to the pattern of the circle. Balance. Duality blending. New Earth emerging. Sirius Gateway opening.

This really was a magical experience.’

Paul Stillwell wrote telling me of his experience in the Pilgrim’s Trail circle near Winchester:

‘I went to the one near Winchester, I think it was named the 'Om' formation, as some people interpreted the laid and unlaid circles to be binary code for Om.

I knew which field it was in but that was all the info I had.
I came off the M3 at J10 and turned East onto Morestead Rd. Just after a bend in the road there was a layby with metal farm gates on either side of the road.
The crop circle was nowhere to be seen.
But, by divine intervention, there was a man in the layby with a drone camera!
He flew it up in the air and found exactly where it was and gave me instructions to find it.
I went on ahead while he was attending to his drone.

I climbed over the gate on the right hand side of the road and walked along the edge of the field until I reached an old metal water tower. From here there was a tramline leading directly into the field, this is the path I needed.

But even walking along it, the crop circle still wasn't visible until I was about 10 yards away from it.

I stopped and connected with the energies of the crop circle.
As I entered I became overwhelmed with a feeling of love and inner warmth, it almost brought a tear to my eye.
A very loving, feminine warmth.

The crop circle was beautifully crafted, pristine circles and the centre circle was laid with a basket weave.
I walked around every circle in the formation. Some of them had exciting energy, some had gentle loving energy, and some had calm, peaceful energy.

I stayed for a while, basking in the sun and the loving energies of the formation.
When I left I realised I had been there for 2 hours.
A really wonderful day. ’

Most regrettably our scientific research day did not take place due to medical reasons.

I am going to give a snapshot view of the other circles that appeared this summer.

1. Enmill Barn, near Crabwood,Winchester, Hampshire.
Reported 24th April 2022
Oil Seed Rape (Canola) 2022
© StonehengeDronescapesPhotography
2. Hackpen Hill White Horse, near Winterbourne Bassett, Wiltshire.
Reported 19th June 2022, Barley. c.160 feet (49m)
3. Kiteland Cottages, near Micheldever Station, Hampshire
Reported 3rd July 2022. ©Simon Young

4. Cake Wood, near Froxfield, Wiltshire. Reported 9th July 2022
Barley. © 90 feet (27.5m) ©Simon Young
5. Pilgrim's Trail, near Winchester, Hampshire. Reported 12th July 2022
Wheat. c.180 feet (55m) diameter. ©Simon Young
6. Lay Wood, near Devizes, Wiltshire. Reported 14th July
14th July 2022. Wheat. c.200 feet (61m). © StonehengeDronescapesPhotography

7. Etchilhampton Hill, near Devizes, Wiltshire. Reported 24th July 2022
8. Tawsmead Copse, near West Stowell, Wiltshire. Reported 28th July c. 235 feet (72m) long
9. Alton Priors, near Marlborough, Wiltshire.Alton Priors, near Marlborough, Wiltshire.
3rd August 2022. Wheat c. 200 feet (61m) diameter


10. Etchilhampton 2, near Devizes, Wiltshire. 8th August 2022
Wheat. c.180 feet (54.9m) overall diameter.

My 2023 Crop Circle Calendar containing photographs of the 2022 circles is in my shop. It will be posted to you as soon as it is available in mid-October.
Priced at £15, this A4 crop circle calendar (opens to A3) contains the major crop circles of 2022 plus a selection of side pictures, graphics and monthly quotations. Date boxes are large enough to make notes and appointments. High quality gloss paper with ring binding. Lucy has been producing these wonderful calendars since 2000 and they continue to make the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. You will find that you never want to throw them away.My previous calendars are reduced to £8 + postage



As I sign off this letter, the devastatingly sad news has just come through of the Queen's death. I want to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II who was personally loved and respected by so many people all over the world, particularly in Great Britain and the Commonwealth. She sets us an amazing example of duty and servitude. Despite her position, she was extraordinarily humble, serving the British people and Commonwealth wholeheartedly and with dedication throughout all her reign. She kept the promise she when she became Queen on the death of her father King George VI - 'I declare before you all, that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.'

With love and best wishes,
Lucy.

Jennifer Denning’s story

Dear Lucy, as promised, and at your request, when we met at the CSS in July I am now sending you the account of the healing I received in 2004 after visiting the Mayan formation.
Extract from my diary for 2004/2005
Second visit to crop formations.

The week before I had been given a picture taken from a newspaper of an enormous crop formation that had appeared over two nights in a field in front of Silbury Hill. We set out to find it, and after a few synchronistic happenings were directed to a large field near Silbury Hill. This was the now famous Mayan Clock formation, which could not be seen from the road, but only after you had climbed up for about a quarter of a mile, to the crest of a large field. And there it was!! What a marvellous awe-inspiring image, which for myself and my son has proved to be both a revelation and vibration raising experience – and I believe was the start of the experiences to come later.

There was a downside to our visit to this formation. We both experienced headaches on the way home, and felt extremely tired. I fell asleep easily, but was awoken at 1.am with terrible pains down the left side of my body. It felt as if my body was contorted with cramp, and the pain in my left thigh drew my leg backwards and upwards quite violently and then spread downwards to my left foot and upwards into the groin and hip area. The pain was intense and continuous, and nothing I did helped to alleviate it. I could not move from the bed, and then a rigor set in, my teeth were chattering, and I shook uncontrollably for about ten minutes. Just as my husband was about to dial 999, it stopped – as suddenly as a light switch being turned off. The next day I felt totally drained ,exhausted, and nauseous, but not bruised in any way as one usually does from cramp.

I called my son Jonathan about 11.am and he told me that he had experienced a bad night also, with lots of joint pains, but fortunately not so severe, and that both the children were fine.

A few days later I brought up the photographs taken on that day on my computer. I discovered that in two of the photos taken in the Mayan formation by my son Jon, there is a very bright light, which appeared to be moving across me, and another at the foot of the photo. They are roughly square in shape and have the appearance of a letter N on its side. It was 6.30pm in the evening and the light was behind me so they were obviously not a reflection – we were really intrigued, and I wrote to one of the crop circle organisers and asked their opinion. They did not reply, but I have since discovered that this formation has caused a lot of controversy within the crop circle community, so perhaps they did not wish to comment.

One of the most amazing things after this experience was the wonderful feeling of well being and contentment that gradually spread through my being, and the ensuing happiness, which is still with me.

The most amazing thing is that I have also experienced a spontaneous healing of the eye problem that I had been suffering from. Macular degeneration had been diagnosed after I started having vision problems in late 2003. Vision from my right eye was difficult, as I had distorted vision with all straight lines appearing wavy. This made reading difficult, and I was told on my last visit to the specialist in the autumn that it was progressive and I would probably need an operation. I was offered an operation at the Heath Hospital in Cardiff, which could take place before Christmas. After considering the verdict something made me ask if I could delay this and make another decision in January 2005 when I had my next appointment. This was agreed to reluctantly by the eye specialist, with instructions that if my sight worsened I was to come back to the hospital immediately.

However, one morning in early October I looked out the bedroom window thinking what a lovely day it was, and then suddenly realised that my eyesight was normal!!– no wavy lines! What a wonderful gift.

(February 2005: Since writing this I have seen my eye specialist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, and he could see for himself the improvement in my vision. He said that he was surprised and that medically ‘I was a great rarity’. Proof if more were needed that something happened that day in Wiltshire).

Further Note: June 2005 Had an eye test at my usual optician’s and she told me that my reading vision has also improved.

In July 2005 I again attended the Crop Circle Symposium, which is when I spoke to you Lucy and showed you the photos of the beautiful orbs that have been appearing in my photos, and also spoke about the healing of my eye problem..
You asked me to contact you after seeing the eye specialist in September, hence this letter. I have my
appointment letter if you wish to see it.

September 2005: Have seen an eye specialist again at the RGH and once again he could not account for the improvement in my sight. The next appointment will now be in eight months time, which he said is just to monitor the situation. My sight is still fine, and everyday I am aware of the wonderful gift that I have been given.

I hope my experience will prove useful to you in your research. I do strongly believe that the energy held in these formations can be transformational.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any further information. I have completed your online form also, but needed to send you a more complete account than the form asks for.

Very Best Wishes,
Jennifer Denning

Subsequently I received the promised report the optician gave Jennifer. Perfect eyesight. Whether this was a result of visiting the Mayan crop circle can never be proved. What matters is that Jennifer’s eye was completely cured and she believed it was.

Hot, Hot, Hot! – June 2022


Since I last wrote, a few crop circles have recently made an appearance.

Kiteland Cottages, near Micheldever Station,Hampshire,
3rd July Barley.
Image copyright © StonehengeDronescapesPhotography

Close to the A303, this magnificent crop circle arrived. I am delighted to be able to send you a lovely report I received:

“Recently I was blessed to visit a crop circle ? ⭕️
“ went to work out on the road with my partner for the day and had learned about the crop circle 2 days before. We knew we would be near it so left it open that we will visit if it’s meant to be.
We were a little against the time, so decided to head home but the road we needed to go on was closed, the road we had to take…..the one with the crop circle.
We also made it home in time to collect my daughter.
The energy was so powerful and I could hear Sirius high council calling within the space and light language moving through me.
As we left the circle all of a sudden my entire body felt heavy. The only other time I’d felt this was after getting out of a swimming pool when I was pregnant ?‍♀️ ?? I felt like I’d come back into a denser space for sure.
There happened to be two other people there, one man and one woman plus my partner and I. We all sat in the centre of the circle together and tuned in to the frequency, the sound of the traffic disappeared and I felt waves of energy moving up and down through me. The 4 of us – the two masculine and two feminine felt so relevant to the pattern of the circle. Balance. Duality blending. New Earth emerging. Sirius Gateway opening.
This really was a magical experience.”

Hackpen Hill White Horse, near Winterbourne Bassett, Wiltshire. Reported 19th June 2022
Wheat. c.100 feet (34.48m)
Image copyright © StonehengeDronescapesPhotography

Yet again the area around Hackpen was chosen. This area was an area selected by the Knights Templars as one of their strongholds.
Situated close to the famous 5000 year old Ridgeway that stretches from Avebury in Wiltshire to the Chiltons in Hertfordshire, and reaching the end of its journey at Ivinghoe Beacon, near Tring, lies the Hackpen chalk White Horse. Thought to have its origin in 1883 to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Victoria, it stands proud on the edge of the Marlborough Downs overlooking the countryside below.

Many of you will be familiar with the belief that Hackpen Hill has long been associated with the faery folk and legend has it that on certain nights of the year, the top of the hill rises up. Wonderful music is heard and those who venture in to join in the song, the wine and the dance may never be seen again, or if they do reappear it is said they are never the same again after their time with the inhabitants of the hill.

Since then we have had a circle at Cake Wood, near Froxfield, Wiltshire. Reported 9th July 2022
Image copyright © StonehengeDronescapesPhotography

Pilgrim’s Trail, Nr Winchester, Hampshire. Reported 12th July.
Image copyright © Simon Young

Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire

The Pilgrims’ Way is an ancient 141 mile route from the shrine of Swithun at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. Canterbury Cathedral houses the shrine of St. Thomas Beckett, who was murdered by knights loyal to Henry II in 1170 after a major and very public split with the king.

The trail further follows in the footsteps of the Miquelots, pilgrims who made the long journey to worship in Normandy.
For everyone who is a Pam Gregory follower, I include two astrological interpretations regarding the present planetary positions and resulting worldwide chaos, which indeed seems to be materialising and challenging us. Whether we see this as a time of re-growth, that ultimately brings positive change – or as a negative change of order – remains to be seen.

Just as I was about to sign off, lo and behold, news came through of another circle.

Lay Wood, Nr Devizes, Wiltshire. Reported 14th July
14th July 2022. Wheat. C.200 feet (61m)

Great News – May 2022

The first crop circle in barley has arrived! It was reported yesterday. Barley is quite my favourite crop. As you walk down the tramline the barley stalks softly caress your legs and if you let the crop run softly through your fingers you will never get cut as you would with the sharper stemmed crop of wheat.

Image Stonehenge Dronescapes Photography © Copyright 2022
Vernham Dene (Hippenscombe Bottom) 2010
Vernham Dene - Hippenscombe Bottom - 2010

This circle lies at the Chute Causeway, in between Vernham Dene and Collingborne Dulcis overlooking Hippenscombe Bottom on the Wiltshire/Hampshire borders.
Its sharp and concise geometry consists of a saw-form motif containing a sun and four planet motif, all contained within an octagon.

It is intriguing to note that the crop circle in which we conducted our scientific tests in 2010 lay in an area known as the Hippenscombe Bottom. Several of us reported diverse and strange effects whilst inside or approaching the circle. The new 2022 crop circle also lies in the vicinity of Hippenscombe Bottom but instead of lying in the amphitheatre below, it overlooks it.

This area is an area of great antiquity. A Roman road running from Winchester to Cirencester runs alongside part of the amphitheatre and is of interest because unlike the legendary theory that most Roman roads run straight, this one, due to the lay of the land, is curved - otherwise the track would have run straight across Hippenscombe Bottom.

We are told that “The steep gradients caused by this alignment would have denied access to heavy wagons, so the road skirted the 'hole' by using nine short straight sections to form an irregular semi-circle. In the event, Chute Causeway is almost level for its entire length.
Occasionally, even the Roman engineers went around an obstacle. Here the road - the Chute Causeway - deviated around the Hippenscombe valley, which falls 70 metres in 550 metres.”

In the middle of the ring lies a saucer barrow and there are two old ponds within the camp itself.
My eldest son is over from Sydney and I cannot tell you the joy of seeing him again after over two years of Covid restrictions. We are trying to catch up, and every day seems to go in a flash.

Regarding my tours - the cut off date for booking for the wonderful and magical private evening entry taking you right up to the stones, is 17th June.

I fear this is a very short letter as so much is happening.

My new ginger cat Henry continues to thrive and is a delight.

Henry
Henry

Last time I omitted to include Pam Gregory’s insights. Many apologies. Please find her latest below.

With my love and all very best wishes as we each tread our ordained paths.
Lucy.

The First Crop Circle 2022 – Hurrah! Hurrah! – April 2022

It has arrived - the first crop circle of 2022. At this time of year the circle presents itself in the startlingly vibrant yellow flowered crop, oil seed rape (canola), much used for cooking and in health products.

Enmill Barn, near Crabwood, Winchester, Hampshire. Reported 24th April 2022
Oil Seed Rape (Canola) 85 feet (25.9m) overall.

Enmill Barn, Nr Crabwood, Winchester, Hampshire. Reported 24th April 2022
Oil Seed Rape (Canola) 85 feet (25.9m) overall.
Images copyright © StonehengeDronescapesPhotography

The term "rape" derives from the Latin word for turnip, rapa or rapum, cognate with the Greek word rhapys.
Wikipedia tells us that 'Crops from the genus Brassica, including rapeseed, were among the earliest plants to be widely cultivated by mankind as early as 10,000 years ago. Rapeseed was being cultivated in India as early as 4000 B.C. and it spread to China and Japan 2000 years ago.'

'One of the most versatile of all plants, oil seed rape is also used as diesel fuel, either as biodiesel in heated fuel systems, or blended with petroleum distillates for powering motor vehicles. Biodiesel may be used in pure form in newer engines without engine damage and is frequently combined with fossil-fuels. Historically it was used in limited quantities due to high levels of erucic acid. Processing of rapeseed for oil production produces rapeseed meal as a by-product. This by-product is a high-protein animal feed - competitive with soybean. The feed is employed mostly for cattle feeding, but is also used for pigs and poultry. However, natural rapeseed oil contains 50% erucic acid and high levels of glucosinolates that significantly lowers the nutritional value of rapeseed press cakes for animal feed.'

Oil seed rape flower
The flowers have a most pungent smell and if you walk through it, you will find it is hard to get the pollen off your hair or clothes.

As regards detective work, it is the easiest crop for sussing out the Goodies or Baddies.

In 2010 a most glorious formation arrived during a week-end just below Winton windmill in Wiltshire. It contained the most complex geometry, almost exactly bearing a likeness to Russian born physicist Leonard Euler's equation said to be one of the most complex, and indeed, possibly not fully understood by Euler himself. See diagram below.

Winton Windmill ~ Wiltshire

Left: Base of undamaged stalk.
Right: Root of undamaged stalk twisted by the `force`

'Having woken at 4am one morning and unable to get back to sleep I decided to drive down to Wiltshire and see the formation for myself. It had been raining heavily overnight and despite having stopped by the time I arrived, I had forgotten how much water the yellow petals retain. The crop stood about 5 ft tall and in no time at all I was drenched from head to toe and my Wellington boots were full of water that had trickled relentlessly downwards. In addition I had forgotten to bring my aerial photograph and as the formation could not be seen from the ground - only from the air or the windmill and this had been closed the week-end the formation appeared - I simply could not find it and was getting wetter and wetter. Not surprisingly not many people were happy to answer my early morning mobile telephone calls until Julian Gibsone nobly answered his and gave me the necessary directions. The outer ring was much trampled and did not provide me with the information I needed. However, the lay of the crop was remarkable, lying in a criss-crossing herring bone manner. I made my way inwards to areas that had been untouched and found what I was looking for; an unbroken stem without any cracks above or below. In order to ascertain this properly, it is necessary to dig away the soil from some way down around the stem. Holding my camera with soil covered, wet and slippery hands, I managed to get a photograph. Now soaked to the skin, and hoping that no-one was around, I did a quick strip, discarding first my sweater, replacing it with a jacket that came down to my knees and hid the fact that I had also discarded my jeans. Luckily I did not have to stop for anything on my way home so modesty was preserved! Definitely worth the effort!'

The whole article can be found on my web site under Articles Worth The Effort (2010)

So, what will this summer bring us? This is one of the reasons that croppies start to get excited at this time of year, wondering when the first circle will arrive and what will follow and when!

Now that travellers are free to come and go as they like, we welcome our overseas visitors once again. Just one caveat, PLEASE treat the circles with respect; the fields are the livelihood of the farmers who own them.

Many of them have unfortunately had bad experiences with visitors trampling and destroying their crops and as a result have now decided to mow out any circle immediately it appears; whilst a few others are still happy for people to visit and enjoy them, whilst taking the utmost care not to damage them. Please always get in touch with the farmer on to whose land you wish to visit (one time it took me half a day to find the farmer).Walk down the tramlines (lines in the fields used by farmers for sowing, reaping etc.), taking care to walk down the correct tramline which will take you straight into the field, thus making sure you have not had to trample over any crop to reach the circle. The easiest way to discover the correct tramline is to find a vantage point from which you can see the circle and then count the number of tramlines needed to take you directly into the circle.

I am sure many of you do this already, so good on you!

The Phoenix Effect – March 2022

Just as the phoenix rose from the ashes, so it seems as though we too are rising from a state of Covid inertia into a world of renewed activity as we shrug off the shackles of a world of half existence into 'one that once was' yet doesn’t seem quite the same. Each generation brings with it new thoughts, new ideas, new energy. Though disturbing to those who find some aspects of change difficult, a move forward into a new and more expansive way of thinking about where we are at present and how we should go about moving forward is a positive step.

Knowledge of history gives us the basic understanding of the past and helps us advance into the future of a truly global democratic world. Sometimes this happens slowly, on other occasions it may be a more rapid shift. As I write I 'feel' this need all around me. Could it be that the terrible suffering of the brave, valiant and noble people of Ukraine under Putin’s terrible, inhuman and ruthless attack be the catalyst we needed in order to wake the world from its slumber. The utter destruction of their way of life as their wonderful ancient buildings crash to the ground before them, regardless of human life.

All around they see horror upon horror; their way of life disappearing before their eyes, as they search for loved ones in the wreckage or bid farewell to those fleeing to safety in the west; or embracing their sons who they may never see again as they fight in defence of their country. The hearts of the Ukraine people beat with an inner fire as they fight against the invading Russians, many of whom are themselves driven on by lies from Putin.

When we reflect on their heroic defence of their mother country and homeland, many of us will ask the question that confronts us: how many countries would respond in such a manner? I have pondered this question and I do believe the answer probably is - very few.

The fact that there has been a steady migration westwards as people flee, trying desperately to escape the wars and turmoil in their own countries. Consequently, the west, having taken in refugees from these war torn areas, have become multinational countries. To many of these people, their hearts and loyalties are not with their newly adopted countries but still with the countries from which they fled.

This all comes at a time when many of us are recovering from the strictures of Covid. Masses of us fell into a sort of semi-toper like state and now we have to try and shake ourselves off and reconnect with the world and all its normal mundane demands. Has this state contributed to our already and increasingly impotent Western world rendering us progressively more vulnerable? Surely it is therefore no great surprise that Putin took advantage of our weakness.

Kiev history is of great interest showing us it has always been one of the most important cities and was at one time the centre of the East Slavic civilisation. It is over two centuries older than Moscow.

On a completely different subject, yet with an oblique connection, in the sense of people fleeing to so many different parts of the world and the fairly recent advanced concept of the holographic nature of our brain; an example given in the book describes how two pebbles when thrown into a pond or lake, interact with each other’s ripples spreading beyond their original entry into the water. Thus creating a Pattern of Interference as the ripples continue to intermingle outward away from their place of origin.

Much work and many experiments have described how the memory is spread around the brain in different locations. The brain with all its complexity, much of it still not yet fully understood, is of untold fascination to me, a complete novice. Once when I was in New York staying with my step sister, in the late 1970s or early 1980s, I happened to pick up a magazine in which I read an utterly fascinating article talking about the discovery of the holographic nature of our brains. I subsequently read an intriguing book by Malcom Talbot titled 'The Holographic Universe'. I have just been sent a copy of the same book and am about to re-read it.

It starts off by talking about the discovery describing the holographic nature of the brain in which it tells us that memory is no longer situated simply in one area of the brain but dispersed and scattered throughout. I am intrigued to read more. As the author Michael Talbot writes 'All you need is an open mind' as he takes us through the early work of Wilder Penfield, followed by Karl Lashley to Priam and others - each continuing and developing their work and finding new avenues of discovery and advancement. One of the most interesting and unusual aspects of the brain is the fact that it feels no pain. As a result complex operations can be conducted once the scull and scalp have been anaesthetised, even when the patient is awake.

Karl Priam started with an urge to examine to know and understand where our memories are stored in the brain and writes 'It isn’t that the world is wrong; it isn’t that there aren’t objects out there, at one level of reality. It’s that if you penetrate through and look at the universe with a holographic system, you arrive at a different view, a different reality. And that other reality can explain things that have hitherto remained inexplicable scientifically: paranormal phenomena, synchronicities, the apparently meaningful coincidence of events.'

I am not a scientist as when I went to school it was not considered necessary or appropriate to be taught science. (It was very old fashioned). However, on my father’s side there were brilliant scientists, one of whom had two articles in the 14th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica; so I feel that that my quest to know more about certain concepts and workings that seem to fall into the world of Physics, could be inherited.

In a lighter vein - now is the time when the birds are at their best, preening themselves as the take part in the ritual of attracting a female. The robin’s breast is a more brilliant red than ever as he flits around in quite a giddy fashion. The bull finches have already paired up again - they mate for life.

I have just read that research by the Norwegian naturalist, Professor Emeritus Hogstad of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology discovered after studying garden birds over a period of 24 years that he believed the reason was that it gave them an early breeding start in the year. The brightly coloured with his crimson chest, remains loyal to his rather drab female.

They are quite the messiest feeders of any bird I have photographed. They cram their beaks to overflowing, dropping bits of seeds below for the small birds and eager pigeons below. Try as I might I only managed to photograph a very few pictures when their beaks were empty!

Suzie Simpson sent me some beautiful words of wisdom

The universe is always communicating with us.

The language of the spirit is different to ours as it does not waste words that are often misconstrued, but instead, uses signs and symbols.

Even in our sleep state we receive messages via symbolic language and then it is up to us to interpret them according to our own understanding.

When a message is transmitted through form it holds the power within that form and so it becomes earthed, enabling the material world and the world of spirit to connect.

The two worlds are really one but mankind has become so used to the feeling of separation that we have descended further and further into materialism.

We have become Material Beings divorced from spiritual energy instead of Spiritual Beings having a human experience.

Those in the spirit world to whom we belong, strive to make us aware of their presence and long for us to know how much they love and care.

The everyday world alerts our attention so many times to little signs and symbols if we open our senses and our awareness.

The registration number on a car that connects to a certain person and there it is straight in front of us. A name on a building or a sign post. A song on the radio, a pattern on the ground, a scent, a colour, white feathers, a face in the clouds. All these are powerful connections.

Once we open our minds to the realisation that we are not alone and that we are only walking a parallel path for the moment, we feel the amazing connection and know that ALL IS ONE.

Suzan Simpson March 21st, 2022.

Chain of Events – February 2022

Dear Friend,
As snowdrops and crocuses start poking their heads through the soil, they remind me of one of David Attenborough’s recent programmes: The Green Planet - Series 1.

In this programme he tells us about some of nature’s unusual survival methods. Some of the most deadly and vicious plants survive due to certain outside help, which unwittingly, for the benefit of both, provide a lifeline for the plants' well-being and survival of each.

The 'Hedgehog' or Tristerix cactus is covered in many long pointed spines. One of the few birds able to perch on the spines and evade its defences, is a fruit eating mockingbird. The mockingbird’s droppings fall on the seeds of the cactus thereby fertilising them.

The parasite Tristerix

We see this kind of chain of events happening repeatedly in the natural world. In fact once we start to look at things and events more closely, we can begin to see a 'Chain of Events' existing everywhere.

I am sharing with you a selection of photographs of the Queen. On the 6th February, we were reminded of the sudden death of King George VI on the 6th February 1952, after a long illness. This chain of event 70 years ago, changed the status of the young Elizabeth from princess to that of queen.

At the time, Princess Elizabeth was on honeymoon with Prince Philip at Kenya's oldest safari lodge, Treetops - an elaborate treehouse on the edge of a watering hole in Aberdare National Park. There was a platform where you could climb up and watch the animals. Lady Pamela Hicks (1st cousin to Prince Philip) who was travelling with the Queen, tells us ‘she climbed up as a princess and climbed down as Queen’.

At her Coronation she pledged ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong’.

That was a promise she has kept for over 70 years. She is now the longest reigning monarch in British history. Bells will ring out as celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee will be held all over the country and Commonwealth.

We see the many changes that have happened during her long and wonderful reign. She has managed to bring the monarchy into the modern age and to keep it moving with, and abreast of, the times. She has dedicated herself to the promises she made at her Coronation.

This year, on the eve of the 6th February, the Queen wrote ‘Tomorrow, 6th February marks the anniversary of my Accession in 1952. It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George V1 as for the start of my reign.’

As we look back on the many chains of events that have happened during her reign, she has continued to look ahead. One of the most recent changes being her wish that the Duchess of Cornwall be crowned Queen Consort when Prince Charles ascends to the throne. This is principally due to: the Duchess’ quiet work and number of engagements she has carried out - often behind the scenes; her dedication to many of her favourite charities; and the support and love she has given Prince Charles over the years. Much water has passed under the bridge and all this has been closely observed by the Queen.

After having shown two quite different examples of ‘Chain of Events’ it got me thinking that indeed there was really nothing unusual or clever about a Change of Events. In fact the more I thought about it, I realised that just about everything is as a result of a chain of events! Why don’t you start by thinking about the chain of events that have happened in your lives, and then as you expand it, the more interesting it becomes. In history, in the natural world, science, the arts, religion... you can go on forever. What fun!

Weaving the Connection of Light
Everything in the universe is connected by threads of light. A Divine network.

We are all responsible for how we weave these threads, for they are strands of light, colour, scent and sound.

We use them all, mostly unconsciously, every day. But when we start to CONSCIOUSLY weave these patterns, we become the artists of the higher realms.

Every thought is registered, every word and every movement are all collected to create the greater whole. What a responsibility!

We can either paint a dark, murky picture or a light filled, magical, colourful one.

We are all here for a significant purpose at this time. We deliberately chose this prosperous period of evolution to incarnate on earth. We are learning to overcome darkness and to vibrate to a higher frequency.

Everything is formed through the vibration of light, whether it is of a lower quality or higher and we blend in with it all the time.

If we are experiencing a lowness of spirit, try bringing in the Light by maybe going outside, listening to the birds or breathing in the energy of the trees, flowers, grass and air, or listening to music etc and by so doing, we automatically vibrate with the refreshed energy and consequently enhance the condition. We will resonate to the same frequency and through the law of attraction, attract more of the same quality.

The thread of light or darkness becomes stronger when we give it power through the direction of our thoughts.

Now is the time to weave the most colourful, beautiful threads of light so that the pattern around the earth becomes a network of Divine energy from which mankind can draw healing, love and transformation.

Suzan Simpson February 12th 2022

Crop Circle Tours
As bookings are coming in thick and fast and travel plans are being relaxed globally, I hope that many people from overseas will be free at last to join me on one of my wonderful crop circle tours this summer. I look forward to welcoming you to our sacred Isle of Albion and the magic of the circles.

The first crop circle tour on Wednesday 27th July 2022 will include an optional extra of a much sought after private entry to Stonehenge, right up to the stones. Only a few people are allowed in at any one time. It is a mystically wonderful experience to see the sun set over the stones and feel the magic of this ancient place. You will feel their powerful energy surround and embrace you.

The second crop circle tour on Tuesday 2nd August 2022, has an optional extra of an evening flight. This is an incredible way of seeing circles in all their majesty from the air, together with the surrounding countryside, which depending on where the circles are, might include flying over the famous stone complex at Avebury and the sacred Silbury Hill, the largest man-made hill in Europe.

I also take a few private tours by appointment

Lexophile
‘Lexophile’ describes those that love words, and sentences such as: ‘You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish,’ and, ‘To write with a broken pencil is pointless.’

An annual competition is held by the ‘New York Times’ to see who can create the best and most original lexophile:
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
This girl today said she recognised me from the Vegetarians Club, but I'd swear I've never met herbivore.
I know a guy who's addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.

As usual I am sending you Pam Gregory’s forecast for February, and an astonishing piece of driving.

http:/https://youtu.be/3b9I4ZFIW9E

A Promising Start – January 2022


I wish you a wonderfully happy, uplifting and positive year ahead. Happy, happy New Year,

I wish you all the best.
Great work to reach your fondest goals
And when you have done, sweet rest.
I hope for you fulfilment
Contentment, peace and more
A brighter New Year than
You’ve ever had before.
With apologies to Joanna Fuchs

Now that we are starting a new year, I feel full of hope for the future. It is as though we have been given a clean sheet of paper to start afresh, with new opportunities to do with as we will - however our lives or present situations may be. The gift of friendship is a special gift which can make difficult situations more bearable for those whose lives are caught up in unavoidable problems.
As I walk round my garden, I see little green shoots poking their heads up through the soil, bringing with them the renewal of life. The wonder of nature as it comes out after its long sleep, gently at first as though it is testing the water and then, when the time is right, it will burst out with spring time magnificence. A feeling of exultation, magic and sheer excitement as it unfolds before my eyes. The birds, mainly robins, are starting to join in with their spring songs, as they too sense this magic. Winter, and its change to spring, is also the time when on some days the air feels so clean, and the skies are a strikingly bright blue as though untouched and new.?

I live in Hampshire on the borders of West Sussex and we are fortunate in having many small and very ancient churches. Many are called shepherd’s churches and are often found buried deep in the far reaches of the countryside. They are the Octagon Parish Churches and consist of eight churches to be found in villages and fields nestling in the hills of the South Downs National Park. These ancient churches have their homes in thriving villages and communities. I have visited most of them and they radiate a special peace and tranquillity. The walks around are wonderful, and views hidden from normal view open up before you to give a sense of antiquity as if you have gone back many hundreds of years. In mediaeval times, an octagon was considered to be halfway between a circle (God) and a square (earth). It was the place where heaven and earth came into contact. That is why pulpits and fonts are often octagonal in shape.

I am going to take you to three, each one has its own special energy - peace, hope, reassurance - and above all Love. Some are magnificent, others are bare and humble. All have their sense of tranquillity and closeness to the Divine.

One of my favourite churches is the Holy Trinity Church in West Sussex at Boxgrove - this church is not one of the Octagon Churches but in the same vicinity


Church of St Mary and St Blaise, Boxgrove with renovated ancient priory wall

As you enter the church, there is a sense of peace, calm and wonder at its magnificence. In order to walk down the aisle, one has to tread on a magnificent labyrinth. Walking round a labyrinth is a spiritual walk, each step a walk of prayer and meditation.


Labyrinth in the Church of St Mary and St Blaise, Boxgrove, West Sussex


One of its most striking assets is the wondrous ceiling with its magnificent Tudor painting


The ceiling of the Church of St Mary and St Blaise, Boxgrove, West Sussex. Foliage and heraldry painted in the mid-6C by Lambert Bernard

It lies on part of the old priory church about which we are told that ‘The Priory was founded in the reign of Henry I, about 1123 by Robert de Haia (or de la Haye), Lord of Halnacre by gift of the king. A Saxon church had existed on the site before the Conquest. The Priory was founded for three Benedictine monks, and was owned by the Lessay Abbey in Normandy.’ There is an even older church close by at Bosham about which we read `the Venerable ‘Bede wrote that Bishop Wilfrid, visiting Bosham in 681, found a small monastery with five or six brethren led by Dicul, an Irish monk.’


Boxgrove Priory Ruins

I live near an ancient village of South Harting, which lies snugly nesting under the South Downs hills. Listed in the Doomsday Book, it is a most charming village and is just over the border from Hampshire into West Sussex.

South Harting was listed under the ancient hundreds of Dumpford as the large Manor of Hertinges, which included 196 households encompassing South, West and East Harting. They were 134 villagers, 42 smallholders and 20 slaves. With resources including ploughing lands, meadows, woodland and nine mills, it had a value to the lords of the manor of £100. The joint lords were the church of St Nicholas, Arundel, and Earl Roger of Shrewsbury.

Apart from three generations of the Earls Montgomery the manor was in the possession of the Crown until 1610 when it was granted to the Caryll family. In 1746 the manor was purchased by the Featherstonhaugh family.

Last week, a friend kindly took me to lunch at the ancient 15c White Hart Pub in South Harting, West Sussex.


White Hart Pub


After enjoying an excellent meal, we walked along the street to the famous church of St Mary and St Gabriel. Situated on a slight rise, its green copper spire acts as a landmark for miles around. A whipping post and stocks placed by the church gate gives one a reminder of days gone by.

On entering the church, I was struck by such a feeling of calm and tranquillity but above all a sense of welcome - an invitation to proceed further. Most striking on entering was a suspended and inspirational statue of St Gabriel, glistening in the sunlight. Sculptured in resin by the worldwide notable sculptor Philip Jackson (who has more works, including the wonderful and moving stature of Bomber Command Memorial standing in Green Park) than any other sculptor.

I took several photographs of St Gabriel and could not believe my eyes when in one photograph St Gabriel’s feet were together as in crucifixion form and in the other photograph, were wide apart - was it a miracle caught by my camera. I stared and stared - could this be true - yes, a miracle. My heart pounded with excitement and wonder.
But no - the answer lay in the angle from which I had taken the images. I will always remember the moment of electrifying and breathless amazement.

Adjacent to St Gabriel is a most striking spiral staircase. There is a clock that needs to be wound daily and before the staircase was installed the only access was a ladder in order to gain access to reach and wind the clock. This was becoming a problem. However Uppark Estate kindly stepped in and this most beautiful stairway was carved from a single piece of oak.


The Oak Stairway

This is a church full of treasures, one of which is the Queen Post ceiling and the effigies of John Cooper and his wife Margaret plus his father John, dating back to 1580/90. The fact they are in colour depicts their standing and wealth.


I have only scratched the surface of this remarkable church and you may be sure that I will visit it again as it has made a deep impression by its energy and wonderful sense of embrace.
There was a fire in part of the church in 1576, destroying part of the church including a section of the ceiling which had been destroyed and rebuilt. there is so much more important information to be had, I recommend this website

Most of these villages are hundreds of years old, tucked away deep inside the countryside and sometimes under the folds of hills surrounded by verdant pasture land. And as you enter and stand or sit (depending on the weather) an image enters one’s mind of shepherds in their Sunday best smocks wending their way to these special places to speak to God. Or maybe at other times just for a moment of peace away from the hardships of daily life.
As you approach Up Marden’s St Michael’s, you can immediately ‘feel’ exactly when you have entered its energy field. An energy field of such love, peace and calm that one is loath to leave and return to the mundane problems of the outside world.


Up Marden in summer


Up Marden in summer

Simon Jenkins wrote:

“You can go to Iona or Jarrow, to Cornwall or the Welsh Marches, and you will not find a more moving witness to early Christianity than here in the uplands of West Sussex.
These churches are little more than hermitages, cells of piety amid poverty. Centuries of patronage passed them by without alteration or embellishment. Most are described as Saxon-Norman. I would call them English Early Christian. They are first cousins to the pagan wood shrines whose sites they probably occupy.”
“The Spirits of Downsmen past and present may haunt Up Marden. They may gasp up the hill, tramp through the wicket gate and kneel exhausted before their God. But more than the spirits seem to fill this clearing. More than dryads flit from tree to tree. The Downland churches have a stronger magic. The unbeliever departs them all ill at ease.”
As you may have gathered, I have a passion for small and ancient churches, for their energy and for their modesty - for their stark appearance and lack of ornamentation. Their starkness belies their strength, as they stand strong and proud, welcoming the stranger with open arms within their protective walls; a welcome abundantly rich in contrast to their humble appearance.

Crop Circle Tour Dates 2022
As we eagerly await the start of the crop circles, usually in April in oil seed rape, but more frequently in May, I am now able to give you my tour dates. I have had so many enquiries and I look forward to welcoming you.

The first crop circle tour on Wednesday 27th July 2022 will include an optional extra of a much sought after private entry visit right up to the stones. Only a few people are allowed in at any one time. It is a mystically wonderful experience to see the sun set over the stones and feel the magic of this ancient place. You will feel their powerful energy surround and embrace you.

The second crop circle tour on Tuesday 2nd August 2022, has an optional extra of an evening flight. This is an incredible way of seeing circles in all their majesty from the air, together with the surrounding countryside, which depending on where the circles are, might include flying over the famous stone complex at Avebury and the sacred Silbury Hill, the largest man-made hill in Europe.

I also take a few private tours by appointment

I know many of you are interested in astrology and this video is overall encouraging
May you tread safely and joyfully.

I send you my love and best wishes,

Lucy

Shorter Days – October 2021

This is the time between seasons. As the evenings draw in, it gives us the impression of shorter days. This illusion often takes us by surprise and tricks us into summer time expectations. Unusually this autumn, those expectations were reinforced by the UK experiencing one of the warmest and sunniest Septembers on record. We are now in October and despite a noticeable chill in the mornings and evenings, those glorious and benign sunlit days continue, especially where I live in the south of England.

It seems that suddenly the sun slips away to rest leaving a marked nip in the air and sending us reaching for our jackets and warmer clothes.

I always find this an exciting time of year as the trees put on a new and vibrant set of clothes. Reds, oranges, yellows all join in the display. This year, because the heavy rain we had earlier left the soil moist, this splendid spectacle has been delayed. Each year, with my camera at the ready, I wander through woods surrounded by the towering beeches, oaks - all guardians of the wood, looking for the many mushrooms hiding under the fallen leaves or rotten wood, and all the other treasures with which nature provides us. The picture of acers below was taken by my sister Amanda Spence at Winkworth Arboretum, near Godalming, Surrey.

Looking at this image, it is hard to imagine and understand what is happening in the outside world all around us. Thankfully climate change is high on the agenda and I am praying that something concrete may come out of the Cop26 meeting in Glasgow at the end of this month. I have the feeling that we are all getting tired of talk without much action.

I know I am not alone in this dismay. When visiting Cardiff to open the Welsh parliament this week our Queen was overheard to say to her daughter in law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the presiding officer Elin Jones: “I’ve been hearing all about COP … I still don’t know who’s coming.”

On the recording, parts of which are inaudible, the queen also appears to say it is “irritating” when “they talk, but they don’t do.”

The Queen, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, along with many world leaders will be attending the conference. This is an opportunity for real and well considered action. This action is needed for future generations and the many young people who are growing up really concerned and actively showing an interest and wanting to do something concrete about the current situation.

Earlier in the week, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, when speaking at the Youth4Climate conference in Milan, mocked the world leaders for their lack of action in doing nothing but ‘blah, blah, blah'.

How difficult it was for many people during the three lockdowns, but I do believe that they may have produced an unexpected and important wake-up call. For the first time, due to the lockdowns, many more people have become aware of the wildlife all around them and suddenly brought to mind the perilous situation in which many species are close to extinction or desperately striving to exist. The destruction of our precious Brazilian rainforests where many species of wild life once existed, in order to grow more and more palm oil for our greedy and ignorant consumption, seems to be ignored. If it continues it will cause the rapid disruption of our planet, accelerating the climate change it brings with it. We all need to start thinking seriously on a macro level. Perhaps just to start by not buying any goods containing palm oil would be a start.
Google tells us “Unbelievably, more than 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned every day. That is more than 150 acres lost every minute of every day, and 78 million acres lost every year! More than 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest is already gone, and much more is severely threatened as the destruction continues.”

The link below will show you how the world’s rain forests are being destroyed.
https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/palm-oil-deforestation
On a happier note, my sister and I give each other the choice of doing something or visiting somewhere of interest on our respective birthdays.

This time it was my sister’s choice, as her birthday was last month. Fortunately we both have very similar interests and this year she chose Ham House, near Richmond, London (which I had been hoping to visit). It was a balmy September day and we were in no hurry.

As we reached Ham House we drove through the village, passing some really splendidly large Queen Anne and classical Georgian houses. The village of Ham was first recorded around 1150 and the name was taken from the Old English hamm, which in this instance meant ‘land in a river bend’. Henry V acquired the manor of Hamme Upkyngeston in 1415, thus bringing the village into a closer relationship with the royal estate at Richmond upon Thames.

“Built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, knight marshal to James VI and I. Said to present more aspects of 17th-century life than any other house in the country, it was the meeting place of the Cabal, Charles II’s leading advisers between 1667 and 1673. “

Situated close to the river Thames in Ham, south of Richmond, it seems to be placed in a rural village and not in the London Borough of Richmond a few miles away.

When originally built, Ham House would have been surrounded by meadows.

“From the 1870s the farms began to convert to market gardening, cultivating fruit, beans and cabbages. Near the end of the 19th century, the Dysarts began to sell their land for development and villas were built for the upper middle classes.

“The council built some ‘homes for heroes’ after the First World War, and gravel and grit extraction created large pits - which have since been filled. In 1922–3 the extraction company constructed a lock and a dock, where the Thames Young Mariners are now based.

Ham polo club was founded in 1926. Polo ceased at Hurlingham and Barn Elms in 1939 and at Roehampton in 1955, so Ham is now the only place in Greater London where the game is played.”


Ham House

We had all day to wander and this we did, starting with the garden as rain was forecast for later. The garden had fallen into disrepair until the National Trust took over the estate in 1948 and gradually set about bringing the garden back to its original glorious formal state. Long avenues down which one would parade with small paths leading off, allows one to capture glimpses of wonderfully enticing vistas.

Part of the garden has been laid out as the Union Jack but this would only be visible if seen from above. However the layout is clearly visible from this ground plan.


Resting house


The Cherry Garden, presided over by the statue of Bacchus

There were also enticing gaps cut out at regular places in the yew hedge surrounding the garden, though which one could catch a glimpse of the garden beyond.


A glimpse through the yew hedge.


The Hornbeam Tunnel

This is a garden of such peaceful excitement and inspiration that if I lived closer it would become a place to visit regularly; a place of magic, as excitement after excitement unfolds before one’s eyes as first one wanders down one path and then the next and the next; a place where dreams drift in and out and all woes and troubles disappear for just a precious moment.

The interior of Ham House was no less inspiring. It was created by William Murray. As a child he was educated with Charles 1. His daughter Elizabeth married the Earl of Lauderdale and they set about filling the house with treasures from around the world. Each generation added to its splendour.
As we walked round we both felt the sense of a family house. Despite its grandeur, it seemed more a used family home than a stately house. Ham House is known for its fine collection of cabinets - one of the most important in the country. Cabinets despite having been used in Roman times, in the 17th century they became more important and were an indication of wealth. They were brought to Ham House from all over the world, from countries such as China, Japan and Holland. The craftsmanship is of the very finest order. They are mainly kept closed in order to preserve the magnificent colours of the carved interiors and protect the original hinges.
I felt a sense of happiness and permanence as we wandered around, surrounded by family portraits by famous artists such as Peter Lely. Indeed on chatting to one of the guides, this was confirmed as the Tollemach and Dysart families, and descendants of the Murrays, often come and visit.

Tired and very happy, we drove home, comparing notes of our visit.

My calendar has arrived!!

It is hard to believe that Christmas is not so far away. This has been drawn to my attention by the arrival of my 2022 calendar. A great friend helped me deal with almost 100 back orders. A great sense of relief as the last was safely tucked into its envelope. Taking them all to the Post Office the next day is always a bit of a worry, as laden with bags full of calendars to go all over the world means that the queue of people standing behind me grows longer and longer! Great apologies!

Having posted the backlog, I try to do the orders every day and then take them down to the Post Office on the same day if I possibly can. I have had some really lovely reports. I do so hope you will enjoy yours.

I know that Pam Gregory`s latest forecast is appreciated by many people:

I have seen this before but it remains unbelievably beautiful xxxx

With my love and best wishes

Lucy.