THE KENT CIRCLES
PART THREE
Whilst every single formation beggars the age-old question – “Is it real?”…Year in year out some crop circles materialise that seem oblivious to the trail of chaos they leave behind. Just think how powerful these shapes must be that readily fuel such heated debates! But it’s a fact that most formations remain entirely unexplained and that usually includes the ones that often look a bit suss. But when formations appear in daylight within a short time window, how can such circles be blamed on welly-stomping locals? Whilst many have been media indoctrinated into believing that there’re all man-made, try explaining that to a Mr Roberts who during July of ’66 actually witnessed a circle being formed in a field of long grass°…
Driving along in torrential rain on the outskirts of Dover (Temple Ewell?) he was forced to pull over to the side of the road because of poor visibility. Suddenly he was aware of a loud hissing sound. Astonishingly when he looked round for its source he witnessed what he best describes as a large vertical blue tube hanging over a nearby field! It looked as if it had been turned upside down and he describes how he’d seen the rain actually bounce off the tube, whilst the rest of the downpour was unbelievably just running down the sides!
Apparently some cows appeared quite mesmerised by the whole event which seemed to last for about 30 seconds. A short while later it was realised that a flattened circle with perfectly scribed edges had been created right underneath where the tube had appear.
To have actually witnessed such an event in itself is truly amazing and it certainly might help towards an explanation as to how pristine circles with dry floorlays arrive during rain-soaked nights!
Less than a decade before during the summer of ’57 at Meopham, a Mr Colin Ellis it seems was not only a witness of sorts to a circle being formed but also took part in the circle making process!°°
Riding along the A227 on his motorcycle he suddenly entered what he describes as being a black cloud…He couldn’t see through it and soon realised that he was being forcibly pulled off his bike by some sort of sucking action that managed to drag him through a hedge. Much to his astonishment he found he’d landed alongside his bike right at the edge of a crop circle! Unfortunately he was severely injured, but could it be that the horrendous experience of being pulled off a bike just might happen to be a bi-product of the circle making process?
These two sensational reports which were taken very seriously at the time appear to offer us almost conclusive evidence that a non-human circle making phenomena really exists.
Now let’s consider who else makes some of our crop circles…
PLANKERISED EFFORTS!
Whilst we can be pretty sure that most of the circles in our data-base are what you might term “to the good”, it’s likely that a few man-made efforts have slipped through the net. Having to rely solely on many other past judgements whilst pouring over a few amateurish photos isn’t really a sound basis for giving a yay or a nay. The jury’s even out on some of our recent formations simply because we really can’t give an opinion on a well-trodden one that’s reported late. Further confusion and perplexity arises when we’re confronted by scruffy floorlays or when a formation doesn’t really live up to previous expectations.
We’re well aware that hoaxing teams have operated in Kent. These so called “land artists” closely follow the behaviour pattern of the local phenomena and know just where to place them. They’ve carefully studied the Kent phenomena over the years and they’re quite capable of corn-crunching a design that wouldn’t look out of place locally.
A small number of commissioned circles appear throughout the UK at times solely for PR or advertising projects etc. Made obviously with the full blessing of a farmer who’s often handsomely paid, these efforts are usually made after many laboured hours in broad daylight. On the 8th of August 2006 at Bearsted nr. Maidstone in Kent, a 300 ft circle appeared that was commissioned by the Bearsted Round Table. It’s believed that this was the first time that Kent had been on the receiving end of a commercial piece of “land-art”.
Photo © Guy Gibsone
When viewed from the air we found it was based on the national Round Table logo….
According to Mr Ian Walters the 2006 – 2007 chairman of the local Bearsted Round Table, it was made entirely by Round Table members (at least a dozen or so) along with some assistance from a couple of experts (?!!!). The land owner was in full agreement and it was done purely to try and raise awareness within the local area as to the existence of the organisation, which hopefully would result in enhancing fund raising activities in the future.
Ian states that the corn-crushing began at around 8pm and was finished near to midnight.
That’s around four hours give or take, but I think we can safely assume that the basic bits were pegged-out beforehand. It’s a great design that’s well executed, especially when you consider that much of it was flattened by a bunch that’d probably never thought that one day they’d be vandalising crop!
I’m assuming that the complex middle section was probably left to the hired experts or persons closely supervised, for it’s this part that they really have to be congratulated on. It really works well when you view it from the air but at ground level the floorlay as you can imagine wasn’t all that. It was a very mechanical flat-to-the-floor affair that lacked much of the creative flair we’ve come to expect from the real phenomena. Whilst perhaps in some sense we can applaud the Bearstead effort, the same can’t be said for the deliberately hoaxed formations that appear occasionally.
Obviously we can never be 100% sure of a formations authenticity unless we actually see it form…And I’m afraid there’s no guaranteed litmus test that’ll decide whether it’s to the good or not, so in most cases it’s down to personal judgements that are somewhat based upon previous experience.
…But also that which can be dogged or cloudy at times! Take for instance the “armchair croppers” that through a cursory glance of an overhead condemn formations simply because they’ve spotted a wobbly line or such…Suffice to say that these “armchair mouse-clickers” are little more than hoax boosters masquerading as researchers.
It’s true that the media in general, including those locally in Kent at the “DID YOU SEE THE LITTLE GREEN MEN WHO MADE THIS?” level, want to rubbish this phenomenon. The circles make us question our way of thinking but unfortunately in so doing, they can prove quite threatening to strong belief systems…And I might add, a severe threat to those with a huge stake in maintaining the status quo! Disinformation and media campaigns are in force…with the result that yer average Joe believes they’re all hoaxed because he saw it on TV. Through such corruption these black operations, often spearheaded by hoaxing teams clutching brown envelopes, are out to discredit off-worldly explanations as simply nothing other than pure mischief making. In discrediting crop circles they snuff-out the spiritual influence of a growing belief system that sadly deprives many of a journey along a genuine path of transcendence.
To quote from researcher William Betts, “By showing us what they can do, hoaxers are demonstrating what they can’t do!” Planks of wood and bits of string are the essential tools of “The Circlefakers”. But in order to create multi-directional layering along with sculptured nests, knotting and feathered lays that evolve into flowing waves and whirlpools etc…simply requires methods of construction that these jokers aren’t capable of!
Hoaxing is readily accepted by the public at large because it’s based on mechanistic thinking…it’s the easiest solution most people can cope with. Because the phenomenon cannot be explained in simple terms, the fictitious escapades of “Doug and Dave” and the like are the quick-fix solution. Some are uncomfortable with the idea that crop circles are made by some non-human higher intelligence and for many the inexplicable is intolerable. Often these types will go to extraordinary lengths in order to try and prove they’re all man-made…and that includes sabotage! Be well aware of anyone claiming that all the circles are easily explained as the work of corn-crushers, for that should reveal to you that they’ve absolutely no understanding whatsoever of what this phenomenon’s about.
The motivation behind some of the more amateurish efforts though lies chiefly in the satisfaction of trying to simply fool others. Take this effort that appeared on the 12th of August 2005…
Photo © Ade Rowswell
This effort was loosely based upon the Longwood Warren design of ’95 that depicted planets orbiting the Sun. On that occasion the Earth was missed out, but this time around it’s been included. The standing perimeters showed up many irregularities and the flattened circles were devoid of centres. The ringed pathways that altered in width as you walked round them were laid first and then the circles were stomped into position…Now what’s the betting (as they have done on a few occasions) that the real phenomena would have laid the circles first and then joined them up with the rings!
Like a piece of gum that’s stuck to the bottom of your shoe, it’s mildly irritating but it doesn’t hold that much importance. Apart from the insight it offers into chat-room paranoia, hoaxing as such is really insignificant in the grand scheme of things. At the end of the day this oxygen-fuelling obsession with “Is it or isn’t it?” will remain purely as a sad and very minor issue in the history of a breathtaking world-wide phenomenon.
In the past Kent has been on the receiving end of some magnificent formations that few would question. Many of our designs have been quite meaningful and have resonated at frequencies that have initiated responses at emotional and spiritual levels. Speaking to us through symbols found within all earthly traditions, their intricate designs refer to ancient knowledge, sacred geometry and advanced mathematics…The education we’ve been receiving has been incredible!
G.Tucker © 2007
END NOTES
º Reported in Crop Watcher No. 13 p-36 and also written up as a case history (109) in The Secret History of Crop Circles by Terry Wilson …first published in ’98 by the CCCS (ISBN- 0 906290 7 10)
ºº Reported in CPR Newsletter No. 4 p-5 and again written up as a case history (68) in Terry Wilson’s book, The Secret History of Crop Circles.