|
 STUART DIKE/MARK
FUSSELL |
Updated Saturday 12th October 1996.
Mark, I am writing an open letter to all the readers of Crop Circle Connector to set straight the story at Oliver's Castle, and rebut Michael Glickman's account. You may publish this in your web site at your discretion.
For the record, John, the 'author' of the video, was adamant in contacting only myself at The Barge, which he tried all Sunday. He had made it quite clear he did not want to approach anyone else. He was NOT looking to approach Peter Sorensen. Why he should not want to approach more prominent researchers is a mystery to me but I do have a theory which I will keep to myself because it is mostly conjuncture at this stage. I will reveal more as it happens.
The only people present at the screening were Lee Winterston, his assistant(sorry mate, forgot your name), Nick Nicholson, Jane Ross and myself. John only came to the pub once I had contacted him that Sunday night. And, yes, he was nervous (interesting, because if I had been up all night and caught a genuine event on tape I would be excited not shaking with fear). I went to inspect the formation twice: at 6 AM next morning to shoot infra red of the site from the hilltop, and a second time to enter the formation. It may be noted that the formation lies over a public footpath which, ironically, our farmer friend has failed to keep clear, so I'm not impressed by his show of anger since he neglected his public responsibility. There is also a bridalway from the nearest road leading straight to the heart of the field containing the formation. Very handy. The site is very remote after dusk and easily seen from Oliver's Castle during the day. If I was going to plan a hoax this would be the place.
But here's the good stuff. My infra reds photographs are able to detect a change in the heat structure of the plants. In all genuine formations i.e. Chiseldon, Windmill Hill, there is always severe heat disruption. At Oliver's Castle, there was NO alteration in the heat structure whatsoever. Furthermore, when I surveyed the formation with my colleague (who will remain anonymous), there was no evidence of bent stalks, no magnetic anomalies, no charring of the plant stems, the paths were cockeyed, the floor lay was a total disaster, the walls of the circles were messy and fanned-out, some at 30-degrees. This is very little to get excited about, I mean, just looking at it from the air one gets the sense that the proportions are not classic or even harmonious. Genuine? I'd give it a 1% chance just on the above evidence alone. Michael, I don't know which formation you are referring to when you describe Oliver's Castle but it certainly wasn't the one we'd analysed. This was already a mess the day after its `appearance'.
All this makes the video all the more interesting. Yes, I too was excited to have been a witness to this event on tape and nothing in the world would make my day more than having a piece of conclusive evidence that would prove the phenomenon to the world and validate all our hard work. But I have to remain sceptical based on the first-hand information I was privileged to obtain. Yes, it is possible to hoax the video in hours, Michael, you simply produce the elements ahead of time, hoax the formation, enhance it and superimpose the balls of light. There are studios in Swindon, London and Bristol that could easily create this video. Anyone with access to good computer equipment can do it. And quickly. It can also be taken apart by computer equipment and analysed for signs of overlaying. This is what Colin has been trying to do at his own expense (and believe me it IS expensive). So get off his case, Michael. At least one person got up and tried to find out if the article is the genuine thing or yet another elaborate hoax.
Lastly, I just want to add that the fraternity and open-mindedness within the crop circle community has been an example to us all in how to bring together all kinds of people from all nationalities and backgrounds, to sit down and solve a problem for the common good. I, for one, feel proud to be alive in this moment in time just for that reason alone. I salute the people who have put this phenomenon at the heart of their priorities in life. What a growing body of people, including myself, find disgusting is the continuous egocentric posturing, the continuous withholding of information and general backstabbing that has become prevalent within our fraternity. This includes you, Michael (and Peter Sorensen is no angel either and he knows why). We are at this moment within inches of realising the true meaning and implication of the crop circles. Time is running out. I remind you that there is no prize in this race except the glory to bathe in the light of truth and good. The very people who have over the years tried to sabotage our efforts- Schnabel., the Army, Wessex Sceptics, et al- could not do a better job than see us bicker among ourselves and destroy each others' reputations. So stop wasting valuable energy attacking hard-working individuals such as Colin Andrews; you do not posses the facts to say what is right or wrong, or what his motives with the video have been, in fact you aren't even close to the truth. You were never involved in this situation from the beginning, therefore you are not qualified to make such criticisms as you have stated. It is foolish to build pyramids of surmise on foundations of ignorance, but by publishing ignorant information on the Web you have forgotten your personal responsibility to convey factual information so others can be informed. Instead you have chosen to put one of our most hard-working and trusted researchers in a bad light. You should be ashamed. It is ignorance and ego that will destroy the painstaking work of the researchers and circlemakers. Wait for the facts, then decide.
I say this to you Michael, and anyone else in our community: Compared to the circlemakers we all have the intellectual capacity of a bag of peanuts, otherwise we would have cracked the code years ago. What we need most right now, more than ever before, are gifted individuals such as yourself to contribute to the cause in a positive manner, to put aside ego and scholarly vanity, to cooperate. And wait till all the facts before jumping to conclusions.
Co-operation and mutual trust for the common good is how we shall ALL benefit. Together we stand, divided we fall. Remember this and we shall all be rewarded.
Freddie Silver.
Email:-lovely@clara.net
