Touchstone

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 27
Date: October 1990
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone delves into various aspects of earth mysteries, featuring articles on interesting trips, book reviews, and personal accounts of investigations into leys, UFOs, and paranormal phenomena.

Some Interesting Trips

The lead article details two weeks spent exploring areas with striking similarities. The first week was in Tenterden, Kent, a former Cinque Port now far from the sea, where the old coastline is visible on maps and a hill called Chapel Bank is noted as an equivalent to Glastonbury Tor. Despite being a rich agricultural area with few prehistoric sites, the author found the region to be powerful, with unusual 'head-hum' felt in various locations, including churches, Ellen Terry's house, Tenterden museum, and the cottage where they stayed. The area also features a wealth of direction-following roads and tracks.

The second week was spent around Glastonbury in Somerset. A key find was a visual alignment of two pine clumps with their cottage, which appeared to be a ley line when plotted. Evidence of 'microlandscape' was also noted, including a small mound with a rose bush ring on the ley in the garden, and a spiral staircase where 'head-hum' was felt. The alignment continued along a path and a curved track.

The author notes that pine clumps were frequently found on leys in both areas, serving as transient yet permanent ley markers.

Another field trip with the London Earth Mysteries Circle took the author to the Winchester area, visiting St. Catherine's Hill, known for its maze and views of the cathedral. Comparisons were made to Avebury circles and Silbury Hill, with a suggestion that the cathedral site might have been a stone circle location. Ley and date dowsing were conducted on the hill.

The trip continued to Cheesefoot Head, where crop circles were observed, and then to Butser Hill, an ancient farm reconstruction featuring Bronze Age smelting demonstrations, an earthen pottery kiln, and ancient buildings. The visit concluded in Selborne, home of naturalist Gilbert White. Videos of these trips are available.

Ghosts of Brooklands

Mr. Keith Griggs, a guide at Brooklands Museum, has compiled reports of ghosts at the site. The most common sighting is of a man in cap and goggles, linked to Percy Lambert, a driver who died there. Night shift workers have reported seeing this figure, and one account mentions him driving a car that disappeared. Sightings date back to the war years but have continued more recently, with the figure also seen walking through the assembly shed.

An article from the Financial Times in 1971 is cited, describing unusual sensations at Brooklands that led to a psychic being brought to the spot. Drawings made by the psychic were identified as a former Brooklands mechanic. A security man reported seeing a 'blob of black' over Test Hill, followed by sounds of crashing metal, but no trace was found later. Sounds of vintage motorcycles have also been reported from a hangar built over part of the original track.

Book Reviews

The Archaeology of Surrey, edited by Joanna and D.G. Bird, is reviewed as an indispensable reference work covering periods from Palaeolithic to Medieval, with a discussion on landscape evolution. While praised for its wealth of information and extensive bibliography, the review notes shortcomings in the index and variable chapter styles.

Hampshire Curiosities, by Jo Draper, is described as a typical survey book commissioned by publishers, often lacking depth and local knowledge. While it has a bias towards architectural curiosities, a few snippets of interest, such as folklore about ancient oaks and the 'Druid Stones' (sarsen boulders), are mentioned. The mizmaze near Fordingbridge is interpreted as a medieval Christian creation. The review criticizes the lack of references in such books.

The Sun and the Serpent, by Paul Broadhurst and Hamish Miller, is reviewed as a remarkable research project investigating the St. Michael Line using dowsing. The discovery of a serpentine line entwined with the straight one, and a second serpentine line, led to a complex pattern resembling a caduceus. The book is recommended for ley hunters.

Notes and News

Some leys round Hurt Wood: An article describes a ley marked by a grid line on the map, passing through various locations including churches and tracks. Another ley was discovered through dowsing reactions at Pitch Hill, where a UFO was seen. This ley skirts Holmbury Hill hillfort and passes through several road junctions.

London Meetings: A list of upcoming meetings for the London E.M. Circle is provided, covering topics like Earth Mysteries Research, Mystical Experiences, Balls of Light, and The Visual Artist's Response to Earth Mysteries.

Build your own stone circle!: A booklet described as a DIY guide to stone circle construction is mentioned, promoting the return of stone circles to the landscape. It covers topics like Celtic festivals, bonfires, lunar effects, and crop circles. The author, John Harrison, is noted to have built his own stone circle.

Letters

From Paul Broadhurst: Discusses the St. Michael Line and its serpentine counterpart, suggesting the straight line may energize the Earth. He notes that energy along the St. Michael Line is only detected just after Beltane, and that serpentine currents may be the Earth's response.

From Richard Colborne: Describes a trip to Hurtwood and notes another track running W-E that crosses the Hurtwood track. He suggests an alignment of churches to the south of this track and believes he has found where the tracks start/cross, though it is overgrown.

Publications Available from Jimmy Goddard

A list of publications is provided, including books on leys, flying saucers, extraterrestrial communication, and Salisbury Plain mysteries, along with videos of field trips. Prices are listed, and all include postage.

Exchange List

A list of other publications with which Touchstone exchanges material is provided, including titles like Fortean Times, Northern Earth Mysteries, The Pipes of Pan, Folklore Frontiers, The Ley Hunter, Magonia, and others.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are earth mysteries, ley lines, and their investigation through dowsing and field trips. There is a strong interest in UFO phenomena, with specific sightings and reports discussed. Ghosts and paranormal occurrences, particularly at historical sites like Brooklands, are also featured. The magazine promotes personal research and investigation into these subjects, encouraging readers to share their findings. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry into unexplained phenomena, with a focus on empirical observation and historical accounts, while acknowledging the subjective nature of some experiences like 'head-hum'. The publication also serves as a hub for a community interested in these topics, facilitating contact and information sharing through its contact lists and exchange publications.