FROM AUGUST'S BIDEFORD POST

THINGS CAN ONLY GET BLAH BLAH BLAH

I am very aware, in fact it could be said that I am painfully aware, that although our book publishing schedule is going ahead at a rate of knots, our publishing schedule for magazines has completely fallen by the wayside. Furthermore, I am only too aware that one of these magazines – Animals & Men – is not only behind schedule, but is what members receive as the main part of their membership.

In the next week or so we will be making a major announcement about the status of the CFZ. I know that sounds ominous but it isn’t. The CFZ will continue – hopefully – for many years to come, and we shall be continuing to publish both our magazines indefinitely. However, we hope that these changes to the CFZ will – in the medium term at least – improve our cash flow, which is the main reason that our magazines have not appeared as regularly as we would like.

The other reason is simply because with the bloggo taking up 50 news stories a week, and occasionally more, it is sometimes difficult to keep up 2 traditional hard copy publications as well. I am only writing this because I want you to be aware that we are aware of the situation, and are doing our best to rectify it. Please bear with us, I would say that things can only get better, but the last person to use that catchphrase was Tony Blair in 1997 and we would like to assure you that no matter how much we cock things up, we ain’t going to do it as disastrously as he did.

Capisce?

VIRTUAL RETURN OF THE NATIVE (err Expat)

The other day when at the height of my recent bout of my usual irritating illness I was sitting in my office dictating an article about dragonflies to my poor long-suffering better half. As always seems to be the case when I am feeling ill - and I must admit sorry for myself - I started thinking about my childhood long ago in a galaxy (or rather British Crown colony) far away. After having finished dictation dear Corinna went back into the dining room, which is where she and her pet cane toad, Mog, conduct their activities, and left me (still feeling sorry for myself) to my own devices.

For the first time in a while I started pootling about on Google Earth and I found, to my absolute amazement, that there is now a facility whereby one can zoom in and click on a camera symbol and see detailed photographs of streets and roads. Of course, the first thing that I did was to zoom in and look at Back Street, Woolsery and to my amusement, saw the brass plaque on the wall, which announces the position of the Centre for Fortean Zoology; and even my old jaguar, before we had it scrapped last winter, was parked at the bottom of the hill outside what used to be Marjorie Braund’s house (until she died last December). Then, on a whim, I went to the other side of the globe and zoomed in on Hong Kong island.

Much to my amazement and I have to say, almost overwhelming emotional gratification, I managed to find my old school. I managed to locate the garages where every winter the itinerant cobbler Ping Kee sold Christmas trees, and even followed the course of the road which I used to walk to school, along which I would often be side-tracked by watching lizards, and be late for registration.

This got me thinking. The bloggo is doing rather well at the moment and for the last month we have had between 2,000 and 3,000 hits each day, and sometimes more. Now, I wouldn’t want anyone to think I am bragging about this; we have had periods like this before and no doubt, numbers will continue to fluctuate up and down like they have in the past. However, according to the map so kindly provided by Bravenet (who host our hit-counter), we quite regularly have people visiting the website from Hong Kong, and if you are reading this, you Hong Kong people, could you possibly do me a favour?

There are places at the top of Victoria Peak where – for a number of reasons – the mobile camera cars of those jolly nice people at Google are unable to go. I have been unable to find photographs of these places on the internet and would be very grateful if – partly because I need them for one of the books I am currently writing, and partly for reasons of emotional nostalgia – I would like to obtain some photographs of them. Just in case you are thinking that I am going to be wanting you to go wandering for days into the wilds of the Sai Kung peninsular, at least at first, all the places are within half a mile of each other, and easily accessible on Victoria Peak. Please email on jon@eclipse.co.uk if you feel that you can help.

HARRIET WADHEM REPORTING: Richard Freeman Ahoy

For those of you who wish for me to provide some insight into cryptozoological lives, I very kindly decided to interview one Mr Richard Freeman. Hi, Richard! Yes, this is all about you so I hope you enjoy it. If I do a Rita Skeeter on you then don’t worry; it’s all part of my business....

Name: Richard Freeman
Connection with the Weird Weekend: Involved ever since he began playing the role of zoological director
Why he began doing things for the CFZ: He was involved in 1994 on Bodmin Moor. He had a museum break and spied the magazine Animals & Men. Eventually, Richard started articles for the magazine. He was that good he became the Yorkshire representative; afterwards Freeman took a full-time CFZ job which leads him to where he is now.
Favourite cryptozoological author/s: Janet and Colin Bord
Cryptozoological interest: The Doctor Who 1970s monsters were deemed scary, even more so because of the fact they were on Earth. Richard took note of this, but instead of thinking of imaginary monsters, real ones entered his mind instead.
Most amazing place interest has taken subject to: Mongolia to track down the Mongolian deathworm. Huge deserts were spread out in front of the group; some rocky places were scattered around. Richard was struck by how alien and unfamiliar it seemed.

GOODNESS ME

UNIDENTIFIED Flying Objects, evidence of a big cat in the woods and a visit from a famous explorer were all highlights of the Weird Weekend held at Woolsery Sports and Community Hall.

Read on

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day in 1945 Mike the headless chicken became headless after he was decapitated; previously he had just been known as Mike and had he not been made headless, or indeed been killed in the process, he would probably never have became famous and toured America.
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Fish regurgitation circus act banned in Australia

They've had their 'chips', I really 'fish' people wouldn't do such cruel things to animals, they must be 'eel' in the head or something.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREG

A very Happy Birthday to my darling Godson Greg who is 12 today. Greg is best known to bloggofolk as being my right hand man, and microphone runner at the WW and star of this short film clip....