The Dinner Party

Charles Mallet – The Silent Circle Cafe

On the evening of July 19 2004 a dinner party was held at Avebury, hosted by members of the “Norwegian Crop Circle Group”, headed by Eva Marie Brekkestø. Also in attendance was circle researcher Charles R Mallett and farmers, James and Ellie Strong, owners of the farm land in the region of the white horse at Pewsey in Wiltshire, where the formation in question appeared.

On the menu for this evening social event was a sumptuous traditional Norwegian four course supper with inevitable helpings of animated discussion regarding the manifestation of crop circles, their apparent effects on people, the science and indeed the whole range of anomalous phenomena that permeate this enduring enigma.

Mr and Mrs Strong have in previous years received a number of formations on their land and approach the subject with open minds, laced with a hearty dose of understandable scepticism. This approach however took a substantial jolt in July 2002 when their field of wheat directly below the white horse was visited by a most impressive and sophisticated crop glyph, “The Nautilus”, leaving the farm owners and serious researchers alike struck with awe as the inexplicable event presented itself under extremely bizarre circumstances.

Our mutually informative and cordial evening ended at midnight with several of the party exclaiming “how amazing it would be if the farm was once again the venue for a serious crop circle event” in the light of the evenings conversations. With this on our collective minds we said our goodbyes and parted company.

The Shock

At 0800 hrs on the 20th of July Eva Marie received a telephone call from a rather shaken Mrs Strong. Incredibly there was indeed a new formation on the Strong’s land, not only that, it was directly below the white horse in their fast maturing wheat, just a very short distance from where the 2002 event had manifest almost exactly two years earlier. Permission was granted immediately for the dinner party group of circle researchers to enter the new event as soon as possible and conduct serious examination of the enigmatic new arrival. With great haste and a palpable excitement, the researchers gathered all necessary equipment before the short trip to the Strong’s farm.

The Circle

Walking up the tramlines at (approx) 0900 hrs we could clearly see that the new crop circle was spanning just fewer than three tramlines and measured a modest (approx) 180 ft diameter. As we made our approach all defining edges to the event looked sharp to the point of cookie cutter perfection. The pace quickened as we took the final steps to the edge of the formation. From here the whole event was more or less visible, spread out before us like the “female of ages” Even though in terms of size and shape it was not particularly sophisticated, its balance, poise and simplicity gave it an instant quality of its very own.

From our vantage point we were able to discern a very slick and smooth laid crop area that seemed to extend throughout the entire formation in a seamless water-like flow, rippling and banking as the laid down crop curved in and out of the perimeter cantors of the little glyph.

Close Up Impressions

For the next two hours or so the formation received close quarters examination to determine the validity of the glyph as a genuine paranormal event.

It very quickly became apparent that we were not the first people to have entered the formation. Evidence was suggesting that a small number of visitors had indeed been in the formation. These earlier visitors had left a number of rather crude impressions in the otherwise perfect laid crop areas including a very clumsy and obvious path through the standing crop leading to one of the four outer detached circles. Also in some central areas of the formation severe plant crushing had occurred leaving one with the impression that the visitors had taken absolutely no care in how they had conducted themselves in the formation.

It is noteworthy to separate the type of damage to the wheat plants detailed above from the much more subtle hoaxer marks and activity occasionally found in circles of a more suspect nature. All the damage that was found can be attributed to a few visitors who had happened across the circle.

Aside from the specified damage the glyph was clean and neat with no traces of organized human activity that would suggest that the formation was a fake; therefore it was the conclusion of all those present that this crop circle formation represented a genuine and unexplained happening. Subsequent examination by other experienced researchers has drawn the same conclusions and at the time of writing this one goes in the category of genuine crop circles.

The Black Helicopter

Less than ten minutes into the examination of the formation the situation in the local airspace took a rather odd turn. From behind the hill and white horse came a rather sinister black helicopter, no decals, numbers or ID markings were to be seen on the aircraft at all. The Chopper purposely approached the new glyph and spent several minutes circling very low, occasionally hovering, as if taking photographs of the formation, allowing all present to get a very close look at the thing. The Chopper then flew away, only to return twice more over the course of the next fifteen minutes. Each time it returned it carried out similar manoeuvres in the immediate area where the formation had just some hours earlier arrived.

From this we can only conclude that, despite what the scientific community may say to the contrary, elements within the establishment are taking a serious look at crop circles. Although to acknowledge this would give credence to claims that not all crop circles are faked and that some are a genuine paranormal phenomenon, the fact remains that the powers that be are also interested in crop circles.


[PICTURE: Crop circle viewed from ground zero ]


[PICTURE: Seen from overhead.]

Last updated 17/09/2005