Thank you so much to everyone who came to watch and take part in The Berkshire Giant. We would be grateful if you could spend a few moments telling us about your experience here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/theberkshiregiant
3 Jul 2012
25 Jun 2012
John's Final Footsteps - In Pictures
Some amazing photos of John's Final Footsteps in Newbury on Saturday night by Farrows Creative. Click here to see more photos.
24 Jun 2012
Giant Walks the Streets of Newbury
Some amateur footage from last night when a 20ft Giant - John Ever Afraid - walked the streets of Newbury! Incredible!
23 Jun 2012
Don't Miss The Rest of the Tale
Tonight, in Newbury town centre!
Can John Ever Afraid face his feares?
Can John Ever Afraid face his feares?
John's Final Footsteps
Tonight!
9.45pm - Northbrook St, Newbury
Wild music and parade as a devilish carnival tells the final chapter of our tale. Will John Ever Afraid find the courage to face his feares?
Surrender to a seductive night time carnival of fire, devilry and old time rock 'n' roll!
Wonder at the fate of a Giant who made a big mistake
Shake to the voodoo electricity of illicit Rock and Roll
Thrill to the final reckoning of John Ever Afraid
Will John finally face his fears and find redemption?
After ten miles and seven days in the wilderness come and witness the final chapter in our outdoor tale.
9.45pm - Northbrook St, Newbury
Wild music and parade as a devilish carnival tells the final chapter of our tale. Will John Ever Afraid find the courage to face his feares?
Surrender to a seductive night time carnival of fire, devilry and old time rock 'n' roll!
Wonder at the fate of a Giant who made a big mistake
Shake to the voodoo electricity of illicit Rock and Roll
Thrill to the final reckoning of John Ever Afraid
Will John finally face his fears and find redemption?
After ten miles and seven days in the wilderness come and witness the final chapter in our outdoor tale.
22 Jun 2012
Giant Loose in Newbury!
This afternon in Newbury, Maya and Scarlett's daily dare blog was interupted by The Berkshire Giant!
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Berkshire Giant Poetry Competition - 1st Place
As part of the Berkshire Giant project, Steve Larkin worked with local poets to develop their writing skills. This is the winning poem of the resulting competition:
Ever afraid of his god,
Though opposed to divine right,
Obsessed with doctrine,
In the blindness of passion
Against his rural wishes
He grew from humble squire
To become a reluctant giant
Tyrant, hammer of the people
The anvil of a parliament.
Ever afraid of his power
Ever afraid to relinquish it
Walled up between giant
And god fearing squire
By the pact of regicide he made
With a parliament
Whose moods he feared
Almost like the devil himself.
Peter is a member of the Newbury Poetry workshop that meet every Monday at the Quaker Meeting House in Newbury. He took part in the workshops with Steve Larkin and this poem was written as the result of his work in those sessions. It is a deep dark abstract look at the ideas of a giant walled up, a pact and the devil himself.
Ever Afraid
by Peter Eggins
Ever afraid of his god,
Though opposed to divine right,
Obsessed with doctrine,
In the blindness of passion
Against his rural wishes
He grew from humble squire
To become a reluctant giant
Tyrant, hammer of the people
The anvil of a parliament.
Ever afraid of his power
Ever afraid to relinquish it
Walled up between giant
And god fearing squire
By the pact of regicide he made
With a parliament
Whose moods he feared
Almost like the devil himself.
Peter is a member of the Newbury Poetry workshop that meet every Monday at the Quaker Meeting House in Newbury. He took part in the workshops with Steve Larkin and this poem was written as the result of his work in those sessions. It is a deep dark abstract look at the ideas of a giant walled up, a pact and the devil himself.
21 Jun 2012
Photos of The Summoning
A wonderful selection of photographs from last night's magical Summoning on Snelsmore Common. Check out more photographs by clicking here.
Photos by Farrows Creative.
Photos by Farrows Creative.
Giant Intimidates Fisherman
In a lake in Newbury today, a local fishing enthusiast had an unnerving encounter with what could have been The Berkshire Giant!
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
20 Jun 2012
Locals Flee from The Giant
Some CCTV footage taken today of people in Newbury running from something huge and obviously terrifying!
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Invocations and Rituals on Snelsmore Common
- Tonight -
The Summoning on Snelsmore Common
9.30pm-10.30pm
Free
Come gather under the stars this Solstice Eve with those who wish to protect the giant. Ancient drums and magic incantations are performed to invoke the animal spirits of the land & summon help for John Ever Afraid.
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Evening includes 10minute walk over rough, boggy terrain (wear suitable footwear and bring torches), difficult for those with limited mobility and unfortunately no wheelchair access.
How to get to Snelsmore Common:
19 Jun 2012
The Berkshire Giant is at Large in Newbury
The picturesque village of Aldworth was buzzing with Giant related activity during the launch of “The Berkshire Giant” on Sunday.
During the Aldworth Giant fair, local residents and families came out to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of live theatre, giant games, folk music and food. One of the highlights of the fair was the magical procession that paraded from the village green through the windy streets down to the churchyard where a troupe of players told the story of the Aldworth Giants – 600 year old stone effigies that lie in the village Church of Aldworth.
During the fair, an announcement was made that John Ever Afraid, the gentle giant that had been hiding from the Devil in the walls of Aldworth Church has actually escaped and is now on the loose.
The story continues tomorrow night on Solstice Eve (Wednesday 20 June on Snelsmore Common at 9.45pm) where a mysterious gathering will be taking place. It is hoped that this magical performance using ancient drums, voices and magic incantations will encourage the ancient beasts who wish to protect the giant John Ever Afraid to come out of their hiding places and come to his aid.
During the Aldworth Giant fair, local residents and families came out to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of live theatre, giant games, folk music and food. One of the highlights of the fair was the magical procession that paraded from the village green through the windy streets down to the churchyard where a troupe of players told the story of the Aldworth Giants – 600 year old stone effigies that lie in the village Church of Aldworth.
During the fair, an announcement was made that John Ever Afraid, the gentle giant that had been hiding from the Devil in the walls of Aldworth Church has actually escaped and is now on the loose.
The story continues tomorrow night on Solstice Eve (Wednesday 20 June on Snelsmore Common at 9.45pm) where a mysterious gathering will be taking place. It is hoped that this magical performance using ancient drums, voices and magic incantations will encourage the ancient beasts who wish to protect the giant John Ever Afraid to come out of their hiding places and come to his aid.
What Fun at Aldworth Giant Fair
A lovely message received from Pauline, a resident of Aldworth:
"THANK YOU to all involved in making 17th June 2012 a very special day in our tiny village of Aldworth. Congratulations on producing a day of magic and wonder - even the SUN shone!
Everyone's work produced a spectacle of drama, music, stories and pageantry the likes of which we may never see again. What fun it was. Even the GIANTS in St Mary's seemed to smile!
All best wishes,
Pauline"
"THANK YOU to all involved in making 17th June 2012 a very special day in our tiny village of Aldworth. Congratulations on producing a day of magic and wonder - even the SUN shone!
Everyone's work produced a spectacle of drama, music, stories and pageantry the likes of which we may never see again. What fun it was. Even the GIANTS in St Mary's seemed to smile!
All best wishes,
Pauline"
Berkshire Giant Spotted in a Newbury Park
Earlier today in a park in Newbury, a group of teenagers had their day interupted by what could have been The Berkshire Giant:
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
‘Elks’ Predict Magic in the Woods
If you’ve been out walking your dog recently, you may have noticed a mysterious group starting to assemble on Snelsmore Common.
This curious bunch of ragtag campers who all wear antlers on their heads and call themselves the Elks are united in helping John Ever Afraid, a Giant from the olden times who is walking at large over the Berkshire countryside during the summer solstice.
Chief Elk Martin Green (a trainee solicitor from Bedford), has been holding vigil for over three days now, constantly scouring the landscape through binoculars whilst sitting on a stool outside his Lichford Apache three-man tent. He breaks off his search to explain all over a mug of dandelion tea.
“If John appears, we are here to help him. The World will be very different from the one hid away 600 years ago. We have cars now, where he would have had…. a horse and cart? Were wheels invented then? He will be confused, perhaps even scared, so we’ll be here to offer a helping hand. We will perform ancient rituals and invocations to raise the spirits beasts from the forest so that they may guide him to safety.
Giants were always friendly with animals and this Giant in particular will need their support to overcome his fears. Spirit beasts in particular are a powerful force or goo and will keep him safe from those who wish to harm him. Where can John find safety I ask?”
Find out what happening at The Summoning tomorrow evening on Ancient Snelsmore Common.
This curious bunch of ragtag campers who all wear antlers on their heads and call themselves the Elks are united in helping John Ever Afraid, a Giant from the olden times who is walking at large over the Berkshire countryside during the summer solstice.
Chief Elk Martin Green (a trainee solicitor from Bedford), has been holding vigil for over three days now, constantly scouring the landscape through binoculars whilst sitting on a stool outside his Lichford Apache three-man tent. He breaks off his search to explain all over a mug of dandelion tea.
“If John appears, we are here to help him. The World will be very different from the one hid away 600 years ago. We have cars now, where he would have had…. a horse and cart? Were wheels invented then? He will be confused, perhaps even scared, so we’ll be here to offer a helping hand. We will perform ancient rituals and invocations to raise the spirits beasts from the forest so that they may guide him to safety.
Giants were always friendly with animals and this Giant in particular will need their support to overcome his fears. Spirit beasts in particular are a powerful force or goo and will keep him safe from those who wish to harm him. Where can John find safety I ask?”
Find out what happening at The Summoning tomorrow evening on Ancient Snelsmore Common.
18 Jun 2012
Strange Noises in The Woods
With more and more reports of a Giant loose in the West Berkshire countryside, locals Dan and Tom report on some strange carvings they've found and noises they hear in the woods.
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Video made by Young Corn Exchange with help from Real Time.
Pictures from Aldworth Giant Fair
A wonderful selection of photos from Aldworth Giant Fair yesterday by Farrows Creative.
Click here to see more images.
Click here to see more images.
Berkshire Giant Poetry Competition - 2nd Place
Fairy Steps and Giant Strides
by Louise Ordish
It starts – as it always does - with fairy steps
silver dust, kicked up in sparkles,
as they pass in a corridor,
“you-again”, raised eyebrows,
coffee at the same time,
more or less, give or take a heartbeat.
Magical fairy steps
tiptoe-trip towards some future,
as they lunch, make unremarkable exchanges
her face tight with alertness,
slight uncertainty
With the team day out,
come quickening fairy steps to the dinner
and imperative seats them
face to face, with wine and nerves on fire,
tension rising, like scalding steam
Group-loud jokes fill the bar, connections
snip-snap into place across the team until
much later, quieter, two of them sit,
still, and patches of silvery glitter
settle round their dress-down shoes
in glowing moonlight pools
And he pauses, leans in,
takes a breath that holds her scent
and knows that, in a moment, he will take
a giant stride, towards or away.
Louise will also be working with us at the Corn Exchange in the autumn to deliver some poetry workshops to build upon the enthusiasm generated by this aspect of the Berkshire Giant project.
Giant Escapes from Aldworth Church
During yesterday's Giant Fair, a huge roar as loud as a clap of thunder was heard as The Berkshire Giant, a spectacular monster of a man, broke free from the walls of Aldworth Church where he has been hiding from the devil for 600 years, fulfilling a prophecy made by the Ancient Order of The Elk. This Giant is now running riot across the West Berkshire countryside wreaking havoc wherever he goes.
Please keep an eye out for the Giant in your neighbourhood and let us know here at Giant Watch of any sightings!
Please keep an eye out for the Giant in your neighbourhood and let us know here at Giant Watch of any sightings!
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