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Crop Circles Archive 1999

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First published on July 10, 1999

A chance discovery on a walk in the countryside unlocked a mysterious world for Swindon engineers Dave Nixon and Basil Cole.

During one of their regular visits to the Marlborough Downs two years ago they came across a crop circle. 'We were both fascinated by it,' said Dave. 'We hadn't really seen one before except on television. Being computer buffs we got on the Internet and found a website all about crop circles and it started from there.' Since then, Woolworths maintenance engineers Dave, 52, of Covingham, and Bas, 58, of Moredon, have spent endless hours logged on to the Crop Circle Connector website and out in the wilds of Wiltshire hunting for formations.

'We get daily updates about formations on the Internet,' said Dave. 'Because we work shifts we try and get out about once a fortnight.' Armed with maps, video recorders and cameras the pair set off to enjoy a day in the countryside hunting and recording the formations. There have been 60 formations in the United Kingdom this year, with most of them appearing in Wiltshire. The latest appeared in fields below Hackpen Hill on July 4. Crop circle enthusiasts are keen to be the first to find a formation and claim it as their discovery. Bas and Dave have one to their name so far, discovered near Alton Barnes last June. But Dave said the ultimate aim was to see one being formed.

'People think it's little green men but that's rubbish,' said Dave. 'There are some which are man made but they are usually crude ones. But most of the others are so complex and appear within hours, so they can't be.' He said there were extreme theories which point the finger at military involvement testing new equipment or simply that the damage is caused by mating hedgehogs. Dave said he was open minded about how the formations were created, but a group of men with torches could not claim responsibility for all of them.

'There have been formations in sand, snow and treetops of forests, so I'd like to see a bloke up there with a plank,' said Dave. 'The mystery is always there. No one knows where they come from, you can read into them what you like and draw your own conclusions.'

Bas, who says he spends a little more time researching on the computer than Dave, said the designs have changed over the years since the first recorded Devil Circle in the 17th century. 'More recently they have started to get more complex and many are based on mathematical fractals,' he said. ÒAs engineers we appreciate the complexity of the formations and the accuracy.' Both have their favourites.

Dave prefers the Snowflake, which appeared at Silbury Hill in 1997, and Bas' favourite is the Avebury Dreamcatcher. One of the key attractions for Bas and Dave is getting into a formation and strolling around. 'I find tranquillity when I'm inside them,' said Bas. 'It is a form of escape because we work in a noisy environment.' Dave said he has suffered headaches and nausea from being inside a formation. But on other occasions he has come home on a high. 'I think 'Croppies' are what they call people like us,' said Dave. 'We get laughed at and get a lot of sceptics who think we're cranks, but that's OK, because we just enjoy getting out there in the countryside.'

Where to start
To follow in Bas and Dave's footsteps all you need is transport to get to the countryside. Crop circle searchers are asked to follow the Country Code. If a farmer has granted access to a field then use tractor tram lines to get to the formation rather than wading through undamaged crop.

Keener enthusiasts may need a camera to record the formation and any strange happenings in the area. A microlight could come in handy for a bird's eye view. Access to Internet or email will help you get information about the latest formations and enable you to let other Croppies know your discoveries.

Bas and Dave recommend the Crop Circle Connector website at http://cropcircleconnector.com. You can email Bas and Dave on [email protected] or [email protected].

All the latest information for people without access to a computer is available at the Barge Inn, Honey Street, near Alton Barnes.

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