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designs, albeit well-made ones, but it was Italy that stepped up to the challenge again with 12 events, at least two of which matched or surpassed the contemporary English efforts. An elaborate wheel design at Braccagni, Grosetto, Tuscany, on 4 June would not have looked out of place in the UK, but the astonishing and complex seven-pointed star at Poirino on 20 June, complete with possible astronomical references, took things to a different level and appeared to be a sequel to another similarly stunning formation there almost exactly a year before. The final major UK formation at the time of writing arrived at Cherhill, Wiltshire, on 15 August (although a small glyph appeared near Alnwick, Northumberland, on 28 August, and the last few seasons have generally seen some late additions in early-autumn maize fields). This provided a mathematical "closing statement" comprising a grid of thin, overlapping star geometries within a ring of textured basket-weave crop at the centre of swirled arcs, with a stylised elephant-like glyph nearby, very similar to previous versions which have appeared in the same area of fields in years past. By this, the phenomenon seemed to be making a conscious link to its own heritage. In total, the UK did manage to produce 60 formations this year, which is no disgrace, even if the overall quality was generally agreed to be down, for all the exceptions. Expectations for the Future The top formations of 2011, then, showed that the circle enigma is certainly not done yet. But there was a sense, nonetheless, of a subtle shift away from the guaranteed excellence that we have all become used to, as if we might be entering the first stages of something preparing to wean us off our addiction to these endlessly stimulating shapes with all their attendant mysteries and fascinations. Of course, it may simply be the case tha’ another year will disprove such speculation, and tha perhaps this season has merely been a tantalising lull, with the most extraordinary designs ever seen jus waiting in the wings for next time. However, what if the imminence of 2012-and-beyond does start to take away from us something that has warmed so many hearts these past two decades? And i large cosmic events or Earth-shattering world Formations Abroad Meanwhile, the rest of the world produced its usua remaining proportion of the results, with 46 designs scattered across countries as diverse as Indonesia and Mexico (as we have seen), Russia, Slovakia, Belgium and the USA, all with a few formations each. The Czech Republic also reactivated (as it does every few years) with seven attractive patterns, while The Netherlands reached 10, although most of these were largely small and rough, often in wild grassland. Of the two countries that usually produce the neares' equivalents to the generally more elaborate UK crop glyphs, Germany disappointed this season with just three West Woodhay Down, near Inkpen, Wiltshire. Reported 29 July. Image: www.cropcircleconnector.com NEXUS ¢ 63 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com