Inside Britain's first ever 'Flat Earth convention'

Inside Britain's first ever 'Flat Earth convention'

Hundreds of conspiracy theorists who are convinced the Earth is flat gathered at a conference in Britain at the weekend.

The UK's first Flat Earth Convention took place over three days at a hotel in Birmingham and saw nine speakers take the stage to discuss the shape of our planet.

Among the more than 200 believers who attended were IT consultants and an NHS manager as well as off-grid 'environmentalists'.

One speaker at the event, which charged £107 ($147) for a three-day ticket, even claimed 'gravity doesn't exist'.

According to the Telegraph, Dave Marsh, an NHS manager who spoke at the conference, said: 'My research destroys big bang cosmology.

'It supports the idea that gravity doesn't exist and the only true force in nature is electromagnetism.'

In his speech, Mr Marsh claimed he had disproved planetary motion using a Nikon camera and an app from his back garden.

Those who believed the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere. 

The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim.

Dave Murphy, a former graphic designer who now lives 'off-grid', also spoke at the convention.

He said: 'One of the best examples is Antwerp's Notre Dame spire, which can be seen something like 240 kilometres [150 miles] away from the spire.

'That should be over a mile below the horizon, but you can still see it.'

In the conference room of Birmingham's Jurys Inn hotel, delegates bought and sold flat earth merchandise.

Items included 'Flat Power' t-shirts, novelty spirit levels and flat maps.

A popular topic at the conference was what shape the Earth actually takes.

Some speakers argued the Earth is a flat-disc with an outer ring of frozen ice walls, while others insisted it has a domed roof.

Darren Nesbit, a Bolton-based dance musician who spoke at the conference, claimed Earth is diamond-shaped and supported by pillars.

He said: 'I'm not saying this is definitely what is going on, but I think it is a plausible model.'

Nasa has proved that the Earth is round using satellites, GPS and images from space, but 'Flat Earthers' believe the space agency is lying.

Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a 'round Earth conspiracy' orchestrated by Nasa and other government agencies. 

Proponents of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun.

A number of high-profile celebrities have made the shock revelation that they believe in the Flat Earth conspiracy.

American rapper B.o.B announced in 2015 he was a Flat Earther in a rambling series of tweets.

The musician, whose real name is Bobby Ray Simmons Jr, wrote: 'No matter how high in elevation you are…the horizon is always eye level…sorry cadets…I didn’t wanna believe it either.'

'Don’t believe what I say, research what I say. I’m going up against the greatest liars in history … you’ve been tremendously deceived.'

Former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff revealed last year he couldn't stop listening to a podcast called 'Flat Earthers' and was beginning to believe their theories.

He said: 'If you’re in a helicopter and you hover why does the Earth not come to you if it’s round?

'Why, if we’re hurtling through space, why would water stay still? Why is it not wobbling? Also if you fire a laser about 16 miles, if the world was curved, you shouldn’t be able to see it but you can.'