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You are hereThe Highgate Vampire - How It All Began - by David Farrant
The Highgate Vampire - How It All Began - by David Farrant
LONDON 1969, AND WIDE REPORTS WERE COMING INTO the British Psychic and Occult Society concerning a tall black apparition that had been seen lurking among the tombs of London's Highgate Cemetery. Most of these reports were from people who claimed to have been confronted by this apparition which invariably took the form of a tall dark figure and petrified people both in, or passing, the cemetery. Where possible, most of these reports were followed up but unfortunately (as is frequently the case in psychic investigations) many turned out to be vague repetition of local gossip or the result of unqualified rumour.|
Eventually a man was traced, however, who claimed to have had a first-hand encounter with this phenomenon, although he requested that his name be withheld to avoid his account from being subjected to ridicule. According to this person (referred to here as 'Thornton'), he had been 'hypnotized' by 'something' in the cemetery after he had gone there late one afternoon to look around.
As the light began to fail he decided to leave, but somehow, he became hopelessly lost. Not being a superstitious person or even believing in the existence of ghosts, he walked calmly around looking for the gate when he suddenly became aware of the presence of something behind him. Swinging around, less than six feet away, he saw a tall dark spectre hovering just above the ground. He found himself transfixed to the spot completely unable to move; drained of energy by some powerful 'hypnotic force' that in a matter of seconds rendered him unconscious to any sense of time or his surroundings. So great was the intensity of this force, that he remained like this for several minutes (or what seemed like several minutes) before the spectre abruptly vanished and he slowly regained his normal faculties.
Recalling the incident afterwards, Thornton said that it was almost as if some force of terribly evil proportions had actually sought him out with the intention of doing serious harm.
This account was intriguing. Thornton was a sincere and logical person and not the type liable to fantasy or exaggeration. (His profession as an accountant by itself suggested that his interests lay in things of a logical nature.) That he had seen 'something', there seemed little doubt, but what was especially interesting was that he had described the entity as 'seeking him out' and actually trying to cause physical harm; an uncommon occurrence with reports of ghostly confrontations when ghosts themselves are rarely reported as exercising any physical control over their human counterparts. It was a fair conclusion that the phenomenon was definitely malevolent by nature.
Several more people were interviewed in the following weeks, but again, most of these accounts turned out to be second-hand reports or exaggeration of what by now had become an already established rumour.
An exception to this, however, was one old lady who claimed she had been frightened by a 'tall dark man' who floated at her from within the cemetery gates. She had been walking her dog late one night but as she approached the gates of the cemetery, it started to howl and tried to retreat. She looked up and saw a figure with 'glaring eyes' staring at her. In a matter of seconds, it promptly vanished.
This account was also entered on the Society's files, but it seemed the next step to obtaining more precise information was to visit Highgate Cemetery in daylight to check the sites of the phenomenon's reputed appearances and perhaps discover some clues that could have otherwise accounted for its presence.
This visit was made by the author who had taken a personal interest in the case, although it turned out to be disappointing as nothing significant was found that offered any explanation - by way of a hoax or otherwise - for the two sightings.
I arrived at the cemetery in the morning and spent several hours there. It was the first time I had been there for over two years and the increase in vandalism was immediately apparent. Vaults had been broken open and coffins quite literally smashed apart. One vault near the top gate (although not visible from outside it) was wide open and one could see the remains of a skeleton where it had been wrenched from a coffin. Another vault on the main pathway had been thus entered and one of the coffins inside, set alight. Although this vault had been padlocked and chained, the door was made up of an iron grill and the vandalised coffin was available for all to see. Furthermore, it appeared that virtually no attempt had been made to repair any of the damage.
A strange thing that was discovered was a freshly dead fox lying in the middle of a main pathway. This was puzzling because there were no outward signs betraying the cause of death, and besides, a wounded animal would usually have crawled away and hidden itself if it sensed impending death.
All this, however, came no nearer to solving the mystery of the black apparition. Indeed, apart from rumour and other unsubstantiated local stories, the only real 'evidence' were the testimonies of just two people, and it seemed the only way to credit their accounts (or discredit them as the case may be) and thereby justify a full investigation, was to spend a night in the cemetery to see if the phenomenon - or whatever it was - could be witnessed. The place where Thornton had been confronted inside the cemetery seemed an appropriate place as it was secluded and there was no risk of being seen by anybody happening by the top gate - the place where the old lady had seen the entity. The date chosen was December 21st - the eve of the winter Solstice and a traditional time (due to the maximum hours of darkness) when potent psychic forces have easy access to the 'earthly plane'. That the entity may be dangerous from a psychic point of view, was a fact not overlooked. But I was confident that previous experiences with potentially malevolent psychic forces would enable me to deal with any such possibility.
Around 11 PM on the proposed night, I set off for the cemetery. It was a bitterly cold night and the surrounding area was deserted. Walking down the narrow lane that ran alongside the cemetery, there was a sudden awareness of some 'alien presence'. This was difficult to define, except in so far as there was a distinct impression of no longer being alone.
Reaching the top gate and preparing to scale this, I decided to wait a couple of minutes with the intention of perhaps noticing some material object through the gate (such as a shadow cast by a tomb-stone or from a tree moving in the wind), that could have otherwise accounted for the old lady's phantom.
Peering through the rusty bars of the gate scrutinizing the pervading darkness, objects near the gate itself lining the pathway, were fairly easy to discern. But after 20 yards or so the path disappeared into impenetrable blackness. Staring into this, perhaps due to some trick of the light, there was a distinct impression of 'something moving'. What appeared one minute to be a definite black shape or shadow, would suddenly alter its form or change in density. The wind moving through the undergrowth was probably the cause of this, but it was equally feasible that this could have been the cause of the 'black apparition' seen by the old woman.
To the right of the path, some large animal was scurrying through the undergrowth. Then suddenly, something caught my eye and looking up, just inside not 5 yards from the gate and clearly visible, was a tall dark shape.
Instinctively, my conscious mind rejected this figure as being supernatural. It was more consoling to assume that it was somebody wandering through the cemetery; notwithstanding that the figure appeared to be over seven feet tall. Any immediate doubts were soon dispelled when I saw two reddish eyes meeting my gaze from a 'black mass' at the top of the shape, which I took to be its 'head'. But these eyes were not human, rather reflected some 'alive presence'; they were dull and penetrating like some hungry wolf, although the rest of 'it' had no discernable features, apart from a vague 'human' shape.
The whole situation seemed unreal - like some unwanted dream - but with determined effort, I tore my gaze away realising that the entity was malevolent and that I had come under psychic attack. Without warning, the figure then suddenly vanished, and it appeared that for the moment, at least, the entity had retreated . . .
Part 2
An Investigation
THE NEXT MEETING OF THE BRITISH PSYCHIC AND OCCULT SOCIETY was mainly occupied by arranging an investigation into the Highgate Cemetery affair now that it could be reasonably assumed that at least some of the reports might be authentic.
It was decided that a continuous nightly vigil would take place at the cemetery, two Society members at a time being stationed in turn at the two places where the apparition had been seen to appear. Cameras and tape recorders would be set up, but as yet, no 'psychic means' - such as conducting a seance, for example - would be employed to bring about the entity's materialization. This was because, it was concluded that in the initial stages of the investigation, the gathering of evidence and observation, were of greater importance than any attempt to make direct psychic contact - especially because of the entity's apparently malignant disposition. Instead, the cemetery's history would be checked out; in particular, sightings of any other unusual phenomena in the area that might be in some way connected. Anyone who laid claim to witnessing the entity would be interviewed and statements kept of their accounts. To obtain details of other sightings, it was agreed that a short and 'non-alarmist' letter be sent to a local paper inviting people to tell of any genuine experiences so that any subscribers could be interviewed first hand.
When the investigation proper began in January 1970, I undertook the task of checking the cemetery's history. Some interesting things came to light ... First, it became apparent that stories of an apparition at Highgate Cemetery had by no means begun with the current sightings. Indeed, similar tales dated back to the Victorian era and, interestingly enough, many of them had 'vampiristic' connotations.
Perhaps the reason for this was that Stoker himself had possibly been influenced by the existence of 'something' in Highgate Cemetery. When he wrote his unique book Dracula, he makes direct reference to Highgate Cemetery (or at least, an area in the close proximity of Highgate Cemetery) as being the last resting place of one of Count Dracula's disciples.
Although Stoker may have also been influenced by the eerie case of Elizabeth Siddal who died in 1855 and who was buried in Highgate Cemetery. In 1862, her body was exhumed by a distraught relative anxious to retrieve some poems said to have been buried with her. A witness present, Charles Augustus Howell, described the 'awesome sight' of the undecayed body with 'luxuriant red-gold hair' that 'practically filled the coffin' - the implication being that Elizabeth was 'Undead', or in a state of catalepsy.
One of the common tales of that time also told of a 'tall man dressed in black' who used to disappear mysteriously through the cemetery wall. It was especially interesting to note the similarity between the Victorian sightings and the present day manifestations - especially as there was approximately 100 years difference between the two. If nothing else, this provided proof that the cemetery had been reputedly haunted for some time.
But perhaps most interesting was the 'vampire-like element' that had crept into these stories. Although it was difficult to pin-point the reasons or origins from whence the vampire legend came, it had nevertheless become an integral part of the cemetery's supernatural traditions. The Victorians, with their deep-rooted fears of the unknown and self-righteous attitudes towards religion, morals and death, may have contributed towards establishing - or perhaps re-establishing - a legend that was already in existence.
Whatever the case, it is reasonable to suppose that the Highgate phenomenon could have been connected with stories of vampirism.
Something obviously gave substance to the original sightings, though whether this 'something' was occult in origin or had a rational explanation that had been dismissed by some superstitious mind, was only debatable. One thing seemed certain, however: whatever formed the foundation of the original sightings, predated the Victorian era. To begin with, Stoker's reference to the immediate area in connection with 'vampires' almost certainly suggests that he was familiar with the local tales by then already in existence. But there was another fact to substantiate this. It dated back to the 15th century when Highgate was used as a mass burial ground for victims of the Great Plague. Highgate was probably chosen for this purpose as it was then an accessible outlying village within convenient range of London; far enough away to reduce the risk of further contamination. These unfortunate victims were brought out in cartloads from the Old City and deposited in an area which is now known as 'Church Yard Bottom', in Highgate's Queen's Wood.
All this, of course, was no more than historical fact. But what was interesting here was the possibility that the Plague deaths could have been the cause of many stories of vampirism. Basically, these burials were carried out quickly and in bulk and in all probability some people were buried whilst still alive - or in a cataleptic state.
Yet to return to the present day, the investigation also uncovered another fact of great significance, which alone possibly provided the key the current spate of hauntings. Exploration, and subsequent photographs taken in the cemetery, confirmed beyond doubt that Satanic masses had been taking place there. Furthermore, it became apparent that these masses had been conducted with great professional style (some in a maze of catacombs that ran beneath the cemetery) and were not the work of misguided amateurs.
One particular tomb hidden deep within the heart of the cemetery (in fact, a small mausoleum with a marble floor but which contained no coffins), had been converted into a small Temple, and, judging from the inverted pentagram and magical symbols inscribed on the floor and walls, was in regular usage. But more significant still, was the fact that the particular magical signs and symbols used, could only be applicable in a Rite dedicated to one of the most malign Deities to rule amongst the Old Kings of Hell and that such a Rite could only be performed by the highest of adepts, for no amateur would be capable of calling forth this Deiform.
In fact, in accordance with Satanic belief, this entity could only be summoned to the earthly plane if it was to perform some mission, and could not 'return' until that mission had been fulfilled.
Yet most important here, (and as I stated at the time), the fact that the cemetery was being thus used by dedicated Satanists, might also have a direct bearing on the frequently witnessed spectre. For just as this Deity might be invoked to visible appearance by means of a magical ritual, so might other forms of evil entities that might remain permanently 'earth-bound'.
It was therefore quite feasible to assume that the cemetery phenomenon was an evil entity that had been summoned up as the direct result of a Satanic ritual or alternatively, that the Satanists had succeeded in 'awakening' the latter-day vampire which had laid dormant for so long.
Whatever the case, it was evident that the Force (or Forces) being dealt with was malignly supernatural and protective measures may eventually have to be taken to safeguard against psychic attack.
Such a possibility was not taken lightly, in view of the apparent performance of the entity so far and the added frequency of its appearances.
Already, just two weeks after the investigation had started, two of the nightly watchers spotted it again on two separate occasions.
The first time, it appeared behind two Society members on watch at the 'Thornton spot'. Swinging around as if compelled by some over-whelming impulse, they both saw the entity hovering behind, but just as abruptly, it disappeared. Again, two other members saw it through the top gate on their way to keep the nightly vigil. On neither occasion, however, did the entity appear for more than a couple of seconds. It was almost as if it 'knew' it was being hunted down and had no intention of allowing anybody to fire flash-guns at it.
It should be said here that - contrary to popular belief - some types of supernatural phenomena, albeit not apparently discernable in the normal sense, can be photographed and there was every indication that the Highgate spectre fitted into this category. Although such photographs are rarely taken as credible evidence for the proved existence of ghosts, they would nevertheless have eliminated any logical causation (such as the possibility of hoaxing, for example) that could otherwise have accounted for the sightings.
But photographs did reveal several more foxes that were discovered dead in the cemetery. Unlike the previous one discovered, however, many of these had deep wounds to the throat.
There was no direct evidence to link these attacks to stories now circulating about a 'vampire', of course, but it was an interesting speculation (some might say a chilling reminder) to recall that in his book Dracula, Bram Stoker refers to a 'vampiric entity' that wandered in the vicinity of Hampstead at night and was responsible for 'attacking' young children.
In the meantime, there was a significant response to my letter to the local newspaper, The Hampstead and Highgate Express (Ham and High). This had taken the form of a simple request for information about the reported ghost, and to avoid any frivolous response, I had deliberately omitted any reference to a 'vampire'.
The week after I had made this request, in fact, four people wrote in to the newspaper all moreorless confirming the phenomenon's existence. One lady wrote:
My fiancée and I spotted a most unusual form about a year ago. It just seemed to glide across the path. Although we waited a little while, it did not reappear again. I am glad someone else has spotted it; I was convinced it was not my imagination.
Miss Audrey Connely.
(Ham and High, February 13th, 1970)
Another reader confirmed the existence of a ghost at the cemetery but although not having seen it himself, concluded ...
The ghost will sometimes appear nightly for about a week, and then will not be seen again for perhaps a month. To my knowledge the ghost always takes the form of a pale figure and has been appearing for several years.
K. Frewin
(Ham and High, February 13th, 1970)
The Ham and High obviously noticed the local interest in the subject and themselves took up the story inviting other readers to write in and tell of their experiences. Although with typical newspaper sceptism, they warned that they would check the authenticity of all letters received lest anybody attempted to 'spoof them with spooks'.
Prompted by this invitation, the following weeks brought many more letters from people who claimed to have seen the apparition.
Wrote one reader:
A figure such as that seen by readers does haunt Highgate Cemetery. I caught sight of it while I was walking around the cemetery. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw something move and immediately looked around to see a 'form' moving behind some gravestones. My first reaction was that it was somebody 'mucking about' but looking back it seems strange that the thing made no sound and seemed to disappear into nowhere.
D. Winbourne
(Ham and High, February 20th, 1970)
Another reader expressed great dismay that her house was perhaps situated a little too close to the cemetery and that in view of all the stories, the cemetery entity should be seriously looked into.
Yet some readers portrayed more than a little sceptcism. One wrote:
Swain's Lane on a cloudy, windswept moonlit night, with its cemetery, overhanging branches, sparsely-peopled, ill-lit, and rather Gothic, has the same effect on some people as reading a good ghost story, and we all see ghosts after reading ghost stories ...And he concluded:
... The British Occult Society is to be congratulated on fighting a brave last ditch battle on behalf of the romantics in bringing their 'wampyr' [vampire] out of its dusty covers and presenting it once again for public display, but alas, it is too late, by at least three generations.
S. Levitt
(Ham and High, February 27th, 1970)
Although some letters contained irrelevant fact, many contained valuable information and by interviewing their subscribers, it was possible to put together a fairly concise record about the nature of the phenomenon and its appearances. Basically, it seemed it usually took the form of a tall dark figure and appeared mainly in an area around the top gate.
This corresponded more or less exactly with my encounter, and those of Thornton and the old woman.
The Ham and High, however, seemed especially interested in the 'vampire' possibility and the fact that black magic had been taking place at the cemetery. On March 6th, 1970, they ran a front page story entitled, perhaps appropriately "WHY DO THE FOXES DIE?" The implication was, was that in some manner the 'ghost' was no less than a 'vampire' which had been responsible for the death of the foxes. It was interesting hypothesis, and one which had not been overruled by the author himself. In fact, I held the view that as the phenomenon seemed definitely malevolent by nature, it was quite conceivable that it possessed sufficient power to have some affect upon 'weaker forms of intelligence's' - such as animals. Alternatively, there was the possibility that the foxes had somehow been trapped by the Satanists and used as sacrifices in black magic rituals.
In reality, the Satanic group that were using Highgate Cemetery hadn't taken kindly to the Society's investigation which had exposed their activities to the public view. The weeks that followed brought a spate of threatening letters to the Society. Essentially, these letters warned that the Society's investigation at the cemetery must be stopped or there would be 'disastrous consequences' - namely, 'death' to be effected by means of black magic.
A typical letter to the author, read:
By your interference with the work of our High Order, you have invoked the wrath of Lord Hadit. By His element and the power of the Seven-Fold Cross, you shall now be destroyed. This is decreed by His Grace, and this wish will be fulfilled through our Order. Be it thus so ...
The letter was signed in blood and adorned with satanic symbols; mainly to the effect that I had offended the Satanic god Hadit who, through the media of his worshippers, was about to reek terrible revenge.
There was no doubt that the sender - or senders - of these letters were genuine Satanists. For one thing, the secret signs which adorned the letters, would only be known to authentic practitioners of the Black Arts. Yet the letters did not cause undue concern. Previous experience by the Society with black magic groups gave us enough confidence to file these letters and forget about them.
In the meantime, public interest in the Highgate Cemetery affair had attracted the interest of Independent Television. They were preparing a programme on the 'ghost' and invited the author to give an account of the investigation. Initially, this request had to be denied, as Society policy forbade the release of any information to the media about internal investigations unless, or until, these were complete. But I finally agreed to verify my own personal encounter with the phenomenon. This programme was shown on 13th March, 1970 - although it was not filmed without some mishap. When the film crew began filming outside the top gate (they were not given permission to film inside, the cemetery Superintendent, Mr. William Law, explaining that this was 'against regulations'), the camera man suddenly clutched his throat and passed out. The filming had to be postponed until a replacement took over. Sandra Harris, the interviewer, was visibly shaken; more so probably, as she had already witnessed the deplorable damage inside the cemetery. (In fact, whilst she was walking through the cemetery with the film crew and myself a little earlier, we had all witnessed a vandalised coffin that had been removed from an old vault and was lying in the middle of a pathway. Its lid had been ripped off, and the skeleton inside was clearly visible.)
During the interview, and to avoid any possible sensationalism about 'vampires', I took great care to avoid such a term when referring to the phenomenon. Of course, it was realised that local opinion tended to support a 'vampire theory', but I certainly didn't accept the existence of vampires in their strictly commercialised sense and I had no intention of being misunderstood or misquoted. Another man who was being interviewed, however, (a somewhat theatrical character dressed in undertakers' clothes who had been pestering local newspaper's looking for publicity since he had first become aware of the Society investigation), claimed that the phenomenon was really the 'King Vampire' and, after producing a crucifix and a home-made wooden stake, announced that to destroy a vampire one must ... 'first drive a stake through its heart with one blow, chop off its head with a gravedigger's shovel, then burn what remains'!
Of course, this amateurish verbiage would not have been taken seriously by genuine occultists but the situation was made worse when this person went on to claim that ... " 'David Farrant' would be returning to Highgate Cemetery that same evening' to 'perform this dangerous mission." And for further effect, he warned of what he saw as the 'dangerous consequences' facing anyone foolish enough to take on the 'King Vampire'.
Although these remarks were obviously intended to create maximum publicity, in reality, they were based on a misunderstanding of a report in the local Press the previous week when, humouring some over-zealous reporter, I had stated that if the apparition at Highgate Cemetery turned out to be anything like a 'vampire', I, for one, would be prepared to take any means necessary so that everybody could 'rest in peace'.
But to make matters worse, this person's remarks were put over the air, and later that night following the television transmission, several hundred people converged on Highgate Cemetery to witness a non-existent 'vampire hunt'.
One of these was a school teacher from Essex called Alan Blood (in fact, his real name) who had traveled to London after seeing the programme to take part in the 'vampire hunt'. He had even brought several students with him to join in this quest.
I was approached by Alan Blood who wanted permission to join in the 'hunt' but I was forced to explain that it was not possible to conduct any serious psychic investigation under the unfavourable conditions created by the television programme (people were flocking to Highgate Cemetery en-masse including groups of hooligans carrying beer cans and makeshift weapons to take on the 'vampire' and who looked as if they could have turned nasty) and that the whole charade had been instigated at my expense.
Needless to say, no Society members joined in this charade, but the 'hunt' still went ahead, its outcome being reported in the Press the following day.
The London Evening News reported the situation by saying:
Nearly 100 people joined in a vampire-hunt at Highgate Cemetery today. They included a vampire expert named Mr. Alan Blood who journeyed 40 miles to investigate this legend of an 'Undead Satan-like being' said to lurk in the area. Spectators gathered in the spooky darkness after watching a TV interview last night, Friday 13th, in which a man said he was going to exorcise an evil spirit he claimed he had seen three times.
Curious onlookers managed to scale the 10 foot wall in search of an open tomb. Several people scrambled back frightened claiming they had seen 'something crawling' in the dark.
Anthony Robinson aged 27 of Ostel Road, Hampstead came to the cemetery after hearing of the torchlight hunt.
"I walked past the place and heard a high pitched noise, then I saw something grey moving slowly across the road. It terrified me."
"First time I couldn't make it out, it looked eerie. I've never believed in anything like this, but now I'm sure there is something evil lurking in Highgate."
The vampire expert, history teacher Alan Blood, 25, traveled from Chelmsford, after he saw David Farrant, 24, speak of his plans to stake the vampire through the heart with a wooden cross.
(Evening News, March 25th, 1970.)
Yet aside from the 'sensational slant' of this article, I remained sceptical about this particular sighting. It was more likely over-wrought imagination combined with a mild form of mass hysteria, had created 'ghosts' where there were none to be seen. There was more concern about the potential effects arising from such publicity for this was bound to attract further vandalism to the cemetery, which in turn, would hamper the investigation proper and upset both the cemetery authorities and the police. Added to this, was as a result of the unsubstantiated ravings made by the person on the television and subsequent coverage of these by the Evening News, 'David Farrant' had been irrevocably branded as the main instigator of this mass vampire hunt and a man who quite literally believed in the existence of 'blood-sucking vampires'.
Meanwhile, the vigil by the Society at the cemetery continued, although there were no significant developments and the phenomenon was not sighted. It seemed the 'vampire' had not taken kindly to the mass intrusion of its privacy and had 'gone to ground' to avoid further persecution.
It was therefore decided to carry out the original idea and conduct an occult ceremony at Highgate Cemetery one night in order to summon the entity forth, and possibly, communicate with it. This ceremony was to be conducted with a High Priestess and other members of the Circle, some of whom were members of the British Psychic and Occult Society.
Unfortunately however, an unforeseen event prevented this planned ceremony from taking place, although it was agreed that another date be set for this at the first available opportunity. . .
Part 3
IN AUGUST 1970, there was another development in the Highgate investigation. That month, the body of a woman was dragged from a vault in Highgate Cemetery, staked through the heart, and left lying in the middle of a main pathway. The fact that this was discovered by two schoolgirls made the incident even more gruesome. The Hornsey Journal's reportage of this incident, perhaps also did little to allay the already public growing concern over reports of 'black magic' and vandalism at Highgate Cemetery.
Evidence of vandalism at the cemetery was, of course, no new thing. But the element of 'staking the corpse', seemingly as the aftermath of some black magic rite, pointed convincingly to the work of the Satanists and their possible connection with the phenomenon.
Soon afterwards, it was decided to conduct the postponed ritual; the object was to summon the entity, make psychic communication with it and then - if it proved to be malevolent, which seemed an obvious fact - banish it from the earthly plane by conducting an appropriate rite of exorcism. The view was held that, if indeed the author's personal theory was correct, and the Satanic group were in some way responsible for 'controlling' the entity's appearances by means of black magic, such an exorcism would also dispel much of this group's power by negating the evil they had summoned into existence.
It was almost full moon (three days preceding the full moon and those immediately after being especially favourable for conducting magical ceremonies), and it was decided to hold the seance at midnight on August 17th.
Accordingly, Highgate Cemetery was entered late one night on the appointed date, the purpose basically, to conduct this psychical seance. The place chosen was the 'Thornton spot' as this was secluded and well within the cemetery.
In requirements for this ritual, a large circle was inscribed upon the ground which was adorned by protective symbols and 'sealed' with consecrated water and salt. Some ten feet away from this, where the phenomenon would be summoned to appear, a smaller circle was cast with protective symbols (it had not been overlooked that we were dealing with a particularly lethal form of psychic energy).
When the preparations were complete, the seance commenced but after only a few minutes, torchlight's could be seen in the distance and there was the muffled sound of human voices. It was the police: still some way off but approaching the back gate of the cemetery. This presented something of a dilemma; for not only was it dangerous - from a psychic point of view - to leave the protective circle once the ceremony had commenced, but there was the very real problem of explaining such clandestine nightly activity and being believed, let alone being understood. Because of this, the psychic paraphernalia was quickly gathered up and respective members headed for different exits in the cemetery.
On a sudden impulse, I made for the back wall, which the police were approaching, thinking it was possible to reach this without being spotted and then scale this further along. After all, this was the only way out. Unfortunately, just by the wall, I was caught by a flashlight and quickly arrested. Luckily, however, the police must have assumed their captive was alone and they made no attempt to look for other people.
Perhaps ironically, any concern about being arrested was not so much for fear of having done anything wrong or illegal, but because the seance would be misunderstood and such misapprehension could attract adverse publicity to the investigation and the Society.
For this reason, the ceremonial paraphernalia I was carrying (which included candles, incense, a wooden cross adorned with protective magical symbols and a small tape-recorder) was quickly discarded in the undergrowth by the back wall hoping this would go unnoticed. Unfortunately, this was discovered and was to form the basis of a police charge of 'being in an enclosed area for an unlawful purpose' - although this 'purpose' was not clarified in the charge itself.
The case came before Magistrate Christopher Lea at Clerkenwell Magistrates' Court two weeks later, although it had to be adjourned as the Detective Sergeant in charge, Neville Brown, had apparently suffered a mild heart attack. In any event, the police were unable to proceed and the case was re-scheduled for September 29th.
The main evidence put forward to support the charge was that the Defendant had been caught whilst leaving Highgate Cemetery with a cross and 'wooden stake' (this 'wooden stake' was, in fact, merely a pointed piece of wood used with string to cast - or measure out - a magical Circle), his intention (according to the Prosecution) to seek out and destroy the legendary vampire that slept in a coffin in the cemetery. During this process, the Prosecution claimed, coffins would have had to be opened to find the vampire.
Logically, of course, in principle some of this may have been correct, but, due to my reluctance to give details of the seance realising that these would never be understood because of their occult connotations, and my refusal to name members involved in the investigation, the facts had been grossly distorted.
It was not true, for example, that I had been arrested with just a cross and a 'stake' but the other items I had been carrying had 'mysteriously disappeared' and had not been produced in evidence. Neither was it true that there had been any intention to 'open coffins', but the established link between 'vampires' and coffins had been sufficient to give grounds to this allegation. Ignorance and superstitious assumption - and almost certainly a desire to produce a scapegoat for all the vandalism and desecration at Highgate Cemetery - had done the rest.
If I had any doubts about the latter these were quickly dispelled when Neville Brown proceed to read out a statement which amounted to a verbal admission by myself to the charge. The crux of this admission was as follows ...
At midnight I went with the Cross and the stake to St. Michael's churchyard" [which backs on to Highgate Cemetery] "to look for the vampire. Had the police not arrived when they did my intention was to make my way to the catacombs to search for it. I would have entered the catacombs and inspected the coffins in my search, and upon finding the supernatural being, I would have driven my stake through its heart and then run away.
How this statement had ended up in this form and in a vernacular totally foreign to that of the author's, perhaps indicates how the whole thing was proceeding. But this notwithstanding, the case was dismissed, the Magistrate (this time Mr. DJ Purcell) accepting a Defence denial of this 'admission' and a further submission that I had already been featured on the television in connection with the investigation; and that, in any event, it was just as akin to 'hunt for vampires' as it was for some people to spend vast sums of money trying to locate the Loch Ness Monster.
The Magistrate added that there had been no intention to 'damage coffins' and that the cemetery was not an enclosed area in the strict legal sense.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the police were none too pleased at this decision or the publicity the case had attracted; although any publicity had only been forthcoming because they had brought the case to court in the first place and introduced outrageous statements throughout about 'staking vampires' attributed to myself which had no relation to the real facts of the investigation. It is little wonder that such outrageous statements were seized upon by the Popular Press, but the fact that many of these statements found their way into print but were not retracted afterwards when proved to be false by very virtue of my acquittal, (and even today, many of these earlier newspaper accounts lie erroneously on record), merely confirmed that serious psychic investigation could not be entrusted to the understanding of the police, or the Press.
In fact, some newspapers had a 'hey day' with all this sensationalism and some let their imaginations loose beyond the bounds of credibility. The Daily Express said, for example, that the Society had 'over 100 members looking for vampires all over Europe'! Belief in vampires may well have been prevalent all over Europe in the Middle Ages, as originally stated, but this historical fact was certainly not the immediate concern of the British Psychic and Occult Society!
With a little more sobriety, although not without a hint of sarcasm, the Baltimore Sun observed that apparently it was 'no longer a crime to hunt vampires in England'.
But the publicity brought by the court case made it impossible, at this stage, for the investigation to continue. Attracted by reports of 'vampires', scores of people visited Highgate Cemetery and desecration and vandalism of graves and tombs increased to an alarming degree. People flocked to the cemetery in droves and police were frequently called to evict groups of hooligans or self-professed 'vampire hunters'. Indeed, the situation had become so grave, that on Hallowe'en night, 1970, police literally had to throw a cordon of police cars around Highgate Cemetery to prevent people from entering on the night of the undead.
One small group of aspiring occultists, however, seemed to have evaded the ongoing police presence and claimed to performed a 'secret exorcism' at a tomb in the cemetery that had been desecrated by Satanists; although the only 'evidence' to support this was a photograph that had been sent to the Hornsey Journal showing a man dressed in an evening suit brandishing a crucifix and wearing a 'garlic necklace' posing outside some unrecognisable tomb in the cemetery.
Contacting the Society for comment, the Hornsey Journal were informed that we recognised the person concerned as a well known prankster and, if in line with his past record, the whole thing was just a well timed publicity stunt.
Unfortunately, a sad side to all this activity at the cemetery, at least, as far as some elements in the police and the media were concerned, was that the Society itself was held directly responsible for influencing its occurrence. This was an especial irony, when I had already stated publicly on several occasions that this sort of activity was to be deplored and had nothing to do with genuine psychic investigation. Indeed, in a article I was to write for a local paper scarcely a year later, I stated that the growing menace of Satanism in general - especially at Highgate Cemetery - was a 'very real menace indeed'. (This article appeared in the Islington Gazette on September 29th, 1972, and in it I also pointed out that it was the young, with their tendency to think they were invulnerable, who were most at risk to the dangers of Satanism. Attracted by some 'dare-devil' instinct to the challenge of Satanism, some would became entrapped in a web of corruption and degradation from which there was usually no escape).
But before the publication of this article, BBC Television decided to mount their own investigation and sent a team of cameramen and reporters to see if they could locate the 'vampire'. Although they were unsuccessful, what they did find was a mass of desecrated coffins, many of which had been deprived of their lead. Invited on the programme, I explained that although most of the desecration was the work of vandals, the activities of the Satanic group was a very real problem, as was the existence of the 'vampire-like' entity that had been witnessed there. This programme was televised on October 15th, 1970 and went some way in vindicating my claims that black magic was being practised at Highgate Cemetery.
But regarding the threats from the Satanic group, they had apparently given up. The threatening letters suddenly ceased and it was likely that - as they saw it - the damage done by the Society in exposing their activities to the public view had already been done and so there was no point in continuing their vendetta.
Meanwhile, there was a major development at Highgate Cemetery. Reports were coming into the Society that a young girl had been 'attacked' by the 'vampire' in Swains Lane which runs alongside the cemetery. Eventually, the girl's identity was discovered and I arranged a meeting with her. Although reluctant to discuss the matter at first, I assured her anonymity and she gave the following account:
She was returning home in the early hours walking down Swain's Lane. As she passed the cemetery, a little way further on, she was suddenly 'thrown to the ground' with tremendous force by a 'tall black figure' with a 'deathly white face'. At that moment, a car stopped to help her and the figure 'vanished' in the glare of the headlights. She was taken to Highgate Police Station in a state of severe shock suffering abrasions to her knees and elbows. The police immediately made a thorough search of the area but could find no trace of her attacker. More mysterious still was the fact that where the figure had vanished, the cemetery was lined by 15 foot high walls.
On hearing this, I felt a tinge of apprehension. Until now, the 'vampire's' appearances had been mainly confined to frightening people. It seemed now, however, that the 'creature' was becoming 'bolder' and presented a real threat to innocent people. If it had attacked somebody once, it could do so again. Only next time, with more disastrous consequences.
It was decided to conduct a full scale ceremony in Highgate Cemetery whereby the phenomenon would be summoned and then banished back to its preordained place of existence.
This time, however, the Ceremony would involve the use of High Magic as a means of communicating with the demonic entity. It was not dared to use less than an advanced form of ritual. At least, if the ritual was not successful, it would be possible to control the entity, whereas Low magical techniques - albeit less complex - could not have afforded adequate protection ...
Part 4
The Reckoning
ON JUNE 21ST, 1971, several members of a secret Occult Order gathered in Highgate Cemetery to perform one of the most dangerous magical rituals in existence. The motivation for performing this ritual was to counteract the activities of a Satanic Coven who had violated magical Law by evoking a malevolent evil force to execute their own desires; the basic object being to establish psychic 'contact' with the existing phenomenon (or 'vampire') and thereby negate the diabolical power that had been brought into existence.
Of course, such a task was by no means easy for, in magic, darker forces are most potent when summoned to the earthly plane and may only be revoked by a White magical ritual. Thus in context - and in accordance with magical law - an extreme force of evil may only be counteracted and neutralised by an equivalent force of Good. Any other method - if attempted - would have little effect and, in all probability, would only serve to aggravate an 'opposing evil force'.
For the sake of the uninitiated, and to allay any confusion arising from this point, a few words should be said here to explain the difference between white magic and black magic, and black magic and Satanism.
Firstly, it should be understood that magic itself is neither 'black' nor 'white' - it is neutral. Furthermore, magic is only a psychic element through which 'outside' forces may be evoked, not itself active but only a channel through which such forces may be brought into operation.
Of course, these supernatural forces which can be summoned as a result of magical techniques are both good and evil (or 'white' and 'black'), but even the definition of these forces is a man-made conception.
Yet this is not to say that magic alone is harmless, for although it may only act as a catalyst in producing an end result, the very nature of its source makes it lethal in the hands of those who don't understand it - rather like a trainee chemist who does not know which chemicals, if mixed together, will cause an explosion.
Therefore, it may be seen that magic is only governed and subsequently labeled by the intentions of those using it. It follows, that a 'black' magician may also be a 'white' one, and vice versa.
With Satanism, however, it is a slightly different matter. For here, unlike a magician who can harness various types of forces at will and without obligation, a Satanist is dedicated to the continual service and worship of evil powers. And as he cannot retain the neutrality of the magician, (the very doctrines of Satanic belief make this impossible) he becomes bound, or possessed, by the dark forces he has pledged to serve. Thus, unlike black magic, Satanism is a form of religious belief, and because of the doctrines and requirements laid down in its beliefs, it is far more potent and dangerous.
The communication ritual was performed after taking all these things - and more - into consideration. According to the magical requirements of the ritual, a Circle was constructed on the ground in which were placed various ceremonial items. These included vessels of consecrated water, charcoal and salt, and protective talismans which each member must wear. Different coloured candles were placed at strategic points around the circumference to correspond with the elements of air, fire, earth and water. whilst a small fire burned steadily in the middle. To the North of the Circle a small 'sealed' triangle was cast (also containing a small fire) where the entity would be summoned to appear, and hopefully, be able to 'communicate' with a psychic medium who would be inside the protective Circle.
When all was prepared, the ritual commenced and was timed so that the vital part would coincide with midnight.
The first part of the ritual was dedicated to the relevant incantations and 'Calls' necessary to summon forth the entity. These magical 'Calls' were made in strict accordance with the form of ritual and served two purposes: to dispel any unwanted elementals which might have hindered the appearance of the entity, and to open a channel of psychic energy through which the entity could later materialise.
When the preliminary part of the ritual had been completed, the actual evocation to summon the entity then began.
The intrinsic details regarding this part of the ritual, however, may not be disclosed as this would violate magical secrecy; suffice it is to say that the entity would be magically induced to appear in the triangle where it would have a direct 'psychic line' to communicate with the medium.
As midnight approached, the medium began to make the Commands for manifestation and almost immediately the Circle turned icy cold as though some warm power had suddenly left it, and the candles went out. Simultaneously, the fire in the triangle was obliterated by a misty smoke and some sinister force seemed to be amidst everyone present. For the next minute or so, nothing happened. There was no wind and it seemed unnaturally silent and the fire in the Circle cast an eerie red glow over everything. Suddenly, the area was full of a dense mist, more intense around the triangle, and in this, scarcely discernible through the haze, was a quivering 'black shape' that seemed to be trying to materialise. The medium spoke aloud, attempting to aid 'its' materialisation and all at once, two eyes could be seen at the top of the moving black form. They were the same eyes that I had witnessed inside the gate, dull red and almost diabolically evil; only this time, they had increased in strength to such a degree that it was like being confronted by some 'living presence'.
A girl present screamed and fainted, but such was the hypnotic power of the entity, that nobody was really conscious of her. There seemed to be a tremendous power emanating from the distinct eyes that was magnified even more by the flickering firelight and it was at this stage that I realised that the entity might be too powerful to control and we would be entrapped in the Circle. The whole thing was like a vivid dream; that you had a complete awareness of what was happening, only with little means of controlling it.
Strangely, (and this was an impression that other members later recalled) there was no sense of imminent 'evil intent' from the entity, it being more an impression that it was trying to 'absorb' you.
Seeing the dangers of prolonging the ritual, without hesitation - although not without some effort - the medium and myself performed a rite of banishment during which the entity promptly vanished.
Yet, notwithstanding the manifestation and urgent dismissal of the entity, the ritual had not been a complete success. For although the entity's materialisation had proved a success and it had been possible to dismiss it, circumstances had not allowed time for a full exorcism and, to this extent, it still remained earthbound.
But the ceremony had established beyond doubt - at least as far as most serious psychic investigators were concerned - that the majority of sightings, and witnessed encounters relating to the Highgate phenomenon, were not entirely without foundation.
Unfortunately, however, it was realised that such proof would hardly be acceptable to the hardened sceptic, but we had at least succeeded in establishing that not only did some genuine psychic presence exist at Highgate Cemetery, but had also uncovered valuable information about the nature of the phenomenon and possible aspects that might have primarily caused its existence.
Of course, while it could not be irrefutably stated that this 'demonic' entity was the direct result of Satanic activity, it could be reasonably said that Satanic practices had perhaps been the cause of activating some age-old supernatural phenomenon.
Given that the investigation at Highgate Cemetery still remained incomplete - an opinion, shared by most Society members - not long afterwards it was decided to again return to the cemetery with a view to perhaps obtaining some photographic evidence by means of performing another ceremony.
This though, was never to be. The police, keeping surveillance as a result of continuing vandalism, arrested two members just inside the gates.
On this occasion, however, they were released as no offence had been committed but the Press picked up the story the next day (presumably as a result of police information) and more attacks were leveled against the Society's name.
With the usual precision of Fleet Street, the Society investigation was irrevocably limited to a continuation of clandestine midnight manoeuvres that took place amongst dank decaying tombs inhabited by a 'blood-sucking vampire', whilst the author, in turn, was reduced to some modern-day Van Helsing type vampire hunter.
Ironically, perhaps, concerning the Highgate phenomenon itself, the Press may have for once come closer to the truth than they originally intended.
Copyright David Farrant
[Much of this material has been abridged from the 4th edition of the author's book, "Beyond the Highgate Vampire]
Oh,im sure he cantanswer any questions about vampires.He pinched that spider thing from a Hammer film.Which wasnt very intelligent,considering all the people that watched it.Im sure it was called The Devil Rides Out,and had Christopher Lee in it.After watching this,He became obsessed with giant spiders.The silly tea pot.
"You do not ask genuine questions; you state erroneous facts and then expect me to agree with your erroneous assertions. This I will not do."
My questions are absolutely genuine, but YOU refuse to answer them. I make no "assertions," erroneous or otherwise. I only put to you what YOU have said when interviewed in the media, and ask why you claimed such things back then when you now dispute it?
What you will not do is give a straight answer to a straight question. There is a reason for that. You can't.
"If there is one thing I cannot abide, it is hyporcrisy. ... Never lie, is really my motto. Just hold to the truth, and you can never really go far wrong!" (January 15th, 2008 at 6:14 am)
Link: http://davidfarrant.org/TheHumanTouch/?p=162#comments
You can't abide hypocrisy? You never lie? Let's look at some facts, shall we?
"I do NOT believe [in] vampires. I cannot say it more clearly than that." - Farrant
"As to the question of whether a vampire still exists at Highgate Cemetery, well, I can only say yes it does." - Farrant, In Search of the Highgate Vampire Video (1998)
Tony Hill first became acquainted with you in 1968 when your wife, Mary, was working as a part-time barmaid in The Woodman, Archway Road, not far from where Hill lived. Following Hill's six month "sojourn" with Mrs Farrant, you made yourself destitute by declaring yourself bankrupt within a few months of squandering an inheritance and were summarily booted out of your flat (also in Archway Road). Hill offered his coal bunker in the communal cellar under his ground floor flat. You jumped at the chance and remained Hill's "tenant" for the period from August 1969 to August 1970.
It was during this time that Hill colluded with you to fake a ghost story in the local press and took photographs of you cavorting about in Highgate Cemetery for that purpose.
Then you heard about the legendary vampire at Highgate Cemetery in pubs you frequented and thought it a convenient bandwagon to hop on. This you did by contacting your local newspaper, pretending to have witnessed it. Hill took more photographs of you brandishing stakes and goodness knows what else. All the items you used for "self-protection" were Christian. Some of Hill's pictures were published in newspapers. See links:
When you tired of exploiting the vampire situation, having been exposed as an interloper by the BOS president, you joined the growing witchcraft craze and became known as a "wicked witch" locally because of the nasty pranks and stunts you pulled on people. People can still remember them. Your new witchcraft persona quickly landed you in jail with a stiff sentence, by which time Hill was giving you a very wide berth.
Your problem has been that you made countless threats, none of which you could ever back up. Journalists understandably tired of you. Everyone tired of you.
Born in January 1946, you still shuffle back and forth to the sorting office in London's Muswell Hill to collect your mail sent to the post office box address you hide behind, oblivious to the fact that Royal Mail Customer Service are obliged to reveal the address behind a box upon request.
Interviewed on Thames Television's Today programme in March 1970 by Sandra Harris you claimed you had seen a seven foot high figure, identified in the programme as a vampire, only twice - not on "three occasions" as stated in your letter to the editor of the Hampstead & Highgate Express in the previous month. What you described was a walking (or "hovering") corpse which "looked as if it had been dead for a long time." Sandra Harris asked you if you thought the walking corpse was evil. You replied: "Yes, I did think it was evil."
The description given by you in March 1970 bears no resemblance to your description of the entity two decades or so later where the corpse-like figure now became an ectoplasmic mist with red eyes. No mention of red eyes was ever made by you during the 1970s. And certainly no mist.
However, in the interim Seán Manchester's bestselling The Highgate Vampire had been published where a shape-shifting mist with red eyes is described. Draw your own conclusions.
You revised your already highly dubious account of walking corpses to ley line activity coupled with a mist with two red eyes when pressed to explain your experience of 1970 in later years and the two sightings would further reduce to just one sighting of the vampire when interviewed by Steve Genier and Andrew Gough on separate occasions in 2009.
On 20 April 1996, you told a Fortean Times Unconvention audience that you did not believe in the existence of evil, and on the Michael Cole Show, 20 December 1998, you stated that you did not believe in vampires or the existence of the Devil. In your self-published pamphlets you claim that you have never believed in vampires and, moreover, did not engage in vampire hunting in 1970.
During your interview for the BBC's 24 Hours, transmitted on 15 October 1970, however, you were seen demonstrating your vampire stalking technique with a cross in one hand and a wooden stake in the other. In both your Today interview, 13 March 1970, and the 24 Hours interview, 15 October 1970, you made it absolutely clear that you were a self-styled vampire hunter. This was reflected in newspaper interviews and reports about you throughout 1970. See links:
Let us return to your letter in the Hampstead & Highgate Express, 6 February 1970, to discover exactly why it is so dubious. You open with the words: "Some nights I walk home past the gates of Highgate Cemetery." At that time you were residing in a coal bunker beneath the ground floor flat at 294 Archway Road. Anyone who knows the general area will be aware that to walk home to that address from any of the pubs in Highgate Village you drank at most nights could not possibly take you "past the gates of Highgate Cemetery" because the graveyard is in the opposite direction. So, after drinking ale all night, you apparently walked home by taking a route that would create a detour miles out of your way instead of just nipping down in the opposite direction to where you resided in Archway Road just fifteen minutes' away? You obviously hadn't thought your ghost hoax story through properly before sending it for publication to the editor of a local newspaper.
In the same letter to the Hampstead & Highgate Express you state: "I have no knowledge in this field."
No knowledge in this field? For once you were telling the truth!
Finally, this is what someone called Wheezebucket said to you on the James Randi forum:
"You're a liar and a thief, so far as I can tell. Well done, you're following the woo path rather nicely. I wonder how long it'll be before you start actively advertising and charging for your various 'services'? You look pretty old, better get started soon." - Wheezebucket
Link: http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=3000160&postcount=1057
Guys, your all putting a lot of work into these arguments, but wouldn't they be better suited to the forum. I know the owners of the website personally and from the very start they reserved the right to edit any posts put up under articles on the main site and over time they intend to just delete those that have little or no value to the said article. So I imagine that given some of the comments in these posts they could be edited or just removed without warning. If this ongoing discussion is important to you, it maybe better to start afresh on the forum.
I have to agree Red Don that these comments (made only by one person let us importantly remember) are not relevant in the course of any genuine discussion about unexplained psychic phenomena. In fact, the cut and pasted comments, (which are posted any place on the Internet where that perso happens to spot my name or that of the Society)really show the makings of someone with an extremely confused mind: someone who obviously believes in vampires quite literally (and giant 'vampire spiders'!) and is desperately trying (although unsucessfully) to convince people here that I share such beliefs. I do NOT. In fact, quite the opposite. I have stated quite clearly, both here and elsewhere, that a literal belief in vampires really amounts to 'just pure fiction'.
I have given my version of the Highgate 'vampire' case and long since concluded that stories and tales told to 'prove, the existence of a blood-sucking vampire at Highgate Cemetery were the inventions of a very disturbed person.
The majority of the tales told about the unexplained phenomenon seen there, however, are genuine. I am not claiming to be able to explain all of these, only that the accounts from witnesses I have spoken to in person, are authentic.
Stories about a 'blood-sucking vampire' that once had its home in Highgate Cemetery, however, or about one of its disciples that was staked after turning into a 'giant spider', I think can be safely consigned to the realms of fiction.
David Farrant
You might claim to not see the point, but anyone reading this thread will not miss it, I can assure you!
I suspect your spurious argument is more devious than ignorant. Whether people believe or disbelieve in certain forms of supernatural phenomena is clearly not the issue.
You claim that you have given your "version of the Highgate Vampire case," but that is where the problem arises because you have given so MANY versions of your alleged part in those events forty years ago, and they all contradict one another. The issue, therefore, is NOT whether you believe in vampires. The question must be why does everything you claim have absolutely no consistency and fail to add up?
You have produced NO witnesses to back up anything you have claimed. Not one person has come forward.
You have produced NO members for your non-existant "BPOS."
Your alleged sightings of the phenomenon at Highgate Cemetery changed in appearance and even the number of occasions you supposedly witnessed it.
You employed solely Christian items for self-protection, but later claimed to have been a practitioner of witchcraft at the time you were entering the graveyard in 1969-1970. Your wife, under oath, denied you were involved in witchcraft and the occult. She stated your "silly games" in Highgate Cemetery were for "a bit of a laugh and a joke."
Tony Hill admits that he colluded with you during early 1970 to hoax a ghost story in order to dupe the press and public alike. He secretly tape-recorded conversations with you at his home that confirm beyond any doubt that your intention was to perpetuate a hoax. Fraudulent letters were sent to the Hampstead & Highgate Express, 13 February 1970, using the names and addresses of your friends Audrey Connely and Kenny Frewin. Their names appear in your article above, while you were the person who actually wrote these letters in order to give your hoax some credibility.
So, the issue is not one of vampire belief (I happen to know for a fact that you believe in nothing supernatural), but rather the attempt by you to commit fraud and later interlope where a serious investigation was already underway. There is an incredible amount of evidence against you in the VRS archive. You have produced absolutely NO evidence to substantiate your claims down the years.
And there the Vampire Research Society rests its case.
"There is an incredible amount of evidence against you in the VRS archive. You have produced absolutely NO evidence to substantiate your claims down the years."
There is no 'evidence' against me 'anonymous' because the 'VRS' simply does not exist. It was a 'one-man band' operation thought up by yourself in 1988; some 30 years after the formation of the British Psychic and Occult Society.
Speaking of 'evidence', why do you blatantly ignore what I keep asking you? Where is YOUR evidence for staking the Highgate 'vampire' (as you claim) or for 'staking' its beautiful disciple in 1982 after she had changed into a 'giant spider'? Well?
David Farrant, President, BPOS
And on another important point, 'anonymous', why do you keep omitting the point of a serious dispute concerning Society membership being reported by the Press throughout the 1970's and into the 1980's? Indeed, this is the reason that several 'magical duels' were reported in the newspapers during this period.
You seem to have conveniently ignored this on-going Press story. So that really only really leaves the question 'why'?
You are only referring to claims yourself made, 'anonymous', about Society membership, but ignored Press investigations that questioned the validity of such claims.
Just tell me if you have somehoe mislaid these as I have them all on record.
David Farrant. President, BPOS
Why have you suddenly chosen to put reams of your cut and pasted repetition on Barbara Green's book review thread "Spirit of the Greenwood", 'anonymous'? None of your material is at all relevant to her book about her book about the legendary Robin Hood, or its review there.
Now, I pointed out yesterday here that your personal claims about the British Occult Society (as it was then called) were short-coming as you had conveniently forgotten to remind people that this issue was the subject of much newspaper coverage throughout the 1970's and well into the 1980's - the basic issue being the ongoing dispute I had with yourself over Society membership.
The Press apparently loved this and it provoked headlines such as . . . "Occultist's Feud Goes to Court.
A feud between friends led to the court appearance at Highgate last weekof the President of the British Occult Society, Mr. Sean Manchester,26, who alleged that allegations made against him by the Founder of the Society, Mr David Farrant, were 'part of a maiicious war of nerves against him' etc, etc.
(Ham and High, April 16th 1971)
I have no desire to 'go back into history' to relive all this abcient dispute, 'anonymous'. It is ancient news - but you seem to be entirely stuck there! Well, have fun, although I am sure nobody is really interested!
David Farrant
He cant think of any way to answer my comments and questions ,so resorts to his old trick of copy and paste and whinging and moaning about what you did in the year dot--this from the fella who supposedly--according to his Vampire dottydickipoggy party mates --never wishes your evil name to offend his delicate ears ever again---yet his so called "mates" still keep banging on about you( and me also) and churning out the same old pompous hoity toity ****** precisely for the purpose of keeping the situation going! Crazy! Though why its gone on the Robin Hood site goodness knows, they must have got their wires crossed!
tata for now
Yes Barbara, and Moderator Ian Topam has since confirmed (on "Spirit of the Greenwood") that all these introduced issues by the 'anonymous one' are totally off topic.
In fact, they are totally irrelevant here as well, yet they do prove to show that 'anonymous' seems to be totally obsessed with myself - with himself as well, in fact.
Very few people - if any I imagine - would be interested in sensational newspaper reports of some 40 years ago.
I wrote up the basic facts of my central involvement in that case here, with the accompaning witnesses, times and dates as best I can remember them.
But I also introduced two or three very important questios about the alleged Highgate 'vampire' which are very much on topic. The 'anonymous poster' always very carefully avoids answering these, attempting to 'cloud' these instead with his own misrepresentations of my own involvement in that case.
I asked his about two widely published assertions he has made (both in books, magazines, on the Internet and on television) about HIS version about the alleged destruction of two vampires; the 'Highgate vampire' and of its disciple he calls 'Lusia'.
In the case of the Highgate 'vampire', his version is that this was tracked down to a derelict Gothic mansion in Crouch End, North London in 1973. The person (together with his unidentified companion he just refers to as 'Arthur') found the vampire's coffin in the basement, dragged this out into the over-grown back garden and there he staked it through its heart. It let out a 'terrible roar' (as if 'from the bowels of hell') and then turned to a 'mass of inhuman slime and versea' in the bottom of the casket. They then built a pyre in the garden and set the coffin alight using petrol.
But not before 'Arthur had managed to photograph it, and these photographs were then produced on National Television and on the Internet as 'evidence' to support the existence of the Highgate 'vampire'.
Some years later, in 1982, that version goes on to state that he then found the grave of a beautiful youg vampire that the Highgate 'vampire' had bitten. He keeps a nightly vigil at her graveside after casting a protective 'magical circle' beside it in which was contained a small fire.
He waited there with a stake. 'Lusia' eventually turns up in her undead vampire form, but then spotting the 'vampire hunter' (clad only in a purple robe), promptly turns into a 'giant spider' She ('it') scurries furiously around the perimeter of the circle, but he commands her to 'be still'. To his amazement, sh 'freezes. and he takes this opportunity to impale her with a flaming stake. She .gives out a piteous scream ("it will haunt me till the end of my days"),and he then collaspes back in the circle 'weeping uncontrallably'.
When daylight eventually arrives, he then sees that impaled on the stake, no longer the giant spider, but 'Lusia' in her 'true dead' form. "It was poor Lusia - no longer the devil's undead' but one of God's true dead".
He then reburies her, and this is truly the end of the line of the Victorian nobleman from Romania who he claims was really the ;Highgate Vampire'.
Now, 'anonymous', instead of reverting to more of your irrelevant waffle about myself perhaps you would care to qualify that I summarised this correctly?
This matteris VERY MUCH on topic so perhaps you would care to answer this. I am sure everybody is waiting!
David Farrant, President, President, British Psychic and Occult Society.


text:
August 14, 2013 10:48:47 AM
A Lowndes County man is in custody after discharging a weapon and barricading himself for more than an hour inside his New Hope residence Tuesday afternoon.
Robert Clark was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, two misdemeanors.
A 911 call regarding a disturbance with a weapon led Lowndes County deputies to Clark's residence in the Christopher Hills subdivision just after 4 p.m. Tuesday.
According to Chief Deputy Marc Miley, when deputies arrived at the home at 179 Kimberly Drive, they discovered Clark barricaded inside with a weapon. Miley said the Special Response Team surrounded the house while law enforcement attempted to make contact with Clark for more than an hour and a half. Witnesses on scene said Clark, who did not respond to law enforcement, could be seen pacing in front of the windows inside the home. He appeared armed.
In the middle of the standoff, members of the Facebook watch page were posting to the online group about the commotion. The suspect's wife replied on the page that her husband had attempted to commit suicide. The comment has since been deleted.
Miley said the power to the home was turned off and the SRT team shot oxygen into the home in an attempt to disorient Clark. He was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle for a mental evaluation. He was then taken into custody and transported to the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center.
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, Clark had not been officially charged.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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5. 'Life' happens at CMS: Golden Triangle Leadership group creates fun way to teach eighth graders about hard choices COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY

subset: commoncrawl


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Hugo Chavez suffers new infection and is very delicate
5 March 2013 Last updated at 07:50 GMT
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is suffering from a new, severe respiratory infection following cancer surgery, the government information minister has said.
Mr Chavez, 58, returned to Venezuela last month after being treated for cancer in Cuba, but has not appeared in public since.
Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Mr Chavez's condition continued to be very delicate.


text: The High-Speed Amphibious All-Terrain Vehicle That Would Make Even Master Chief JealousAndrew Liszewski5/26/12 9:00pmFiled to: AutomotiveVehiclesAmphibiousGadgetsScamandertweetThe stoner channel40EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalinkThe Warthog might be Master Chief's vehicle of choice in the Halo games, but once he sees the amphibious Scamander, we suspect he'll be putting in an official requisition for a new ride.AdvertisementThe off-road vehicle was originally envisioned by Peter Wheeler, owner of British sports car manufacturer TVR for 23 years, but he passed away before it came to fruition. So his wife and a team of engineers made sure the vehicle was eventually built, and Evo magazine had a chance to take it for a spin. Long story short, it looks like a heck of a lot of fun. On land the Scamander can reach a top speed of 120mph, and its 300 horsepower V6 engine can push it from 0 to 60 in about eight seconds. Which is actually pretty impressive given this beast can tackle any terrain on Earth, and isn't slowed down by even the shoreline. [YouTube via Autoblog]


text: Plex for iOS Adds Social Features, In-App Media Management, and MoreAdam Dachis6/18/12 12:30pmFiled to: PlexUpdatesiPhoneipadipod touchiosvideo streamingStreamingiPhone DownloadsIpad downloadsIos downloadsDownloads14EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink iOS: Plex received an update that added a bunch of new features as well as fixed some annoying bugs. Headlining the release is the inclusion of social features: Advertisement You can now add friends to your myPlex account, recommend media to each other, and post directly to your Facebook timeline. Tap account settings and go to the friends tab to send out friend invites. Hold down a media item to recommend it or share to your timeline.On top of that, you can now delete media directly from your mobile device, clear cached images, launch the app with a plexapp:// url, and more. A variety of bug fixes came with this release, including the restoration of automatic video quality adjustment when streaming. You can download the latest version of Plex ($5) on the iTunes App Store. If you've already got it, you just need to update. For more information on additional features and fixes in this release, check out the full post over at Plex. Advertisement Plex for iOS 2.4 released | PlexReply14 repliesLeave a reply


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Go timeless with your separates collection with this stunning Antoinette Skirt from East. Featuring a hand paint-inspired print in a full and floaty maxi length, this Boho-esque skirt is kitted out with a flattering elasticated waist, functional side pockets and stylish tasselled drawstrings. Team it with a bold shell top for a fun and feminine weekend ensemble.
Check stock and price


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This genuine slim leather hipster wallet is an essential accessory to complete any outfit. Featuring double bill compartments credit card pockets, and convenient ID pocket.
- Genuine leather
- 8 Credit Card Slots
- Double Bill Compartments
- I.D. Pocket
- 2 Receipt Pockets
- 4 Sleeve Plastic Insert
- Hand Pleated Corners
Condition: New
- New


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Laurence Fishburne is closing the file on his "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" career.
The actor won't be back on the CBS crime drama this fall, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because CBS had yet to announce Fishburne's departure.
Fishburne joined the "CSI" cast as Dr. Raymond Langston midway through the 2008-09 season. He stepped in to replace departing star William Petersen.
The person says CBS and the show's producers are taking Fishburne's departure in stride, aware that his movie career made a long TV tenure unlikely.
"CSI" returns for its 12th season this fall and continues to rank among the 20 top-rated shows.
Fishburne's credits include "The Matrix" films, and he's in the upcoming "Contagion" with Matt Damon.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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San Francisco Bay Area Crew Captain Meeting #4 - Over-the-Phone
Crew Captain Meeting #4 will focus on discussing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® All-Crew Meeting. Please note the meeting in your time zone: Before you attend the call, you must watch the Crew Captain Meeting Webinar. You will receive the webinar link, along with instructions on how to call in to the meeting's conference line, after you RSVP for the meeting. Date:
Tuesday, May 7, 2013


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With 750 legs, the millipede Illacme plenipes is the leggiest animal on Earth. Once believed extinct, scientists rediscovered the species in 2005—more than 80 years after it was first described. This exceedingly rare millipede is known from a single 4.5 km2 area in California, and based on new details recently published in the open access journal ZooKeys, the millipede has a beautifully intricate anatomy including the ability to spin silk from long hairs covering its back.
The leggiest animal in the world, the millipede lllacme plenipes, was re-discovered several years ago in California by Paul Marek. Now, Marek and his colleagues provide further details of the surprisingly complex anatomy of this diminutive creature and its extreme rarity, limited to a handful of spots just south of San Francisco. More details about the species and its biology can be read in an article that was recently published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Millipedes have the most legs of any animal group. From their ancestors with just one pair of legs per body segment, millipedes evolved two pairs (four total) through segmental fusion. This coalescence of segments happened deep in the evolutionary history of millipedes, more than 400 million years ago. Four legs provide more thrust on a per segment basis, which benefits millipedes to help them burrow underground—e.g., to escape predators or access new resources. Those individuals with a coalescence of segments and hence a better burrowing ability, were able to persist in this early primordial ecosystem.
The most noticeable thing about millipedes are their number of legs, which lined up along their bodysides step in synchronous "metachronal waves". The acme of legginess in millipedes, and all animals for that matter, is the Californian species Illacme plenipes (literally meaning "in highest fulfillment of feet"). The females have up to an astounding 750 legs, outclassing the males who only have a maximum leg count of 562. The proliferation of legs may be an adaptation for its lifestyle spent burrowing underground or (based on the presence of features like legs with bifurcate claws and other traits known to be associated with rock-climbing in millipedes) enable it to cling tightly to the sandstone boulders found exclusively associated with the species in its habitat
"This relict species is the only representative of its family in the Western Hemisphere. Its closest presumed relative, Nematozonium filum, lives in South Africa and this early relationship was established more than 200 million years ago when the continents coalesced in the landmass Pangaea", said the lead author Dr Paul Marek, from the University of Arizona.
Not only is this species the leggiest animal known on the planet, it also has surprising anatomical features: body hairs that produce silk, a jagged and scaly translucent exoskeleton, and comparatively massive (given its diminutive size) antennae that are used to feel its way through the dark because it lacks eyes. Its mouth, unlike other millipedes that chew with developed grinding mouthparts, is rudimentary and fused into structures that are probably used for piercing and sucking plant or fungal tissues.
This rare and ancient-looking creature's home is California, on the outskirts of Silicon Valley. The species is exceedingly scarce and limited to just a single tiny area near San Juan Bautista, just east of the San Andreas Fault. Based on the known environmental conditions where it lives, the species' probable distribution elsewhere in California was inferred. Yet still restricted to a small geographical range, the analysis indicated other areas of suitability limited to the terrestrial areas on the edge of Monterey Bay eastward to San Juan Bautista and throughout the Salinas Valley. What's unique about this area, and seems to be correlated with the model's area of highest suitability, is the thick layer of fog that accumulates in the area—like soup in a deep bowl. The fog and the species' unique set of features in its habitat (oak forests, sandstone boulders, and fine sandy soil) make this area a special place and certainly deserving of attention as the home of this rare and superlative beast.
Explore further: Millipede feared extinct is found
More information:
Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831


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Bradley Cooper: "Silver Linings" Stud at the BAFTA Awards
Gearing up for a star-studded spectacle, Bradley Cooper showed up at the Royal Opera House in London, England for the 2013 BAFTA Awards tonight (February 10).
Giving the ladies plenty to swoon over, the "Silver Linings Playbook" stud kept it classy in a black tuxedo/suit as he made his way down the red carpet.
And once all the red carpet pomp and circumstance dies down, all eyes will turn to the winner's circle to see who comes out on top. The 38-year-old actor has his fingers crossed for his role in the David O. Russell-directed film.
Hollywood hunks Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, and Joaquin Phoenix will all battle it out with Bradley for the Best Leading Actor trophy and it's anyone's guess who will take home the hardware.
Enjoy the pictures of Bradley Cooper at the 2013 BAFTA Awards (February 10).
Photo Credit: Getty Images


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Someone created an informative subway map of the different destinations on the Lost island, just in time for the final season to premiere next week (NEXT WEEK!!!11!!). How cool is this?!
Here's the thing: Why create a detailed map to help you get around the island when the whole point is to get off it?
[via Gothamist]


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Tropical Fish Keeping - Aquarium fish care and resources
- Beginner Freshwater Aquarium
- - Snail mystery
Snail mystery A very long time ago (well over a year) I added floating (Anacharis) plants. Even though I rinsed well (well water), soon after I had lots of tiny snails. I can't identify the species. The mystery is that these snails typically grow to about a quarter the size of a pea or so, then disappear (die) and a new generation of tiny snails is repeatedly born from egg clusters I've seen on glass and plastics. I'm wondering if it's normal for these snails to have relatively short life spans or the lack of sufficient algae or something else keeps them in check? |
Can you find a photo online so we can ID the snail? Snails do not get large in my tanks, due I believe to soft water. The Malaysian Livebearer manages fine in soft water, and these I have hundreds of and some can sometimes get to 3/4 of an inch, rarely more. The pond snails need calcim, and although I am now keeping them in the tanks they are not many. |
A Pic would definitely help. Some of the common snails in the hobby are Ramshorn, Acute Bladder, and Malaysian trumpet snails. From the description you said by stayng small I would bet it was Acute Bladder snails. Posted via Mobile Device |
Hey Ab Dad , I have a snail kinda like what your describing are the egg clusters clear with white dots ? These are more than likely pond snails or ramshorn a direvative of one of these species . The fact that they are dien so soon is what you thought more than likely . The lack of food source , mine usually dont get ecual to a english pea but I have a couple that are a bit larger than said pea size so its hard to say . But if your looking to get rid of them your in for a problem it aint easy . If you get assasins then your tradeing one snail for another , and you cant get a fish to eat them cause you wont have them forever and then you got a fish you didnt really want wich aint good either for the fish . It may sound awfull but you could wait till the adults have gone and just eggs are left and add a small dose of a copper based medication , not enough to affect fish but a minute dose just to eliminate the eggs you cant see . Wait for the adults to die before you do this if you do so the waste from the dead wont be great , the eggs shouldnt foul the water to bad . These are just ideas to help you get rid of the problem if you see it as one . Myself I like the snails , they clean the tank excellant and airate the sub as well and they clean the plants also so they are good tank mates for any tank . |
No, although they were unplanned 'volunteers', I wasn't looking to get rid of them. (Not that I'd especially want them by the zillions either). I was just curious as to why they continue to have short life spans. I don't have any real developing algae so wonder if there just isn't enough food to support them. I'll try for a pic but they are so small and don't pose well. |
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Here's one of our tiger snails trying to run away from the camera.... Jeff. |
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Gender | Mare | Phone | 626-215-6558 |
Age | 5 y.o. | Location | Corona, CA |
Height | 15.2 hands | ||
Color | Pinto | Country | United States |
Price | $3,000 (USD) | Click here to email seller | |
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Emily is is a bomb proof trail horse that is not afraid of anything.She enjoys going solo or in a group.. Youwill fall in love the minute you see her. She is very eager to please. Come see her and you will fall in love. I am sad to part with her. She has a very sweet look in her eyes and a calm disposition. SHe will do anything for you. I am pregnant and feel that I dont give her enough attention. SHe wants to be your best friend. Please feel free to call 626-272-0557 Up to date on vaccinations and deworming
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Posts Tagged ' Thelibrary.in '
Now rent books from online library Hookedonbook.com; Can books work where DVD rentals failed?
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 | Anand Rai | More »
Even as online rentals for products is yet to be validated as a sustainable business model at least in India (remember what happened to DVD rentals?), there are new startups trying their hand at it, albeit with a different proposition. One such firm is a Delhi-based startup, which has just launched ...


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