A message from Bishop Seán Manchester:
Tuesday 17 January 2017
Friday 13 January 2017
A Question of Balance
The above was posted on a Facebook group by Barbara Green who says that she has "fallen out with Hogg," but overlooks the fact that she remains a contributor to Hogg's principal hate group, and, unlike Seán Manchester, has not blocked Hogg or indeed anyone else unconnected to the bishop. She also makes the unsubstantiated claim that "the Bishop has a cast of thousands with whom he has fallen out." Yet, apart from Hogg and those in the Farrant camp, ie Redmond McWilliams et al, she cannot identify a single person, much less "a cast of thousands." This is the sort of exaggeration we have grown accustomed to where Barbara Green is concerned. Ironically, she has barely a handful of friends on Facebook and they are mostly people she has never met. Even less people join the groups she periodically starts up. On just one of his accounts, Seán Manchester has five thousand friends (the maximum number allowed), which obliged him to open a new account where he restricts friends to a more manageable number. Something is out of balance.
When any of these individuals are put under the microscope and examined it is found that they have much in common. None are in an actual relationship, and real friendships seem unimportant beyond cyber-friends whom they've inevitably never met. Hogg, the youngest of those who troll and stalk Seán Manchester, has shown no interest in the opposite sex, and seems only to have Erin Chapman who lives on another continent as confrère. Trystan Lewis Swale is possibly the exception, but something is definitely wrong, and he has allowed sleazy preoccupations jeopardise and potentially compromise his domestic situation. David Farrant, on the other hand, merely does what he has always done: fabricates his private life as he does his public life. Yet this is the person without whom there would be no brickbats to hurl at Seán Manchester by the rest of them. Absolutely everything alleged to the detriment of Seán Manchester can be traced directly or indirectly back to Farrant, irrespective of who is publishing this or that about a man they have never met, or had any contact with. Seán Manchester's appeal was sufficient to attract them like diseased vampires to a healthy donor, but they have failed to puncture his armour. This created resentment, vilification and malice.
It has been observed by some just how insignificant people like Hogg, McWilliams, Green and their kind are in the grand scheme of things, and that these individuals largely have personality disorders and should be ignored. It has also been noted that the poison they disseminate needs to be lanced.
Three years ago Seán Manchester made clear that he is a private person and should be treated as such. His detractors say that he remains a public figure because he does not lead the life of a recluse or hermit, which is absurd. Neither do they. Seán Manchester has been attacked and vilified for almost half a century by David Farrant, well over a decade by Anthony Hogg and Barbara Green, and proportionately less but nonetheless years by those in their respective camps, eg people like Erin Chapman and Trystan Lewis Swale. They have always been and remain parasitical non-entities who are unaccomplished and talentless. However, having been exposed they should now be ignored.
Saturday 31 December 2016
White Out
Phill White of "Thee [sic] Vampire Guild" might have finally succumbed to the fatal forces after a considerable absence from evincing an interest in vampires or the Highgate Vampire case.
He popped up out of nowhere (well, Brentry, a suburb of north Bristol, actually) threatening to send material to Anthony Hogg's partner in crime Erin Chapman on the condition that she publishes it on YouTube. It transpires that the material in question is a 90 minutes' audio tape made by the Vampire Research Society about the Highgate case in the previous century. Not content with threatening to infringe copyright, White also posted on Hogg's Facebook group what can only be described as extremely defamatory comments. Seán Manchester has not mentioned this man once on the internet, but he is obviously unhappy with his lot since moving from Portland to Bristol to settle down and raise a family. White tried to enter the "vampire" media exploitation that was occurring just about everywhere a quarter of a century ago when he was less of a sceptic than he is today, but he was unable to make any impact, being too far stage left; (far left on the map of England, and ultra-left politically) to ever get close to the centre stage of London. White discovered the collection of malcontents on Hogg's group and gleefully added himself. His comments have been mostly all aimed at deriding and defaming Seán Manchester, someone he has not had contact with for at least two decades. Something had happened in the interim since a quarter of a century ago to cause him to become bitter, resentful and totally sceptical of anything remotely supernatural.
When Seán Manchester last heard from Phill White he was exceptionally sympathetic and supportive. In the interim, a complete turn around has manifested. This is what Seán Manchester recorded in The Vampire Hunter's Handbook (Gothic Press,1997):
As Crimson, Phill White's official magazine of "Thee [sic] Vampire Guild," approached a slow but inevitable death, he saw fit to promote between its covers a vampiroid band called Nightcreed whose curious recordings included the track titled "Die, Manchester, Die," sung by someone with the unlikely name of Theos Diamon Kakos. Around the same time White protested in private correspondence to Seán Manchester his Christian credentials, and declared that he saw many "similarities" between himself and the bishop-exorcist.
White eventually appeared on his local television channel dressed in black apparel and wearing red lipstick. His canines had been fitted with sharp fangs and his normally fair hair was dyed black. A large silver pentagram dangled around his neck, as he grimaced and postured throughout his interview on "True ... But Strange," 17 October 1996. He was shown prancing about in a graveyard with youngsters in kindred attire, and also at his modern terrace home in Portland where he kept a coffin and a pile of bubble-gum picture cards that he had been collecting since he was six-years-old.
Meridian television journalist, Mike Debens, observed that "his little home in Portland is even more cramped because of the think-tank [coffin] where he reclines in the dead of night."
"It's been used," boasted White, whose father was in the funeral business, a trade his son quickly took up, much to the horror of anyone who had viewed him dressed as a vampire sleeping in a "used" coffin. Though White has since relocated to Menhyr Grove, Brentry, Bristol BS10, he remains in the business of organising funerals and preparing dead bodies for the crematorium and grave.
Seán Manchester's advice is quoted briefly in issue fourteen of Crimson. It would be the final time.
"My advice is that it is better to travel alone than in the company of fools."
The same issue had Seán Manchester described me as "one of the most despised characters" within vampire wannabe circles. This would be for the benefit of White's new friends and acquaintances of dubious status and intent; one of whom, Azz Wood, writing from a prison cell (about Seán Manchester) for Crimson, said: "Someone should rip off his head and piss down his neck and windpipe."
Thus the curtain fell on White whose vampire obsession became a millstone around his neck. He turned against all he had once believed in and admired. Today he represents the opposing forces.
McWilliams' Vents his Spleen with Poisonous Petulance
"But as for stalking and trolling women, isn't that more your forte Manchester? For example - how many years now have you been targeting David Farrant's wife with your hateful bile? I've lost count! And before all that you were harassing Patsy Sorenti, Christine Jacob (née Maloney), Catherine Fearnley, Barbara Green, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Janet Bord, Chrissie Demant, Carole Bohanan, Jaqueline Simpson, Carol Page, Dorothy Nixon, Jeanne 'the Prez' Youngson, etc. The list goes on and on. And ALL of them female. Look, you have plenty of form when it comes to stalking and trolling women you sociopath. Or did you forget the injunction that Patsy had served against you ... not to mention the much more recent legal notice to desist that was mailed to you direct from the Farrant's? That, as David himself would say I'm sure, is very much an ongoing case. ... P.S. Of course, going by your own logic, your very public appeal on TV for Elizabeth W to come forward would also be tantamount to stalking." - Redmond McWilliams (Facebook, 31 December 2016)
It would be difficult for anyone to "target" Farrant's wife in view of the fact that he doesn't have one. The person McWilliams is alluding to is someone who pretends to be Farrant's wife, someone claimed by those who have had contact with her to be a lesbian by the name of Anna Hinton who has been responsible for a great deal of defamation against Seán Manchester since she suddenly appeared out of nowhere a number of years back. The so-called "legal notice" consists of five pages of threatening abuse sent by "Della" and David Farrant by recorded delivery to Seán Manchester's private address on 27 April 2015. The highly derogatory rant was signed by "Della Farrant" and David Farrant. Though the envelope was postmarked 27 April 2015, and the correspondence within was also headed with the same date, the senders dated each of their signatures as having taken place on 27 February 2015. This was probably a Freudian slip because on that day and in that month in 1970 Seán Manchester came to prominence on the front page of the Hampstead & Highgate Express.
"Della Farrant," Anna Hinton or whoever she is, needless to say, was not yet born. That would be some years in the future. This is how the five-page threatening letter to Seán Manchester signed off:
To Redmond McWilliams' pathetic mind this unsolicited garbage, stinking of cigarette smoke, constitutes a "legal notice" to have Seán Manchester "desist" from rebutting the endless stream of abusive incitements of hatred made against him by the likes of Farrant, "Della" and their associates.
Patsy Sorenti (née Langley) published allegations of a malicious falsehood fed to her by David Farrant, and claimed to have a witness to back the claim. Seán Manchester challenged her to produce this mythological witness so that the veracity of hers and Farrant's allegation could be put to the test. She never did produce her "witness." The only other occasion Seán Manchester confronted Patsy Sorenti is when she infringed his copyright in a self-published "casebook" that she produced in tandem with Farrant. The allegation that Sorenti "served an injunction" is as bogus as all her other claims. No injunction was served, and there is no evidence to the contrary to suggest otherwise.
Christine Jacob (née Maloney) and Seán Manchester have never had a problem with each other, but they certainly have a problem with McWilliams' friend and mentor David Farrant. What follows is correspondence sent by Isaac Ben Jacob to Seán Manchester on 15 April 2012 regarding David Farrant and the person calling herself "Della Maria Vallicrus," "Della Escarti" and "Della Farrant":
"Me and my wife have discovered with a lot of surprise the existence of several blogs where we are notably being associated with David Farrant and his wife or girlfriend (I don't know if she is his wife or his girlfriend), whereas we have absolutely no contact with him, and we absolutely do not share his ideas. I wish to underline that my wife met David Farrant once or twice during meetings, and that it was David Farrant who started to talk to her, whereas she didn't know anything about him or his past. We recently found out that the reason why David Farrant initially made contact with my wife was in order to manipulate us, and to make you believe she was Della. If you look closely at the pictures of Della [posted in blogs], you will notice that the Della shown on the photos is always hiding her face, and that she always takes a posture which does not allow anyone to determine exactly how tall she is. I have attended a meeting myself three months ago, and I have seen Della and David Farrant together at this occasion. And when I tried to take a picture of them, Della immediately threw herself at me and my wife in order to force us to delete the photo from our camera. We do not have any relation or contact with Della and David Farrant, and we don't want to be associated with these two persons in any way, shape or form, because they have a sulfurous past, they have a reputation of being Satanists, and they are acquainted with people like Jean-Paul Bourre, whom I don't want to hear about. I know you have done research about me, and consequently you know I am an earnest academic researcher who uses scientific methods. Therefore you also know that I reject and condemn all magical practices, heretical deviancies, and obviously people such as David Farrant, who have practised Satanism. I think that you and I have been manipulated in this case, and that you could help us reestablish the truth. Yours sincerely, Isaac Ben Jacob."
Next we come to Catherine Fearnley and Barbara Green whom McWilliams identifies as "victims."
Catherine Fearnley has accepted that she was led astray in the past by David Farrant with whom she had a relationship earlier this century. She subsequently had Farrant arrested and his computers seized for matters that are irrelevant to this discussion. What is important is that she harbours no resentment toward Seán Manchester and considers both herself and him to be victims of Farrant.
Barbara Green is someone who tends to fall out with everyone. The only person she has not fallen out with is "master of the black arts" John Pope who is a stalwart defender and supporter of David Farrant. For decades Seán Manchester ignored Green, but when she applied to join one of his groups a couple of months ago he permitted it, using the opportunity to ask why she was still publishing derogatory and blasphemous cartoons in which he is depicted. She could not answer, and swiftly left the group. Later she blocked Seán Manchester on Facebook so that he could not see the abuse she frequently posts about him. Her ability to get things wrong and then refuse to acknowledge corrections put before her is truly astounding. Green, who is slightly older than Farrant, is obsessed with Seán Manchester, and it is his misfortune that he has become the object of her compulsive nature. He has shown incredible restraint whilst enduring for years overwhelming hostility from her.
Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Seán Manchester have no problem with each other. Indeed, Guiley, who has met Seán Manchester and enjoyed his company, is a member of groups administrated by Seán Manchester who appeared in a television documentary with Guiley in 2011. They have both referred to each other in books published in the previous century, mostly Guiley referring to Seán Manchester in her book Vampires Among Us. She made it crystal clear to Seán Manchester that she wanted nothing to do with Farrant and would not be mentioning him in her book. He makes clear in his reference that there is no malice in what Guiley wrote about him, albeit there being some error.
Seán Manchester has only ever contacted Colin and Janet Bord as a couple due to errors made by them in print about him and the Highgate Vampire case. His correspondence was ignored, and that was an end to it. It transpires they were friends of David Farrant and promoted his jaundiced version of the history. Some of their error is mentioned briefly in The Vampire Hunter's Handbook (1997).
McWilliams only refers to the female of couples to make it appear they are being singled out. When Kevin and Chrissie Demant turned to the dark side and supported Farrant for their own self-serving reasons it was Seán Manchester who became the victim of their collusion and libellous intent. However, although Chrissie Demant had provided artwork prior to this treachery, Seán Manchester's relationship was with her husband, and any antipathy felt at the time would have been aimed at him. It would not be long, however, before the Demants washed their hands of Farrant and anyone associated with him. By which time the damage was done. Farrant still republishes Demant's bile.
Carole Bohanan is mentioned briefly and sympathetically in The Vampire Hunter's Handbook where the history of vampire interest societies is chronicled by its author. Beyond that reference there has been no allusion by either Carole Bohanan to Seán Manchester, or indeed him to her.
Jacqueline Simpson, other other hand, decided that she should write the entry on the Highgate Vampire case for Wikipedia, and invariably in doing so got just about everything wrong. Seán Manchester offered to help her correct her mistakes in both the Wikipedia article and subsequent entries about Highgate Cemetery in a book she co-authored. She seemed resistant to any assistance. She was greatly influenced by an American called Bill Ellis who had met David Farrant in July 1992. Simpson herself would speak as an invited guest at Farrant's somewhat farsical "Highgate Vampire Symposium" in July 2015 where she was predictably dismissive about the supernatural.
Carol Page, an American journalist, wrote the following to Seán Manchester on 20 October 1989: “It is clear that you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with the subject [of vampirology] and I will gladly devote an entire chapter in my book to your work.” They met in a London suburb for a little under two hours on 15 November 1989. This was the only time they held a conversation. It became apparent that Page was out of her depth and knew nothing about vampires or vampirology. Despite employing Seán Manchester’s work to provide, albeit in altered form, one fifth of the text for her book Blood Lust, she failed to mention him in her acknowledgements and would not supply him with a complimentary copy when her book was published. She requested the loan of some photographs, two of which were not returned, and none of which were used as her book contains no illustrative material. Page wanted inside information about the subculture, and anything vaguely sensational. She was to be disappointed. It was explained that Seán Manchester is a researcher into supernatural phenomena and that his published work The Highgate Vampire might best inform her about his modus operandi. During the meeting, conducted in an indoor café, Page wore exceptionally dark sunglasses, which made it impossible to see her eyes. Seán Manchester had no real wish to constantly look only at his own reflection and, therefore, averted his gaze from time to time. Page makes an issue of this in her book. Hence she is indescribably petty. It is incredible that her book ever came to be published. Save for the text devoted to defaming Seán Manchester, her effort dwells on a few people she met, plus a catastrophic television show beamed by satellite from Budapest to the USA on which Seán Manchester, while invited, declined to appear. His instinct proved correct.
Having by now met Seán Manchester and absorbed his work from cover to cover, Page wrote on 23 February 1990: “The chapter about your work is based on your book, The Highgate Vampire, and the transcript of the interview we did in November.” It was nothing of the sort, needless to say. Her letter continued: “I told [Julian Henriques of the BBC] that I did not think any look at the modern vampire ‘scene,’ if you will, was complete without a look at Seán Manchester and his work. I hope that is all right with you.” This was written by Page an entire three months after she had met Seán Manchester, and long after she had read and absorbed the contents of The Highgate Vampire. She concluded her letter with the following sentence: “Your work in this area is important and I congratulate you for taking the time to do it.”
When she came to write her book she wrongly attributed the damage to tombs at Highgate Cemetery, not to the person actually convicted of such crimes, but to Seán Manchester whom she portrayed in what can only be described as defamatory terms. Seán Manchester has not been convicted of any crime or misdemeanour. She also claimed that he has been banned from entering Highgate Cemetery. This is totally false as the Friends of Highgate Cemetery will gladly confirm. It is hardly surprising that her publishers are not interested in reprinting her book. It misinforms and offends.
The catalogue of distortions and half-truths in Carol Page's book will not be dignified with too much repetition, save that one of the milder inaccuracies, ie the false attribution that Seán Manchester considers Lady Caroline Lamb to be a vampire, is not untypical of the journalistic style employed. Her attention to what is a matter of public record took a very poor second place to the agenda which Seán Manchester describes in The Vampire Hunter's Handbook as being reliant on “squalid sensationalism, silly gossip and malicious falsehood.” He also raises the very significant point that “Page sought no comment” from him “on any of the charges she brings.”
Readers of her book were quick to voice their disapproval. A representative sample follows:
“I would treat anything this woman said with the utmost scepticism.”
~ Clare Emmett, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
“Regarding Highgate Cemetery, as I recall, the criminal damage was done by David Farant, not Manchester who I believe was on record then as attempting to counter [the true offender’s] odd behaviour.”
~ Phædra Kelly, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, UK.
“I have pretty much concluded that Ms Page doesn’t care about what she has written, she is only waiting for royalties.”
~ Dorion Cable, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
“She is snide and condescending, both to the people she interviews and to the reader. She incessantly states her own opinions, interpretations, and snotty comments at every opportunity.”
~ Chad Savage, San Francisco, California, USA.
“She’s not at all objective and it definitely colours the way she writes. She takes things I said so far out of context that even though I said certain things they have a totally different meaning than I meant. Carol took one isolated incident and exaggerated it and made me out to be bi-sexual, which I am not. … Sexual preference is a big thing to her, all through the whole book. It seems what Carol wanted to write about was sex, not ‘vampires.’ … I don’t appreciate being used as a tool to sell her book.”
~ Shannon, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Shannon, like Seán Manchester, was interviewed by Carol Page for Blood Lust. Chad Savage knew her personally, and at the time was the editor of a gothic magazine. Apart from rebutting her malicious claims, Seán Manchester has not mentioned Carol Page, much less has he contacted her.
Dorothy Nixon was someone who supported Seán Manchester and wrote favourably about him. They remained on good terms until they lost contact with the passing of time. Like Nixon, Jeanne Keyes Youngson lives in the USA. Being sympathetic to Aleister Crowley and the dark arts, Youngson was not sympathetic to Seán Manchester and chose to lend her support to David Farrant. She is mentioned in passing in Seán Manchester's coverage of vampire societies, and also some of her unkind and barbed comments are addressed in the process. Many in the sub-culture are critical of Youngson with whom Seán Manchester has had no relationship, nor has he sought to enter into one.
It was put to Seán Manchester by a member of the audience on a live television show whether he had any recent contact with Elizabeth (her full name was not disclosed). He said he had not, but that if she was watching the programme he would be delighted to restore contact. Since that time they have done precisely that, and his relationship with Elizabeth is as convivial and pleasant as it ever was. To suggest, as does McWilliams, that this is "tantamount to stalking" is patently absurd.
Redmond McWilliams is, of course, under the influence of Farrant; the same Farrant he claims sent a "legal notice" (nothing more than personal abuse) to someone his mentor refers to as "bonkers":
Having by now met Seán Manchester and absorbed his work from cover to cover, Page wrote on 23 February 1990: “The chapter about your work is based on your book, The Highgate Vampire, and the transcript of the interview we did in November.” It was nothing of the sort, needless to say. Her letter continued: “I told [Julian Henriques of the BBC] that I did not think any look at the modern vampire ‘scene,’ if you will, was complete without a look at Seán Manchester and his work. I hope that is all right with you.” This was written by Page an entire three months after she had met Seán Manchester, and long after she had read and absorbed the contents of The Highgate Vampire. She concluded her letter with the following sentence: “Your work in this area is important and I congratulate you for taking the time to do it.”
When she came to write her book she wrongly attributed the damage to tombs at Highgate Cemetery, not to the person actually convicted of such crimes, but to Seán Manchester whom she portrayed in what can only be described as defamatory terms. Seán Manchester has not been convicted of any crime or misdemeanour. She also claimed that he has been banned from entering Highgate Cemetery. This is totally false as the Friends of Highgate Cemetery will gladly confirm. It is hardly surprising that her publishers are not interested in reprinting her book. It misinforms and offends.
The catalogue of distortions and half-truths in Carol Page's book will not be dignified with too much repetition, save that one of the milder inaccuracies, ie the false attribution that Seán Manchester considers Lady Caroline Lamb to be a vampire, is not untypical of the journalistic style employed. Her attention to what is a matter of public record took a very poor second place to the agenda which Seán Manchester describes in The Vampire Hunter's Handbook as being reliant on “squalid sensationalism, silly gossip and malicious falsehood.” He also raises the very significant point that “Page sought no comment” from him “on any of the charges she brings.”
Readers of her book were quick to voice their disapproval. A representative sample follows:
“I would treat anything this woman said with the utmost scepticism.”
~ Clare Emmett, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
“Regarding Highgate Cemetery, as I recall, the criminal damage was done by David Farant, not Manchester who I believe was on record then as attempting to counter [the true offender’s] odd behaviour.”
~ Phædra Kelly, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, UK.
“I have pretty much concluded that Ms Page doesn’t care about what she has written, she is only waiting for royalties.”
~ Dorion Cable, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
“She is snide and condescending, both to the people she interviews and to the reader. She incessantly states her own opinions, interpretations, and snotty comments at every opportunity.”
~ Chad Savage, San Francisco, California, USA.
“She’s not at all objective and it definitely colours the way she writes. She takes things I said so far out of context that even though I said certain things they have a totally different meaning than I meant. Carol took one isolated incident and exaggerated it and made me out to be bi-sexual, which I am not. … Sexual preference is a big thing to her, all through the whole book. It seems what Carol wanted to write about was sex, not ‘vampires.’ … I don’t appreciate being used as a tool to sell her book.”
~ Shannon, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Shannon, like Seán Manchester, was interviewed by Carol Page for Blood Lust. Chad Savage knew her personally, and at the time was the editor of a gothic magazine. Apart from rebutting her malicious claims, Seán Manchester has not mentioned Carol Page, much less has he contacted her.
Dorothy Nixon was someone who supported Seán Manchester and wrote favourably about him. They remained on good terms until they lost contact with the passing of time. Like Nixon, Jeanne Keyes Youngson lives in the USA. Being sympathetic to Aleister Crowley and the dark arts, Youngson was not sympathetic to Seán Manchester and chose to lend her support to David Farrant. She is mentioned in passing in Seán Manchester's coverage of vampire societies, and also some of her unkind and barbed comments are addressed in the process. Many in the sub-culture are critical of Youngson with whom Seán Manchester has had no relationship, nor has he sought to enter into one.
It was put to Seán Manchester by a member of the audience on a live television show whether he had any recent contact with Elizabeth (her full name was not disclosed). He said he had not, but that if she was watching the programme he would be delighted to restore contact. Since that time they have done precisely that, and his relationship with Elizabeth is as convivial and pleasant as it ever was. To suggest, as does McWilliams, that this is "tantamount to stalking" is patently absurd.
Redmond McWilliams is, of course, under the influence of Farrant; the same Farrant he claims sent a "legal notice" (nothing more than personal abuse) to someone his mentor refers to as "bonkers":
Wednesday 30 November 2016
The Devil is a Liar and so is James Whale
James Whale (born 13 May 1951) gained national prominence in the late 1980s with The James Whale Radio Show, a late-night programme produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV. In 1995, he hosted The James Whale Show on TalkSport until he was sacked in 2008. He presented on Bid TV before returning to the airwaves on LBC in London. In September 2013, he brought back The James Whale Radio Show, and began covering shows on TalkRadio in October 2016. He started presenting the Monday to Thursday evening show between 19:00 and 22:00 on 7 November 2016. A fortnight after the new manifestation of James Whale on TalkRadio, our story begins. Or, rather, ends.
Whale, who has often stated his admiration for Margaret Thatcher, is an atheist who loathes religion, particularly Christianity. In February 2002, he interviewed Seán Manchester, which resulted in hundreds of complaints from listeners due to Whale's treatment of the bishop who made his own complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Commission. His complaint was upheld by the BSC.
Not all that long before interviewing Seán Manchester, and unknown to the bishop at the time, Whale interviewed David Farrant and, therefore, had been primed. This was transparent when he came to talk to the bishop who mentioned "Ferrell" (an American youngster who had murdered people while claiming to be a vampire). James Whale reacted to the name as if "Farrant" had been uttered, and literally jumped in his seat. "Who?" he almost shouted. The truth is that Seán Manchester has not mentioned David Farrant in an interview on radio or television since 13 March 1970, and only then once to warn the charlatan to not go ahead with his planned nocturnal sojourn in Highgate Cemetery.
A stream of snide and negative comments have been forthcoming from James Whale whenever Seán Manchester's name has been mentioned down the years, and this is largely due to whatever Farrant misinformed him, but also because the radio presenter dislikes clergy. It certainly could not have sat well with Whale that, after his sacking from TalkSport, the bishop was invited back to discuss the supernatural in an interview that went extremely well where he was warmly received.
Then came the call from someone on Whale's recent show on TalkRadio where erroneous attributions and claims were made. Whale's co-presenter remembered that there had been a complaint made by Seán Manchester and that the bishop had won. James Whale completely denied that this had happened, and did so in a published sentence, which he repeated: "No, he did not! No, he did not!"
Seán Manchester wrote to Dennie Morris, the Station Editor at TalkRadio, but promptly had his email referred to Alice Furse, the Listener Response Officer who responded on 25 November 2016:
"We’ve listened back to the audio and note that the co-presenter made it clear that your 2002 complaint was upheld. Furthermore at no point was it claimed during the brief exchange on last night’s programme that you are not a Bishop. Therefore at this stage we’re unclear as to why it is that you feel that an apology is required. Perhaps you can clarify this matter further so that we can ensure that we have addressed your complaint properly."
Seán Manchester clarified the nature of his complaint:
"The co-presenter said he thought I complained and that my complaint was upheld. James Whale, whose show it is (and as far as the listener is concerned would know the facts), categorically refuted any suggestion that I had complained or that my complaint was upheld.
"James Whale repeatedly said: 'No, he did not; no, he did not.' This left the listener with a completely false impression about what really happened. Mr Whale knew the truth, and was quite obviously lying to my detriment.
"It was claimed by the caller that I was not a Catholic bishop. I am. The caller also attributed the statement 'take that lie from your mouth' to me. I said nothing of the kind to Mr Whale on the occasion of our interview in February 2002. I was civil and courteous throughout."
Seán Manchester heard nothing further from TalkRadio. The listeners were obviously aware of James Whale's denial. That is what will stick in their minds.
History once again comes to be rewritten by those who determine what we hear and what we know.
Saturday 19 November 2016
When Moore is Less
"I like David [Farrant]; a lot more than some people I could mention - he's a very easy going and polite gentleman with a great sense of humor [sic]. ... Who has actually 'won' re Highgate - everyone is still clutching at straws. I would suggest Farrant could be the 'winner' as his theory of it being a 'tupla' (or thought form) could be close to the truth; read as 'psycho-social construct' if you are sceptical! ... Being nominated as a Bishop is a vocation and spiritual path - it has nothing whatsoever to do with Highgate or 'winning' or 'losing.' One could argue that Farrant has followed his own spiritual path - which has been a harsh one at times." - Robert Moore (ASSAP Secretary, commenting on Farrant and Seán Manchester on Hogg's Facebook hate group, 19 November 2016)
Being a consecrated bishop with a vocation and spiritual path, and exorcising evil, whether at Highgate or elsewhere, are not mutually exclusive pursuits. Being the secretary of the ASSAP, a registered charity, requires impartiality as a condition for remaining a charity; something Moore has failed to demonstrate over and over again. The influence of Farrant, Hogg and Swale is palpable.
Farrant's latest fad is a "tulpa" to explain away what he used to call a "ghost" (described by him in March 1970 on Thames Television to Sandra Harris as a dead body emanating evil). Now it has become a projection of the mind. This will ingratiate him with the people he surrounds himself with nowadays and relies upon for what publicity he can garner, eg sceptics like Moore, Hogg and Swale.
Robert Moore talks of Farrant following his own sometimes harsh spiritual path, being easy going and, moreover, a polite gentleman with a great sense of humour? Really? Can Moore be serious?
Farrant's only path has been the selfish pursuit of self-publicity at the cost of other people. Those who actually know him, and knew him almost half a century ago, are all too aware that he believes in nothing spiritual. Even his witchcraft and black magic capers were manufactured for publicity. As for Farrant's sense of humour, if he has one at all it is a sense of humour that is certainly sick and cruel.
Those who really knew and in some cases still know David Farrant have a very different tale to tell:
Actually, it's the same Muswell Hill bedsit he was found by his Probation Officer forty years ago!
Farrant was arrested in December 2002 and charged with the harassment of Seán Manchester, Sarah Manchester, Diana Brewester, Keith Maclean and others. The Crown Prosecution Service did not proceed with their case, however, due to him taking great care to stagger the frequency of incidents so that they fell just outside the remit for the minimum number of offences required per month for a case to be successfully prosecuted via the precise charge brought under the section of the Protection from Harassment Act invoked. This was confirmed by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Had the police merely charged him with sending malicious mail, Farrant would have undoubtedly been found guilty but his punishment would have then only been a fine. Whereas the actual charges for harassment brought by the police were more serious, and if the CPS had allowed the case to be taken to trial it could have resulted in him receiving a custodial sentence.
Diana Brewester, Seán Manchester's friend and London secretary died of cancer in December 2003, having been harassed and libelled by Farrant in her latter years. Farrant invariably sent his malicious pamphlets to his victims. One such item contained Diana's private address which he published and circulated via the pamphlet. He also published false and disgusting claims about her private sexual life, none of which were true. Farrant has absolutely no regard for the way he maligns people, steals, lies and causes grief to whomsoever he pleases. Throughout his life he has not shown any remorse for his behaviour and crimes. Indeed, he has always sought to capitalise on them; bragging to the press and regurgitating them in self-published pamphlets crammed with libel and copyright infringement. His entire life has been predicated on the execution of grievances, vendettas and depraved pranks. Apart from a week or two as a porter in late 1970, he has received state benefits his entire life. Yet this same man has managed to hoodwink latter-day academics and journalists.
Farrant's many criminal convictions began in 1972 with an indecency charge in Monken Hadley churchyard under the Ecclesiastic Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860. Victoria Jervis was also found guilty. Her revelations under oath when called as a witness during Farrant's Old Bailey trials at the Central Criminal Court two years later are damning, to say the least. This is what she said:
"I have tried to put most of what happened out of my mind. The false letters I wrote to a local paper were to stimulate publicity for the accused. I saw him almost every weekend in the second half of 1972 and I went to Spain with him for a fortnight at the end of June that same year. I was arrested with him in Monken Hadley Churchyard. That incident upset me very much. Afterwards, my doctor prescribed tranquillisers for me."
Facing David Farrant in court to address him, Victoria Jervis added:
"You have photographed me a number of times in your flat with no clothes on. One photograph was published in 1972 with a false caption claiming I was a member of your Society, which I never was."
On another occasion, she recalled, how she had written pseudonymously to a local newspaper at Farrant's request "to stimulate publicity for the accused."
Back in 1972 during the indecency case, "Mr P J Bucknell, prosecuting, said Mr Farrant had painted circles on the ground, lit with candles, and had told reporters and possibly the police of what he was doing. 'This appears to be a sordid attempt to obtain publicity,' he said." (Hampstead & Highgate Express, 24 November 1972).
Speaking at the April 1996 Fortean Times Convention, Maureen Speller commented: "The programme came up with ‘His investigations had far reaching and disturbing consequences’ which I said meant he’d been arrested a lot. Strangely enough, this is more or less what he said. God, I felt old being the only member of [my] group who could remember this nutter being arrested every few weeks.”
“The wife of self-styled occult priest David Farrant told yesterday of giggles in the graveyard when the pubs had closed. ‘We would go in, frighten ourselves to death and come out again,’ she told an Old Bailey jury. Attractive Mary Farrant — she is separated from her husband and lives in Southampton — said they had often gone to London’s Highgate Cemetery with friends ‘for a bit of a laugh.’ But they never caused any damage. ‘It was just a silly sort of thing that you do after the pubs shut,’ she said. Mrs Farrant added that her husband’s friends who joined in the late night jaunts were not involved in witchcraft or the occult. She had been called as a defence witness by her 28-year-old husband. They have not lived together for three years.” (The Sun, 21 June 1974).
“All he talked about was his witchcraft. He was very vain.” (Julia Batsford, an ex-girlfriend quoted in the Daily Mail, 26 June 1974).
"Au pair Martine de Sacy has exposed the fantasy world of David Farrant, self-styled high priest of British witchcraft, for whom she posed nude in front of a tomb. Farrant was convicted last week by a jury who heard stories of Satanic rites, vampires and death-worship with girls dancing in a cemetery. Afterwards, 23-year-old Martine said: 'He was a failure as a lover. In fact, I think his trouble was that he was seeking compensation for this. He was always after publicity and he felt that having all these girls around helped. I'm sure the night he took me to the cemetery had less to do with occultism than his craving to be the centre of something.' ... While Martine told her story in Paris, customers at Farrant's local — the Prince of Wales in Highgate, London — chuckled over the man they called 'Birdman.' One regular said: 'He used to come in with a parrot on his shoulder. One night he came in with photos of Martine in the nude. We pinched one, and when she next came in, we told her he was selling them at 5p a time. She went through the ceiling.' ... Farrant called his estranged wife Mary, in his defence. She said: 'We would go in the cemetery with my husband's friends when the pubs had closed. We would frighten ourselves to death and come out again. It was just a silly sort of thing that you do after the pubs close. Nobody was involved in witchcraft or the occult'." (News of the World, 30 June 1974).
“The jury were shown folders of pictures of naked girls and corpses, and told about a black-clothed altar in Farrant's flat with a large drawing of a vampire's face. When questioned, Farrant said: 'A corpse was needed to talk to spirits of another world'.” (George Hunter & Richard Wright, Daily Express, 26 June 1974).
“The judge said any interference with a corpse during black magic rituals could properly be regarded as a ‘great scandal and a disgrace to religion, decency and morality’.” (The Sun, 26 June 1974).
“Judge Michael Argyle QC passed sentence after reading medical and mental reports. He said that Farrant — self-styled High Priest — had acted ‘quite regardless of the feelings of ordinary people,’ by messing about at Highgate Cemetery.” (Hornsey Journal, 19 July 1974).
Farrant's journalist collaborator Frank Thorne dubbed him the "Prince of Darkness" (Sunday People, 16 April 1978).
The person closest to an accurate appraisal is author Dennis Wheatley who stated "I cannot believe for one moment that he is a serious student of the occult. In fact I believe [him] to be evil and entirely to be deplored." (Daily Express, 26 June 1974).
In the same article Canon Pearce Higgins said "I think he's crazy."
Farrant sued the Daily Express, Canon Pearce Higgins and Dennis Wheatley but lost the action, receiving a bill for £20,000 court costs, none of which has been repaid.
He told readers of New Witchcraft magazine, issue #4, the following in an unedited article penned at the behest of the magazine's editor from his prison cell:
"The intrinsic details regarding this part of the ceremony however, must remain secret; suffice it is to say here that the entity (in its now omniscient form) was to be magically induced by the ritual act of blood-letting, then brought to visible appearance through the use of the sex act. ... I disrobed the Priestess and myself and, with the consecrated blood, made the secret sigils of the Deity on her mouth, breast, and all the openings of her body. We then lay in the Pentagram and began love-making, all the time visualizing the Satanic Force so that it could — temporarily — take possession of our bodies."
On his 1975 article, Farrant later recalled (to his friend and collaborator Kevin Demant):
"When I had time to spare I wrote a few articles. I sent one to New Witchcraft which was used, and I mean, every single word was used. It was written on old scraps of paper, anything I could get together because obviously, they wouldn't have given me official writing paper to do that, apart from which, it would have been stopped anyway. That was smuggled out and used. I also wrote one for Penthouse, because ... they'd played up the sex angle in court and all the papers were implying ... I thought, well, it's a magazine, they could be half-serious. I mean, bloody hell, it was sold in W H Smiths!"
Being a consecrated bishop with a vocation and spiritual path, and exorcising evil, whether at Highgate or elsewhere, are not mutually exclusive pursuits. Being the secretary of the ASSAP, a registered charity, requires impartiality as a condition for remaining a charity; something Moore has failed to demonstrate over and over again. The influence of Farrant, Hogg and Swale is palpable.
Farrant's latest fad is a "tulpa" to explain away what he used to call a "ghost" (described by him in March 1970 on Thames Television to Sandra Harris as a dead body emanating evil). Now it has become a projection of the mind. This will ingratiate him with the people he surrounds himself with nowadays and relies upon for what publicity he can garner, eg sceptics like Moore, Hogg and Swale.
Robert Moore talks of Farrant following his own sometimes harsh spiritual path, being easy going and, moreover, a polite gentleman with a great sense of humour? Really? Can Moore be serious?
Farrant's only path has been the selfish pursuit of self-publicity at the cost of other people. Those who actually know him, and knew him almost half a century ago, are all too aware that he believes in nothing spiritual. Even his witchcraft and black magic capers were manufactured for publicity. As for Farrant's sense of humour, if he has one at all it is a sense of humour that is certainly sick and cruel.
Those who really knew and in some cases still know David Farrant have a very different tale to tell:
Actually, it's the same Muswell Hill bedsit he was found by his Probation Officer forty years ago!
Diana Brewester, Seán Manchester's friend and London secretary died of cancer in December 2003, having been harassed and libelled by Farrant in her latter years. Farrant invariably sent his malicious pamphlets to his victims. One such item contained Diana's private address which he published and circulated via the pamphlet. He also published false and disgusting claims about her private sexual life, none of which were true. Farrant has absolutely no regard for the way he maligns people, steals, lies and causes grief to whomsoever he pleases. Throughout his life he has not shown any remorse for his behaviour and crimes. Indeed, he has always sought to capitalise on them; bragging to the press and regurgitating them in self-published pamphlets crammed with libel and copyright infringement. His entire life has been predicated on the execution of grievances, vendettas and depraved pranks. Apart from a week or two as a porter in late 1970, he has received state benefits his entire life. Yet this same man has managed to hoodwink latter-day academics and journalists.
Farrant's many criminal convictions began in 1972 with an indecency charge in Monken Hadley churchyard under the Ecclesiastic Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860. Victoria Jervis was also found guilty. Her revelations under oath when called as a witness during Farrant's Old Bailey trials at the Central Criminal Court two years later are damning, to say the least. This is what she said:
"I have tried to put most of what happened out of my mind. The false letters I wrote to a local paper were to stimulate publicity for the accused. I saw him almost every weekend in the second half of 1972 and I went to Spain with him for a fortnight at the end of June that same year. I was arrested with him in Monken Hadley Churchyard. That incident upset me very much. Afterwards, my doctor prescribed tranquillisers for me."
Facing David Farrant in court to address him, Victoria Jervis added:
"You have photographed me a number of times in your flat with no clothes on. One photograph was published in 1972 with a false caption claiming I was a member of your Society, which I never was."
On another occasion, she recalled, how she had written pseudonymously to a local newspaper at Farrant's request "to stimulate publicity for the accused."
Back in 1972 during the indecency case, "Mr P J Bucknell, prosecuting, said Mr Farrant had painted circles on the ground, lit with candles, and had told reporters and possibly the police of what he was doing. 'This appears to be a sordid attempt to obtain publicity,' he said." (Hampstead & Highgate Express, 24 November 1972).
Speaking at the April 1996 Fortean Times Convention, Maureen Speller commented: "The programme came up with ‘His investigations had far reaching and disturbing consequences’ which I said meant he’d been arrested a lot. Strangely enough, this is more or less what he said. God, I felt old being the only member of [my] group who could remember this nutter being arrested every few weeks.”
“The wife of self-styled occult priest David Farrant told yesterday of giggles in the graveyard when the pubs had closed. ‘We would go in, frighten ourselves to death and come out again,’ she told an Old Bailey jury. Attractive Mary Farrant — she is separated from her husband and lives in Southampton — said they had often gone to London’s Highgate Cemetery with friends ‘for a bit of a laugh.’ But they never caused any damage. ‘It was just a silly sort of thing that you do after the pubs shut,’ she said. Mrs Farrant added that her husband’s friends who joined in the late night jaunts were not involved in witchcraft or the occult. She had been called as a defence witness by her 28-year-old husband. They have not lived together for three years.” (The Sun, 21 June 1974).
“All he talked about was his witchcraft. He was very vain.” (Julia Batsford, an ex-girlfriend quoted in the Daily Mail, 26 June 1974).
"Au pair Martine de Sacy has exposed the fantasy world of David Farrant, self-styled high priest of British witchcraft, for whom she posed nude in front of a tomb. Farrant was convicted last week by a jury who heard stories of Satanic rites, vampires and death-worship with girls dancing in a cemetery. Afterwards, 23-year-old Martine said: 'He was a failure as a lover. In fact, I think his trouble was that he was seeking compensation for this. He was always after publicity and he felt that having all these girls around helped. I'm sure the night he took me to the cemetery had less to do with occultism than his craving to be the centre of something.' ... While Martine told her story in Paris, customers at Farrant's local — the Prince of Wales in Highgate, London — chuckled over the man they called 'Birdman.' One regular said: 'He used to come in with a parrot on his shoulder. One night he came in with photos of Martine in the nude. We pinched one, and when she next came in, we told her he was selling them at 5p a time. She went through the ceiling.' ... Farrant called his estranged wife Mary, in his defence. She said: 'We would go in the cemetery with my husband's friends when the pubs had closed. We would frighten ourselves to death and come out again. It was just a silly sort of thing that you do after the pubs close. Nobody was involved in witchcraft or the occult'." (News of the World, 30 June 1974).
“The jury were shown folders of pictures of naked girls and corpses, and told about a black-clothed altar in Farrant's flat with a large drawing of a vampire's face. When questioned, Farrant said: 'A corpse was needed to talk to spirits of another world'.” (George Hunter & Richard Wright, Daily Express, 26 June 1974).
“The judge said any interference with a corpse during black magic rituals could properly be regarded as a ‘great scandal and a disgrace to religion, decency and morality’.” (The Sun, 26 June 1974).
“Judge Michael Argyle QC passed sentence after reading medical and mental reports. He said that Farrant — self-styled High Priest — had acted ‘quite regardless of the feelings of ordinary people,’ by messing about at Highgate Cemetery.” (Hornsey Journal, 19 July 1974).
This is how Sue Kentish's feature article in the News of the
World, 23 September 1973, opens:
"But for the results
of his actions, this scruffy little witch could be laughed at. But no one can
laugh at a man who admits slitting the throat of a live cat before launching a
blood-smeared orgy. Or at a man who has helped reduce at least two young women
to frightened misery. Farrant runs his wretched cult from a cluttered flat above
a chemist's shop in Archway Road, Highgate, London. When I first met him, he
seemed normal enough. But over the course of a few weeks, I got to know him
better. I found him to be totally besotted by witchcraft and the occult and
ready to do anything in pursuit of both."
Farrant is later quoted as
saying:
"My curses have never failed, as far as I know. Situations have
always righted themselves after I put a curse on. Others will tell you how I
reduced one man to a mental breakdown and in the end he begged me to remove the
curse."
Sue Kentish
continues:
"With a shrug of the shoulders he admitted mercilessly: "If somebody crosses me or my friends, I will use a curse, but only if it becomes necessary as a last resort'."
"With a shrug of the shoulders he admitted mercilessly: "If somebody crosses me or my friends, I will use a curse, but only if it becomes necessary as a last resort'."
Wiccan high priest Stewart Farrar said of Farrant:
"He gives witchcraft a bad name" (Daily Mail, 26 June 1974).
Farrant's journalist collaborator Frank Thorne dubbed him the "Prince of Darkness" (Sunday People, 16 April 1978).
The person closest to an accurate appraisal is author Dennis Wheatley who stated "I cannot believe for one moment that he is a serious student of the occult. In fact I believe [him] to be evil and entirely to be deplored." (Daily Express, 26 June 1974).
In the same article Canon Pearce Higgins said "I think he's crazy."
Farrant sued the Daily Express, Canon Pearce Higgins and Dennis Wheatley but lost the action, receiving a bill for £20,000 court costs, none of which has been repaid.
He told readers of New Witchcraft magazine, issue #4, the following in an unedited article penned at the behest of the magazine's editor from his prison cell:
"The intrinsic details regarding this part of the ceremony however, must remain secret; suffice it is to say here that the entity (in its now omniscient form) was to be magically induced by the ritual act of blood-letting, then brought to visible appearance through the use of the sex act. ... I disrobed the Priestess and myself and, with the consecrated blood, made the secret sigils of the Deity on her mouth, breast, and all the openings of her body. We then lay in the Pentagram and began love-making, all the time visualizing the Satanic Force so that it could — temporarily — take possession of our bodies."
On his 1975 article, Farrant later recalled (to his friend and collaborator Kevin Demant):
"When I had time to spare I wrote a few articles. I sent one to New Witchcraft which was used, and I mean, every single word was used. It was written on old scraps of paper, anything I could get together because obviously, they wouldn't have given me official writing paper to do that, apart from which, it would have been stopped anyway. That was smuggled out and used. I also wrote one for Penthouse, because ... they'd played up the sex angle in court and all the papers were implying ... I thought, well, it's a magazine, they could be half-serious. I mean, bloody hell, it was sold in W H Smiths!"
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