October 22, 2003
Robin Hood's Grave

BBCnews is featuring this article detailing one man's experimental efforts to find Robin Hood's grave. He contends the traditional site is too far away from the castle where Robin died, and went through a variety of experiments to try and estimate the "true" distance. Weirdly, after searching the records he found evidence of a grave dug up in the 18th century almost exactly where his predictions said Robin's arrow would have landed.

Of course, it's an old old church, could be graves everywhere. And nobody's sure Robin exists. Still, an interesting co-inky-dink.

Posted by scott at October 22, 2003 03:17 PM

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This dig has been known about for many years. Until recently research at the site has been very difficult due to lack of access. The grave ws dug up by Sir Samual Armytage and his gamekeeper Mr Hobson one night on their way back from the local hostelry. It was hardly a proper archeological dig and inconclusive--the grave may not be in the exact spot where Robinw as interred because the earlier gravestone was moved. For further information see www.robinhoodyorkshire.co.uk

http://groups.msn.com/RobinHood'sGrave

http://groups.msn.com/SecretsoftheGrave

Barbara Green Yorkshire Robin Hood Society

Posted by: barbara green on December 3, 2003 12:19 PM

Is the Member of Parliament for Wakefield aware that his local "Yorkshire Robin Hood Society" (run by Barbara Green of Brighouse, West Yorkshire) recently invited London ex-convict David Farrant to become their Patron? Farrant, a compulsive publicity-seeker, quickly accepted and was declared "Patron of the YRHS" on Sunday 8th February 2004. Barbara Green relaunched her dormant Society after seeing David Hinchcliffe on Channel Four's "Richard & Judy" programme in the previous week where the Labour MP claimed (without any supporting evidence) that England's legendary outlaw Robin Hood was, in fact, a Yorkshireman. This was enough to inspire Green to contact Farrant and invite him to be her "Patron." The Member for Wakefield now enjoys this odd couple's unflinching support. But does he really want it?!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FACTS CONCERNING DAVID FARRANT:

Occupation: (since release on parole in autumn 1976):

Unemployed (permanently in receipt of state benefits).

Criminal Convictions:

November 1972 (Barnet Magistrates’ Court):

Indecency in Monken Hadley churchyard (Ecclesiastic Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860).

June 1974 (Central Criminal Court, London):

Malicious damage in Highgate Cemetery by inscribing black magic symbols on the floor of a mausoleum.

Offering indignities to remains of the dead via black magic rites in Highgate Cemetery where photographs were taken of a naked female accomplice amidst tombs.

Threatening police witnesses in a separate case where his black magic associate, John Pope, was subsequently found guilty of indecent sexual assault on a boy named Blackwell. Pope, on his current website, still describes himself as a “master of the black arts.”

Theft of items from Barnet Hospital where the offender worked briefly as a porter in late 1970.

Possession of a handgun and ammunition kept at Farrant address, which also contained a black magic altar beneath a massive mural of a face of the Devil that had featured in various newspapers, not least full front page coverage of the Hornsey Journal, 28 September 1973.

Sentence: Farrant was arrested in December 1973 and held on remand until his trials at the Old Bailey in June 1974. He received a prison sentence of four years and eight months. He was released on parole in the autumn of 1976 and took up residence at a multi-occupied house in a bed-sitting room at [redacted -Ed.], which he still occupies.

Civil Actions:

Two libel suits brought by David Farrant resulted in the News of the World (on a claim that his publicity-seeking was a substitute for his failed sexual libido) failing to produce their principal defence witness owing to Farrant making sure she remained in her native France, and his losing against the Daily Express (who had accused him of being a black magician and of being insane) where £20,000 court costs were awarded against him. In the News of the World action, which he won on a technicality, he was awarded the derisory sum of £50. The newspaper’s star witness who failed to appear for their defence was Martine de Sacy, an ex-girlfriend of Farrant’s who was identified as the naked female in the infamous “nude rituals trial” at the Old Bailey in 1974. Farrant persuaded her not to appear, causing the News of the World to lose their star witness. Farrant was arrested in December 2002 and charged with the harassment of Bishop Seán Manchester, Mrs Sarah Manchester, Mrs Diana Brewester, and Br Keith Maclean, but the CPS did not prosecute due to Farrant taking great care to stagger the frequency of incidents so that they fell just outside the remit for the minimum number of offences necessary per month for a case to be successfully prosecuted. Farrant is currently being monitored and pursued by Bishop Seán Manchester for copyright theft and defamation.

Other Arrests:

Farrant has been arrested on various occasions throughout his life. Those that made the headlines for which he was later not found guilty include being in an enclosed area for an unlawful purpose (at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in August 1970) because Highgate Cemetery cannot be defined as an “enclosed area”; arson, charged alongside John Pope (at the Old Bailey in June 1974), and theft of a corpse from Highgate Cemetery (at the Old Bailey in June 1974).

Posted by: Society of St George on February 24, 2004 07:26 AM

is manchester aware that he is a pain in the bloddy neck he has literally nothing better to do then post libellous comments about david on the internet. if the above post does not get removed then this website will be reported to their ISP provider. Also it is against website providers rules and regulations to post a persons 'allegedly' criminal offences online wheither they actually took place or not.

like I say if the above post isn't removed asap I shall report this site.

Thank you.

I've only come across this message board otherwise I would have posted up months ago.
Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society

Catherine Fearnley

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 7, 2004 07:24 PM

What Catherine Fearnley fails to appreciate is that David Farrant himself capitalises on and regurgitates his criminal past at every available opportunity, either in his self-published pamphlets or at meetings before assorted geeks. Moreover, it is not in violation of any code to refer to a notorious figure's crimes. If that was the case we would not be able to discuss Ronnie Biggs and the Great Train Robbery case which certainly predates Farrant's crimes. And, of course, we can discuss Biggs.

Catherine Fearnley's correspondence to Bishop Seán Manchester had two common themes, one of which was her repeated request for information about the Highgate case and David Farrant. On all but two occasions this was ignored (those exceptions being to update the contents of two books she had requested). Bishop Manchester asked her to forget about Farrant, and advised her to have nothing to do with him.

The other theme that permeated Catherine Fearnley's correspondence to Bishop Manchester is amply illustrated by the following quote from a letter in her own handwriting sent to him on 12 February 2003:

"I am totally loyal and devoted to you as I always will be."

Moreover, the following post from Catherine Fearnley on an erstwhile hostile message board is typical of her position prior to November 2003:

"Bishop Manchester happens to be a good friend of mine and without his personal support and friendship over the past few months I do not know what could have happened.

"I do not think that anyone has the right to criticize other people without knowing them. It would be like me critizing members of this board when I know nothing about them. I dont think that anyone would be keen if I did.

"Just because Bishop Manchester believes in something different to most people does not make him an idiot or loony, in fact he is the most sane person that I know. Everyone has the right to their own beliefs whether anyone else agrees with them or not. [mail]cefearnley@hotmail.com[/mail]"

Link: http://pub26.ezboard.com/fstgermainefrm8.showMessage?topicID=105.topic

So what happened? To quote Catherine Fearnley herself from posts made near the end of 2003, she had "returned to the dark side." That is her choice, of course, and we must respect it even if we feel it to be an unwise one. But she has no right to enter into a malicious vendetta by making multifarious false allegations against Bishop Seán Manchester who, by her own admission in a final email to him, has done nothing except try and help her. Indeed, nine months earlier she stated on the internet that:

"without his personal support and friendship over the past few months I do not know what could have happened."

Now we do know, of course.

On 9 November 2003, Catherine Fearnley came out of the closet to reveal that she had become David Farrant's internet mouthpiece. It had been suspected that she had fallen under Farrant's influence some three and half months prior.

Barbara Green should not be left out of the equation; for it was Green who introduced Catherine Fearnley to David Farrant.

In personal correspondence, handwritten from Catherine Fearnley to Bishop Seán Manchester, dated 16 October 2002, five pages are devoted to explaining how Barbara Green introduced and fed her with Farrant's poisonous propaganda.

Catherine Fearnley attests:

"When I first met Barbara at the beginning of July 2002 it was mainly due to our interest of Robin Hood and Robin Hoods Grave in Kirklees. ... Our second meeting was just myself and Barbara. ... She started telling me about David Farrant and yourself ... and then she brought out some papers about you [courtsey of Farrant] to try and turn me against you which thankfully it didn't."

However, the poison did eventually turn Catherine Fearnley who was previously a self-styled witch and pagan. Her correspondence with Bishop Seán Manchester apparently suspended her pagan status and she bagn to take an interest in Christianity. It was not to last, however, and, after contact with Farrant, her declarations of unswerving loyalty and devotion were instantly cast aside. She had, indeed, returned to the dark side. "Once a pagan, always a pagan," she began to protest thereafter on message boards.

It should also be added that Catherine Fearnley has not met Bishop Seán Manchester who quickly became dubious of her compulsive behaviour. Prior to her obsession with him, she had pursued the public figures Peter Karrie, Derek Acorah and comedian Jim Davidson. The latter remains a subject whom she pursues. See http://groups.msn.com/JimDavidson

What follows is an extract from Catherine Fearnley's final email to Bishop Seán Manchester:

"I hope that you are keeping well, I feel as though I ought to answer the previous email. Since Friday 7th of November David Farrant and myself have indeed been in long discussion and he has asked me to become his Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society and I have agreed to do this.

"I am aware that you have never been poisonous towards myself. ...

"I want to assure you that this has not been an easy decision for me. I have never said anything bad about you. ...

"Like I have said in the past you will still be an important person in my life even though I have obviously made my choice to befriend David. I know that you will probably hate me now but that is my choice.

"Take care, God Bless

"Catherine.

"PS I think that meeting you would have possibly saved us both alot of grief. I would have waited until you came over to Britain."

Another partial explanation as to why Catherine Fearnley turned against Bishop Seán Manchester is offered in the postscript. She wanted to meet him and he obviously felt doing so would only serve to feed her obsession. Thus he evaded meeting her. Consequently she turned to Farrant, and immediately made plans to stay with him at his bedsitting-room in June 2004.

What now follows are extracts from Bishop Seán Manchester's response to Catherine Fearnley's last email:

"I have been aware that something was wrong for at least three months - ever since you used the e-mail address that was also being used by someone (you?) on the pro-Farrant boards. I am fully aware that two people cannot hold the same address. You have, up until now, always insisted that there was 'nothing going on' when clearly there was something going on. In that regard, I do not feel you have been entirely honest.

"Knowing all you do about Farrant, and the grief he has caused to so many people, not least my friends, family and me, it is difficult to comprehend why you would want to assist him and, in doing so, betray me in the process. It is truly bizarre. ...

"Having said that, I do not hate anyone, certainly not you, nor even Farrant himself. Hate is a negative amd destructive energy. I am, however, fully aware the danger this man poses to whomever he considers a threat. I am a threat because I know the truth about him. To do this I was obliged to gain his confidence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which meant I had to try and make him believe I was not a threat. All of this I have stated in my published works. What I learned about him is that he is a charlatan, and that he will use anyone to achieve publicity in the press. Yet everyone he has used has always regretted it sooner or later.

"We might have one day met ... but that will not happen now, and none of this business should have hinged on whether or not such a meeting ever took place.

"I do not hate you, Catherine, but obviously I regret your shift in loyalty which I fear will prove more harmful to you than it will to me. Anyone close to Farrant always gets hurt. But you will need to discover this fact for yourself. I do not hate him either, but I do recognise evil when I see it - and, believe me, he is evil.

"Have a good life.

"Kind regards,

"+Seán Manchester"

Posted by: Society of St George on April 8, 2004 07:34 AM

Who are you people, and wtf does any of this have to do with an archeological proposal about Robin Hood's grave?

Posted by: scott on April 8, 2004 08:10 AM

I was not going to post up anymore on this website as it only fuels Manchesters addiction to myself and of course to David. Manchester and his team of none existent people have been posting the same old material time and time again on various websites, and either have been banned themselves or have had the whole thread shut down when it has come close to exposing these 'crazed lunatics' who believe in 'blood-sucking' vampires which change into giant spiders.

For your information Manchester I did not make immediate plans to stay with David. I had been in correspondence with David for nearly a year before plans were made to stay with him so get your facts right before starting posting your 'malicious lies' and this is from someone who is allegedly 'Christian'

Moreover I do not pursue anyone how many more times do I have to tell Manchester and co (or are they too thick to understand plain English) that Peter Karrie and Jim Davidson are friends and aquaintences of mine and I have been a fan of Derek Acorahs for goodness knows how long. Not that its got anything to with Manchester or anyone else on here who I like or don't like. Why don't we add The Darkness to the list as they are my favourite modern-day pop group to boot.

And you are quite right Scott none of this has nothing to do with the archeological proposal about Robin Hood's Grave whatsoever and it is best that these prevsious postings as well as my own are removed from this website completely and you can stick to the original thread.

I wish to appologise to Scott for being a bit too bombastic about to my previous reply, not that will change anything I wouldn't have thought, but unlike some people who do not believe in a public appology for saying the crap that they do say and the false lies that they post. Some of us have some common decency in us.

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 8, 2004 11:34 AM

Sorry to disappoint her, but Catherine Fearnley is not addressing Bishop Manchester. Unlike the multiple message boards she has begun that way outnumber the members on them, the bishop has approximately three hundred registered members on internet forums begun in support of him, which puts her rants into some sort of perspective.

The purpose of mentioning Karrie, Acorah, Davidson et al, is to illustrate Fearnley's compulsive nature, which is precisely why she pursued Bishop Manchester and now David Farrant (though heaven knows why).

Scott wants to know what is going on. So do we. Barbara Green and Catherine Fearnley appear to have taken it upon themselves to hijack the archeological dig with their publicity-seeking Robin Hood Society of four members (or is it five now?) which now includes local Member of Parliament David Hinchcliffe.

As Fearnley (Green protests it was not her) invited the failed vampire hunter turned diabolist David Farrant to become their society's "patron," the whole situation is surely in danger of being poisoned.

Farrant is a notorious publicity-seeker who will do absolutely anything to get his name in the newspapers. We would have thought this is the very last thing an archeological dig needs.

Of course, we stand to be corrected.

Posted by: Society of St George on April 8, 2004 11:55 AM

The unabridged text of an interview with David Farrant on Today (Thames Television), 13 March 1970, follows:

Sandra Harris: “Did you get any feeling from it? Did you feel that it was evil?

David Farrant: “Yes, I did feel it was evil because the last time I actually saw its face, and it looked like it had been dead for a long time.”

Sandra Harris: “What do you mean by that?”

David Farrant: “Well, I mean it certainly wasn’t human.”

David Farrant's second interview was on 24 Hours (BBC), 15 October 1970. Farrant is seen entering Highgate Cemetery, removing the cross and stake from his belt, then stalking the vampire.

Laurence Picethly: “On August the seventeenth, Allan [known locally as ‘Allan’ ~ his correct name being ‘David’] Farrant decided to pay a midnight visit to the cemetery to combat the vampire once and for all. At the cemetery, Farrant was forced to enter by the back wall [footage shows Farrant entering via the rear of the cemetery], as he still does today. He armed himself with a cross and stake, and crouched between the tombstones, waiting. But that night police, on the prowl for vandals, discovered him. He was charged with being in an enclosed space for an unlawful purpose, but later the Clerkenwell magistrate acquitted him. Now, in spite of attempts by the cemetery owners to bar him, Farrant and his friends [none of whom were discovered by the police, or subsequently identified by Farrant] still maintain a regular vigil around the catacombs in hope of sighting either the vampire or a meeting of Satanists.”

The reconstruction continues with Farrant demonstrating his stalking technique with a cross in one hand and a sharp wooden stake in the other, and concludes with a brief interview with Laurence Picethly.

David Farrant: “We have been keeping watch in the cemetery for … [pauses] … since my court case ended, and we still found signs of their ceremonies.”

Laurence Picethly: “Have you ever seen this vampire?”

David Farrant: “I have seen it, yes. I saw it last February, and saw it on two occasions.”

Laurence Picethly: “What was it like?”

David Farrant: “It took the form of a tall, grey figure, and it … [pauses] … seemed to glide off the path without making any noise.”

The interview with David Farrant ends at this point. It is reproduced above in its entirety.

Barrie Simmons, a journalist, joined David Farrant for a "midnight date with Highgate's Vampire" and recorded the following in the London Evening News, 16 October 1970:

"I joined a macabre hunt among the desecrated graves and tombs for the vampire of Highgate Cemetery. ... David, 24, was all set, kitted out with all the gear required by any self-respecting vampire hunter. Clutched under his arm, in a Sainsbury's carrier bag, he held the tools of his trade. There was a cross made out of two bits of wood tied together with a shoelace and a stake to plunge through the heart of the beast. Vampire hunting is a great art. There is no point in just standing around waiting for the monster to appear. It must be stalked. So we stalked. Cross in one hand to ward off the evil spirits, stake in the other, held at the ready. David stalked among the vaults, past the graves, in the bushes and by the walls. When we had finished he started stalking all over again."

These Hammer Horror film antics resulted in a five column report from Barrie Simmons in the Evening News, together with a half-page feature of photographs of David Farrant demonstrating his "vampire stalking" technique ~ but little else. He had told the journalist in the same report: "I don't think they suck people's blood. If we see the vampire I don't think it will hurt you physically. But it will give you a horrible fright."

Soon afterwards he hung up his cross and stake and replaced them with pentagrams and black candles.

Farrant is quoted in the News of the World, 23 September 1973: “I did not enjoy having to kill the cat, but for one particular part of the ritual it was necessary. The sacrifice of a creature represents the ultimate act in invoking a deity. If somebody crosses me or my friends I will use a curse. My curses have never failed. Others will tell you how I reduced one man to a mental breakdown and in the end he begged me to remove the curse.”

Interviewed again by the News of the World, 17 July 1994, for a two-page feature titled “Pervert Preys On Kids In Name Of The Devil,” Farrant is quoted as saying: “As High Priest I have to have
sex with a girl at her initiation, but if she is very unattractive I might pass the task on to someone else.”

From his prison cell in 1975 he had an article published in New Witchcraft magazine where he boasted of having sex in Highgate Cemetery to "raise a satanic force."

Need we go on? The point has probably been made.

So what is the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society doing appointing this man as their "patron"?

Posted by: Society of St George on April 8, 2004 12:05 PM

See what I mean, it is Manchester who is compulsive, he just can't resist posting up time and time again. I rest my case. You still do not understand plain English which is obviously the case and I REPEAT THAT PETER KARRIE AND JIM DAVIDSON ARE FRIENDS AND AQUAINTENCES OF MINE, and I will like who I want to like it has nothing to do with Manchester or anyone else. But like I've said before Manchester does not know the meaning of the word friendship.

The Yorkshire Robin Hood situation is in danger of being poisoned by this man 'allegedly a bishop' who is posting up all these falsehoods and lies about us. I am not pursuing David we are friends and friends stick together no matter what happens and it really is none of Manchester's business who I am or am not friends with. And I hate being dictated to of whom I can or cannot write to.

Also we have not hijacked any archeological dig at Robin Hood's Grave because there is no archeological dig taking place up there anyway and I have written proof of this from Lady Armitages spokesman.

If there is anyone who is a publicity-seeker it is Manchester who always claims that he avoids interviews etc the media and yet he is posting and getting others to post his material online.

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 8, 2004 12:13 PM

If there is any obsession here, it is the obsession Mr Manchester (aka "Vampire Research Society, The Cross and The Stake, The Society of St George", etc, etc)with David Farrant.

No doubt David will be answering some of these allegations which of course, is his right.

In the meantime may I suggest that anybody who is interested in the true facts about The Highgate Case, should view his official website.

http://www.dfarrant.co.uk

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 8, 2004 03:09 PM

Hmmm-here we go again!. I wonder what exactly it is to do with Bishop Manchester, who resigned his commission as the patron of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society several years ago, who the present patron is?
Really, you can talk to the bishop till the cows come home, it won't make any difference to his response--they a re all exactly the same things on every simgle message board he pops up on and colonises until the webmasters get fed up and shut them down.
He is like Canute, striving to halt the tide, Quixote tilting at windmills and most of all, that Greeek guy, Sysyphus, striving through all eternity to roll a stone uphill so that it could roll down again.
Best to leave him be, folks,in his autocephalous bishopric of Bournmouth or Glastonbury, preaching his message .........if he has time between posting up his "Save Dave" campaign on message boards ( or does he want to save him--or for what other reason exactly has he felt obliged to
publisize David's Curricalum Vitae for the past 30 years,of late through the Internet??

Goodnight and God bless us all--Tiny Tim

Posted by: barbara green on April 8, 2004 04:06 PM

PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

At the risk of taking up space on this board, I feel I should point out the following in view of the comments that Mr. Manchester (aka the "Vampire Research Society" and the "Cross and the Stake) is making about myself. I shall not waste my time answering all these allegations, other than to say they they are either twistws or deliberately untrue, but I think one is entitled to look at the true 'credentilas' of one who would have uis believe that he is a 'genuine' bishop . . .

For some years now, Mr. Manchester has been claiming to be a legitimate bishop in the Old Catholic Church, and to this end, has published on the Internet (and elsewhere that his 'credentials' are recognised by the official Old Catholic Church in America; the Founding Old Catholic Church in Holland, and the Vatican. (His statements, not mine.)

In fact, this is far from the truth … The official Old Catholic Church ion America deny that Mr. Manchester is a bona fide Old Catholic bishop; the Founding Old Catholic Church (based in Utrecht, Holland and headed by Archbishop Glazemaker) totally deny that he was ever ordained as one of their bishops, whilst the Vatican say that they have never even heard of him!

Mr. Manchester claims he was 'ordained' as a bishop at the United Reform Church in Barnet in 1991 (after having already been 'ordained' as a priest into the same order at a Moravian Church in Hornsey, North London only a year or so before), and has 'legitimate credentials' to prove it.

These 'credentials', in fact, only consist of a mass produced 'Certificate of Office' with his name typed in on it; a 'certificate' which later offered for sale on the Internet for the unbelievable amount of £14 per copy!

In fact, Manchester hired out a church in Barnet for purposes of his 'consecration', and invited several friends along asking them to bring cameras and video recorders, and soon afterwards, began offering copies of this video on the Internet for £9.99 a copy! (I can not remember if this included postage, but it is all on record.)

Only a few years the Sunday newspapers did a huge exposé on the sale of these bogus certificates and pointed out (indeed, proved) that the main reason these were in such great demand was because many people used them for 'tax purposes'.

These facts are all independent of myself. If anybody is interested, however, they can always check the facts for themselves. If these are found to be true (as they would be), then we would be entitled to ask ourselves how any of the sordid comments made by Mr Manchester's "Vampire Research Society", could possibly be true?

David Farrant, President, British Psychic and Occult Society/ The Highgate Vampire Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 8, 2004 05:19 PM

SOMETHING I FORGOT!

I in my last posting that I said I was not going to answer tall the twisted allegations Mr. Manchester (hiding behind the "Society of St. George) has made against myself on this site, but in retrospect, thought that I should perhaps publish an extract from the next edition of "Man, Myth and Manchester" No.9 due for general release soon. It is a revealing indictment, not only of a man masquerading as a 'bishop' , but the depths he goes to malign my name simply because I have stated publicly (on numerous occasions) that he is NOT. The "Man, Myth and Manchester" are all official publications and have been circulated world-wide. They were only issued in the first place (some four years ago) out of a necessity to correct Mr Manchester's malicious claims. Readers of this board might note that, unlike Mr Manchester, I have put my name to anything I have stated . . .

"Lord" Manchester - A Past History

IF PEOPLE were to learn about the past history of Mr "bishop" Sean Manchester's alleged involvement with the Church - indeed, all things occult and esoteric - they would probably be in for a nasty shock; perhaps 'surprise' would be a better word in view of the multifarious claims he makes in the present day to 'graduated' claims of distinction and self-styled titles (such as the 'bishop' of Glastonbury, and the 'Holy Grail Church' for example!) which are totally without foundation or merit.

Let's remind ourselves briefly what some more of these claims are:

He started off - according to him - as the 'president' of the British Occult Society in early 1970, an organisation which (he claims) he founded in early 1970 to look into local reports of a 'ghost', or unexplained entity reported by local residents at London's Highgate Cemetery. Before long, Manchester had contacted the press about this established phenomenon, and not long after that - after getting a local TV interested in his crack-pot theory that the ghost was actually a 'real-life vampire' - stated that he had put an end to a ' vampire' in a deserted house in the vicinity by ' staking' it through the heart and then incinerating it with a can of petrol! If this was not enough to make the mind boggle, Manchester was to publicly state shortly afterwards, that he had tracked down a disciple of the 'King Vampire of the Undead' (now 'deceased', let us remember!) and after laying wait for it (her) in a graveyard near his North London home, staked her through the heart after she had appeared and 'attacked' him in the form of a gigantic spider! There is just one small point that Manchester forgets to mention, and that is, the 'disciple' of the 'King Vampire' - whom he names as 'Lusia' - was in reality his common law wife who was sharing a flat with him in Holloway, North London, in 1970 and whom Manchester's wife Marie [redacted -Ed.] had named as a co-Respondent in divorce proceedings against Manchester for adultery. She, Marie [redacted -Ed.], was, in fact, later granted a divorce and left the flat with Manchester's two young children in 1968 leaving Manchester free to pursue his 'occult' exploits.

Unfortunately, Manchester's fortunes were not going all to well at this time (maybe aggravated by the fact that his small flat in Holloway Road was situated over a Builder's Merchants - appropriately named "Timber House" - and adjoined a rowdy Irish pub, one can imagine the noise!), Manchester was forced to take up employment as a milkman at a nearby co-op Dept. while his new live-in 'wife', (Jacqueline [redacted -Ed.], to be precise) took on a full time job in a local towel factory.

But in only a matter of a few months, Manchester has involved her in a new publicity stunt and persuaded her to pose scantily clad in a church in Islington (which Manchester claimed, had been desecrated by 'Satanists') for the News of the World. [N.O.W. January 22nd 1971].

In fact, 1971 was to prove to be a bad year for Sean Manchester. Jacqueline was on the verge of leaving him after beginning to realise that Manchester's main interest in her centred around involving her in his obsessive publicity stunts; and indeed, she in fact left him in 1972 leaving him to contemplate a few happier moments in the solitude of "Timber House".


Who can really tell what thoughts then ran through the young Manchester's mind as he sat alone sulking in the dismal flat? The blaring Irish music from the adjacent pub and the cold smell of the paint from the shop below could have done nothing to help; but maybe the innermost sounds of two wailing babies coupled with the dwindling rebukes of an irate wife, could have finalised his decision to escape the premises and seek to better his fortunes at a more fitting location.

So with ghostly cries of "adulterer" ringing in his ears, and Jacqueline tucked up safely with somebody else (whom rumour had it at the time, she'd met at the towel factory), the distraught Manchester left the Holloway Road flat. Being temporarily homeless he moved in with his parents who lived in a Council house in nearby [redacted -ed] Road, only a bit later to move into a bequeathed semi-detached house in Southgate; a new beginning for a new series of carefully planned publicity stunts which began soon afterwards when Manchester started announcing to the local press and unknowing French magazines that he was a fully-fledged "Lord"!
Manchester settled almost reluctantly into his inherited house in New Southgate, although by now he had almost 'got the feel' of the French Media who were basically ignorant of the claims of this self-pronounced 'English Lord'. After all, they (the French media) had no real way of checking Manchester's credentials and, had they done so, they would have almost certainly have got a nasty shock!

For during his stay in Southgate (in fact, the exact address was [Redacted, -Ed.] at an appropriately named [Redacted, -Ed.]) especially in the late seventies, Manchester came to hear of a French actress called Sylvaine Charlet - herself widely renowned in France as an 'occult actress' who frequently appeared on French television wearing a make-shift sword and specialised in palmistry and other such means of occult divination. One of Sylvaine's favourite ploys was to tantalise an audience into believing that she could 'give advice' on sexual prowess, etc; and, of course -- as one might imagine - it did not take Manchester long to capitalise upon one with such apparent occult leanings …

It really all began in late 1977, after Manchester had completed a manuscript entitled The Vampire Exhumed" (a sordid account of his own alleged involvement with the so-called "Highgate Vampire"), and sent this to one [redacted to "JC" -Ed.]- a French criminologist and author, who, in turn was acquainted with Sylvaine Charlet.
Asfour was not reality interested in Manchester's stories about a 'King Vampire'' in England that had been 'staked' by himself (Manchester) although he was interested at that tine, in discovering the true facts behind the " Highgate case" in general.

Manchester wasted no time in supplying Asfour with a generous news story … He was a famous 'English Lord'; had contacted the French Actress Sylvan Charlet who had visited him in England and supported his 'investigation' into the case of a 'vampire' at London's Highgate Cemetery, but that there existed a dedicated group of Satanists in London who used Highgate Cemetery for their evil rites and were opposed to Manchester's presence; a group led by Britain's No 1 Arch Satanist, namely one David Farrant.

He went on … David Farrant had been arrested at Highgate Cemetery in 1974 for the most heinous Satanic crimes, and just to 'back up' his claims' Manchester sent Asfour a selected bundle of newspaper reports from the Trial; although neglected to mention that most of these were made before the actual verdicts and consisted of statements made in court giving their version of events about the alleged offences, by the police.

He also conveniently neglected to mention that I had been acquitted on the three main charges against me relating to Highgate Cemetery, and most of the sensational police evidence against me (which had earlier been reported by the Press) had been disbelieved by the jury which was the main reason for my acquittals.

Asfour was a busy man (he was an author and journalist by profession) so he chose to take many of the contains of Manchester's 'package' at face value; after all, it was 'gift-wrapped' story; after all, Sylvaine Charlet was a known French actress, Manchester had sent impressive photographs of the two of them posing in Highgate Cemetery together; it was the other side of the channel and, after all, Farrant had served a prison sentence for 'black magic' offences - it was all there in sordid black and white.

Asfour's subsequent article appeared in the French magazine L'Autre Monde in 1980, but in the interim, he conveyed the details of the case to another French author called Jean Paul Bourre who lived not far away from him in Paris . . .

NEXT ISSUE: . . . THE "BOURRE" WAR

Adapted from "Man, Myth and Manchester No 9 (IBSN 0 9539481 88)

DAVID FARRANT, PRESIDENT,
BRITISH PSYCHIC AND OCCULT SOCIETY.

NB Just for your information Mr. Manchester, and for the umpteenth time, I do not accept the existence of 'blood-sucking' vampires. If you chose to believe in them, it is, of course, your privilege. It is NOT your privilege, however, to attribute your sordid beliefs to myself just because because you are incapable of understanding my definition of 'vampires'. Listen to the tapes of my Talks, read all the books and articles I have written on the subject, (and this is not to mention my radio and television appearances) and it is made clear that whilst it might be true malign psychic entities that [are seen to] take on 'vampireistic characteristics' exist, they do not do so in the ridiculous in which you try to portray them i.e. nocturnal 'blood-sucking vampires' that feast on the blood of the living.
Grow up, Mr. Manchester! If you want to remain in your fantasy world. then remain there. But please stop desperately trying to convince everybody that I belong there with you!

Posted by: David Farrant on April 8, 2004 06:27 PM

Ok, I must admit this is intensely entertaining and I don't want to get in your way, but I thought you all aught to know that I've written up this entire thing from our own perspective. This story can be found here:


The Vampire Hunters and Me

I would also like to point out that, as the sole proprietors of a medium-sized blog with nothing better to do (and with, I should note for Ms.Fearnley's benefit, approval of our ISP), we are quite happy for you folks to go at each other for as long as it takes. We have never heard of any of you, nor anything about this, and find it all utterly fascinating. Please, fire away!

Posted by: Scott on April 8, 2004 07:44 PM

TO THE SOCIETY OF ST. SEAN

Scott, you are right; I did get 'a chuckle' from it. I guess I have just got more of a sense of humour than Mr Manchester, but what he ("Society of St. George"now!), was a little less than funny. I did not want to go into any of this, but I feel that without a couple of examples (representative of the whole) you or any readers might think I have reason to avoid any issues out of 'guilt'. Well, let me say, I am not 'guilty' of anything and have never minded any objective criticism. But what has been posted is not 'objective criticism'. Quite the opposite, it is deliberately vindictive and untrue. To give the couple of examples . . . Manchester posts on world-wide sites that 'Farrant was found guilty of indecent behaviour in a churchyard with a woman [in 1972]. Now, anybody reading this would immediately imagine that the charge involved some sort of sexual indecency, Indeed, this is exactly what Manchester intended people to read every time he has posted it. Without going into great detail of the case here (obviously for space reasons), that episode involved a nightly vigil (magical séance) at the grave of an alleged 17th century pirate and whose ghost had been reported by many local people. It was a secluded churchyard not far from North London (10 miles or so) but at precisely as the church clock was striking midnight (and this is quite literally true) about 7 or 8 police officers came 'charging out of the undergrowth' and arrested myself and a young lady who was assisting me at this séance.

We later appeared at Barnet Magistrates' Court charged under a 160-year-old ecclesiastical act with 'indecent behaviour' i.e. behaviour likely to offend the Church and fined £10. But 'indecency', under the context of this Act was based on morals and behaviour well over a hundred years ago when many more people went to Church - indeed, it was almost considered 'indecent' not to go to Church then!! The context of 'indecency' was argued out in Court, and ancient cases defined this as 'whistling up the driveway on the way to Church or also dropping sweet wrappers on the driveway! That is not what we were doing, but the police chose to charge us under this ancient as there was apparently no alternative but 'trespass' - which wouldn't have worked too well for them really, as this churchyard was not locked or enclosed. Also, we were fully dressed and there were no sexual implications involved.

So THAT was the only 'indecency' - although the Court took into consideration the fact that we had not first sought the permission of the Church before conducting this seance. You may see that the facts are slightly different from the manner in which Mr Manchester deliberately portrays them on paper.

Manchester says somewhere in his screed that I appeared in the News of the World newspaper under a title "PERVERT PRAYS ON KIDS IN THE NAME OF THE DEVIL
Again, this is a deliberate misrepresentation. Whilst it is true that I appeared in that issue of the News of the World. the actual headline (that is, 'my' headline) was . . . WITCH HAS SEX WITH COVEN OF BEAUTIES. [News of the World, July 17 1994].

The News of the World were interviewing myself about White Witchcraft in general (and, obviously, being the NOW they were mostly interested in the sex angle.) The other article was on a different page and referred to another person entirely and, needless to say, was nothing to do with the story on myself. If this is not deliberately distorting the facts to dupe unwary people, then I don't know what is!
Manchester has also been frequently posting up on world-wide web sites that I was arrested for 'harassing' him last year by sending him packages, one of which contained a 'lethal white powder'. He told the police that this had been some sort of 'assination attempt' by a leading group of Satanists - led by myself, of course!

What I had actually sent Manchester was a couple of my booklets Mand, Myth and Manchester with the intention of showing him what had been - or was about to be - published.

Manchester had given these envelopes to the police (addressed in my writing and containing my fingerprints but the booklets had 'mysteriously disappeared' and one of the envelopes had been filled with a white powder. The prosecution withdrew the charge, but I re-listed the case for Court as I wanted it to be officially established that the evidence had been fabricated. The case was heard in April last year. It was dismissed by the Stipendary Magistrate and I was awarded full costs

You may see now why I am so concerned about the diabolical (you excuse the pun. this time!) facts that are being put on record.

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to elaborate upon these in a little more detail.

I conclude by saying that I am not a 'Satanist' as Mr Manchester would like to portray me. The main reason I upset him so much in the first place was because I publisheds in one of my books (Beyond the Highgate Vampire) that I did not believe his [Manchester's account] to have destroyed two vampires; one of which, he claims, attacked him in the form of a giant spider! Indeed, I still don't.

Yours etc. David Farrant, President, British Psychic and Occult Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 8, 2004 09:27 PM

Thank you Scott for being so patient--you are going to need it!
For further information see
www.robinhoodyorkshire.co.uk

also http://groups.msn.com/dancingwithwerewolves--theundeaddetectives

and for the story of the vampire hunt at Robin Hoods Grave led by Bishop Manchester

SEE the Kirklees Vampire bites back on
http://groups.msn.com/BeyondtheHighgateVampire


Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 9, 2004 04:21 AM

For even further information about the Highgate Vampire Case and the correct facts about David please visit:

http://groups.msn.com/FriendsofDavidFarrant

http://groups.msn.com/TheHighgateVampireBitesBack

http://groups.msn.com/DavidFarrant

Fair enough Scott as long as both sides of the issue are covered and not just Manchester's version then thats fine. As long as its not all one sided seeing as it is a public forum when all is said and done. Maybe you ought to transfer all of this into a new thread though to make it easier for everyone, as this really has nothing to do with the Robin Hood thread in question.

Catherine Fearnley

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 9, 2004 05:12 AM

Well passionate and threatening, not been called that before, but at least its ended on a good note for now. Alls well that ends well.

Hope that this will be the last of the matter for now.

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 9, 2004 08:09 AM

hmmmm - there is a wonderful American phrase for this. It's "Get a life".

Posted by: Ron on April 9, 2004 01:46 PM

Ron I think this is their life.

Posted by: Pat on April 9, 2004 04:16 PM

RE: COMMENTS MADE BY THE SOCIETY OF ST. GEORGE (made earlier in this posting):

It as not really my intention to carry on the allegations made against me by the "Society of St George", but some of these really do need addressing … the rest can really lie in their undeserved obscurity, as far as I care.

The "Society of St George", (SSOG_) make a point that I was found guilty and subsequently convicted of threatening the police, back in 1973, and leave it at that.
Whilst it is true that I was convicted of "threatening the police" back in 1973 (for which I received a two year mail sentence), the facts are not quite as accurate as the SOG would like to portray them …

In fact, in 1973 a member of my society, the BPOS, approached me,,,, after having been arrested by the Barnet police, for a minor offence of which he gave no details. John Russell Pope was in fact a member of the BPOS, and he was sure that this was the reason for his original arrest.

He told me that he had been taken to Barnet police station and asked to sign a statement in connection with the other alleged offences. But the police seemed more interested about his connection with myself and the British Psychic and Occult Society.
He refused to sign this statement, and was seriously assaulted by one of the two arresting officers, i.e. his head was banged quite heavily against the wall of the police station. He was charged to appear at Barnet Magistrates' Court some two days later and warned he had "better plead guilty" or the same thing would happen again.

I told Pope he should in no circumstances plead guilty (he stressed he was not guilty of this alleged offence - which indeed, later proved to be the case) and, in fact, he did so at the subsequent Court hearing.
In the meantime, however, (and after learned the names of the two arresting officers from Pope, I sent two clay effigies to the two police officers concerned. These were accompanied by two respective notes to each notes which read …

"Those who harm the Initiated,
Will become a victim of their own intentions.
YOUR evil will be returned to you,
Before another month is through."

Yours In Truth,

David Farrant.


Nothing much was heard of this matter until I was charged with other offences relating to Highgate Cemetery a year alter (in 1974) which concerned alleged 'witchcraft' offences there . That must surely be another but, remembering the packages I had sent on behalf of John Pope the year before, a charge of "threatening Police officers" in 'the course of their duty' was also introduced and heard at the same time.

When this case was heard (the 'voodoo dolls' case), the Judge - Judge Argyle - took it very seriously. He said to the Jury whilst summing up, that any attempt to interfere with police officers should be taken very seriously and, that in view of the 'voodoo implications' . . . "Mr. Farrant should be lucky he is not before this Court facing a charge of attempted murder"! [explanation mark, my own].

I was sentenced to two years imprisonment for this alleged offence; whilst the effigies were only sent in the first place to protect somebody whom the police had seriously threatened and mistreated.

Whatever, it might be seen that the facts of this case are slightly more innocent than the initial allegation of "threatening police officers" made earlier on this site and as portrayed by the "Society of St. George"; alias one Mr. Sean Manchester.

Yours etc.

David Farrant, President. BPOS_THVS

Posted by: David Farrant on April 9, 2004 07:59 PM

JUST ONE PUZZLED QUESTION?!

What on earth seems to have happened to the "Society of St. George"?!

"They" (well, 'he', as we all know who I'm talking about), put up a mass of unfounded allegations on this Board accusing myself of virtually every crime in the Universe; I have answered with just a few home-truth's , and what is their answer? . . . just plain silence!

Could it be that they ('he') just can not stomach the truth back in reply to a mass of lies and deceit given out by themselves? Far more likely that he is sending letters under an alias ("Michael Thane" is a favourite one) demanding that my posted remarks [in answer to his, let us remember] are deleted from this Board, which would conveniently 'excuse him' from having to answer.!?

It would be a fair guess to say, that when they are confronted by indisputable facts in answer to their planned strategy of lies an deceit, they ('he') just cannot handle it. Hence the current 'blanket of silence'. This does not really say much for people who are quite ready and willing to tell malicious lies about others, without any means of backing these up!

Anyway, I am still waiting for your response "Society of St. George". That's if you even have one . . .

David Farrant, President. British Psychic and Occult Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 9, 2004 11:11 PM

I think it is time we got back to Robin Hood where this all started! Its a very interesting--and equally Bizarre story in its own right--nothing like your Prince of Thieves of Errol Flynn. Personally I prefer John Derek! I have written the full account of the modern Robin Hood story in Secrets of the Grave and a historical fiction based on the modern story of the Grave the the Little Gueste a Robin Hoo in Spirit of the Greenwood.
I have also written the Outlaw Robin Hood--his Yorkshire legend which is quite straighforward history. I have given talks all over the country and last year to the International Conference for Outlaw Studies.
I have a special interest in the Prioress of Kirklees and have done detailed research into her background and the legend that she bled Robin TO DEATH--HERE,IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY guessed, is the Vampire connection--this is how the story mutated into vampirelore. I must admit I found it interesting, because I think there is a lot more to the story of the prioress than has been considered before.
Up until recently hardly anyone was allowed to go and look at Robin Hoods Grave and the priory gatehouse where Robin died. Now public pressure has obliged the landowners to be slightly more cooperative, but because the Yorkshire Robin HOOD SOCIETY was not allowed to visit, for no special reason, some of them went up through the Blair witch type woods at midnight
Some time after this they received several reports of paranormal sightings around the grave.
Then the professors started getting interested ,realising that this area of the robin hood legend was virgin territory--so to speak--and they might be able to find fame and fortune by looking into it and making some"discoveries".Tony Robinson also jumped on the bandwaggon but was warned off contacting the Yorkshire Robin Hood society by someone who told him that the society was "dodgy"!!!!

That a very quick run through,

I'll put up more later if there's any interest, in the meantime you can check out

www.robinhoodyorkshire.co.uk

and http://groups.msn.com/bossybishopsandnaughtynuns

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 10, 2004 02:49 AM

BACK ON TRACK - ROBIN HOOD'S GRAVE

Barbara Green is absolutely right about this "Robin Hood's Grave" somewhat losing its direction. As the newly appointed Patron of Barbara's newly re-reformed Robin Hood Society, perhaps I can remind everyone how this happened . . .

It all really began last October when Scott started this thread as a forum for discussion on the alleged grave at Kirklees and a proposal or idea to hold an archaeological dig there.

Barbara replied with some website references when she spotted the thread in December and there the whole thing lied dormant until mid February last, when was in turn spotted by the mischievous Mr. Manchester. Being aware that I had just been made the new Patron, Manchester immediately saw an opportunity to use this thread as a platform as a means to attacking myself.

Lets remind ourselves of what he said - although not all of it as its far too long! Writing under the pseudo name "The Society of St. George" (Manchester used to be a member of the National Front Party in the late '60's early 1970's), Manchester wrote . . .

"Is the Member of Parliament for Wakefield aware that his local "Yorkshire Robin Hood Society" (run by Barbara Green of Brighouse, West Yorkshire) recently invited London ex-convict David Farrant to become their Patron? Farrant, a compulsive publicity-seeker, quickly accepted and was declared "Patron of the YRHS" on Sunday 8th February 2004. Barbara Green relaunched her dormant Society after seeing David Hinchcliffe on Channel Four's "Richard & Judy" programme in the previous week where the Labour MP claimed (without any supporting evidence) that England's legendary outlaw Robin Hood was, in fact, a Yorkshireman. This was enough to inspire Green to contact Farrant and invite him to be her "Patron." The Member for Wakefield now enjoys this odd couple's unflinching support. But does he really want it?!! . . ."

And that was just the pre-amble! Then he was off on one of his usual anti-David Farrant tirades!

I, in turn, was obliged to reply to the vindictive unholy nonsense (anybody interested refer back), but to obtain a better understanding of the background, lets take a brief look at the beginning . . .

In 1985, Barbara (having been interested in the alleged outlaws grave for many, many years) made the acquaintance of one John Pope de Locksley who believed himself to be descended from Robin Hood and who was, in turn, acquainted with one Mr. Sean Manchester. They agreed to meet up in 1985 at Barnet Carnival in North London. This was not far from Locksley's home; apart from which, Barbara had a 'Robin Hood' stall there. Locksley turned up at the agreed time but had since also invited Manchester who brought with him a beautiful girl, dressed from head to toe in red in red..

They discussed the Robin Hood case, and on learning Barbara had recently formed the Robin Hood Society, Manchester immediately proposed to be the Patron. Barbara gladly accepted … then!
Things went smoothly for a while but, perhaps as an inevitable consequence of having similar interests, it was only a matter of time before Barbara expressed an interest in contacting myself. Manchester got to learn of this, and wrote to Barbara advising her 'in the strongest possible terms' that she should not write to myself. As if to further dissuade any ideas she might have had .in this direction, she began to receive a wealth of material (similar to that that Manchester posted earlier on this Board) from Manchester which was highly critical of myself. (That I was really a "Satanist" and a "black magician" who "sacrificed cats" and held nude "witchcraft orgies", etc. etc … ).

Well perhaps naturally. ('naturally' because she was a strong-headed Yorkshire woman), Barbara did not take too kindly to being told who or who she should not write to (her suspicions were also aroused when she received a signed letter from Manchester asking to write letters complaining about myself using aliases if necessary to give the impression they had come from genuine people), and we entered into fairly regular correspondence. This also enabled me to build up a vast library of Manchester's tirades, as Barbara promptly forwarded them on to myself.

But in Manchester's eyes, Barbara was soon to commit the ultimate sin (Manchester did not know his material was being forwarded on to myself although Barbara told me at the time that she suspected HE suspected that she had been in contact) . . .

In 2001, Barbara brought out her long awaited book Secrets of the Grave. Manchester was mentioned in it but there was nothing derogatory about him. But it was now that (in Manchester's eyes, at least) that she was to commit the ultimate 'sin'! . . . In her acknowledgements (thanks to) page at the beginning of the book, along with 22 other names - Manchester's name is at the top of the list - can be read the name "David Farrant"!

Well, this was just too much for Manchester to bear! And in a seething rage, wrote a cutting letter to Barbara to the effect that, as "Farrant's name had been included' he must resign as Patron of the Robin Hood Society!

My initial reaction to this news, was that I found it overtly funny - indeed, I still do!
Here was a man who had tried desperately to turn Barbara Green against myself, and her only reaction was to say "thank you" to me in her book!

However, this is not quite the end of this story (although it is for tonight.)

For soon after he had been accepted as Patron of the RHS, Manchester
gave an almost unbelievable account to an English magazine of how, he suspected the
ghost of Robin Hood (supposedly reported at the site) was really a vampire and how he had traveled to Kirklees with two unnamed assistants (unbeknown to Barbara whom he did not even notify, let alone visit), and conducted a midnight exorcism at the grave.

Manchester's account of this is as unbelievable as it is funny. Manchester says they were interrupted by a 'terrible wailing sound' which was followed by a 'blood curdling scream which 'echoed piercingly through the trees', while, one of the assistants in the process of fleeing the scene, saw a devilish-looking woman with 'staring red eyes' which caused him to fall headlong into a bramble bush. (He was badly cut, if we are to believe Manchester, although it is not made clear if Manchester also torn his clothes - rather cassock - on the brambles!)

Anyway, I won't spoil it for you!

But for now . . . David Farrant, President, Highgate Vampire Society/ British Psychic and Occult Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 10, 2004 06:09 PM

Thanks David--saved me a lot of writing. I am sure we can finish the story between us to the present day. I really feel I should start Secretsofthe Grave 11, as so much has gone on in the past few years since I finished the book. The story sort of fizzles out with myself,Drew and Mark forming Gravewatch--around 4 years ago, then w e all started going on line--and the fireworks really started!

Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 10, 2004 06:39 PM

CARRY ON BARBARA!

It would probably be better, Barbara, if you finish off the account of Manchester's alleged exorcism at the grave. You know more details than me, and I think you are aware that I do not believe on word of it anyway (i.e. that Sean has never even visited Kirklees), so it would be very difficult fore me to write it objectively. I know I am now your Patron, and am supposed to know these things, but I am 'only human' - to quote from a News of the World article in 1994 (I won't quote the rest!).

I will just add this here though: The main reason I do not believe one word of Manchester's account, is because he did exactly the same thing with the Highgate 'vampire' story. I was the one - with others, obviously - who was 'on the ground', taking all the risks and in the 'thick of it', so to speak. I ended up with a jail sentence for offences that I hadn't even committed in the first place, and Sean only contribution was to cash in on my misfortune at the time by making up the most ridiculous stories about the case i.e. that he tracked the 'vampire down' (whilst I was 'safely out of the way' in prison, incidentally), staked it through the heart and incinerated it with a can of petrol! Then claiming, of course, that he later lay in wait for one of its disciples in a North London graveyard and was later attacked by 'her' after she had changed into a giant spider!

No. On reflection, I would not be able to write about his alleged account objectively. Its far more than he deserves, I know, in view of the lies he has said about me, but you are much more of an expert in the Kirklees field.

Yes. I think it would be a good idea to bring out a sequel to Secrets of the Grave. I will help you in any limited way I can, as I am sure Catherine Fearnley will.

So, over to you!

David Farrant, Patron, Robin Hood Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 10, 2004 07:15 PM

Thanks very much for the info! Now it starts to make a bit of sense. I personally find the Robin Hood story to be fascinating, for the same reason I find the Aurthurian legends fascinating... a wonderful story with just enough clues to lead you, barely, to real people.

In actual fact, Mr. Manchester has been contacting me about diverse issues. Unfortunately until today his mailbox has been full, and I have been unable to reply. More as I find it out...

Posted by: Scott on April 10, 2004 08:15 PM

Ok, so it would appear Mr. Manchester has fixed his mail account so he can now receive e-mail. I've decided not to post his messages to me, in part because he asked and in part because I just want to demonstrate what a right good guy I am. However, I have no compunctions posting my own reply:

Mr. Manchester,

I have been attempting to reply to your message for the past two days, but your mail account had exceeded its quota until very recently.

On your request, I have redacted references to exact addresses not only regarding yourself, but also references made by yourself or one of your followers regarding Mr. Farrant. The remaining references are not specific addresses, and therefore will not be redacted.

After consultation with our lawyers (I believe they're referred to as barristers in the UK), it has been determined that the 1998 Data Protection Act does not, indeed cannot, apply to a US based website run by US citizens hosted by an ISP that does no business at all in the UK. Therefore, we must politely decline your request to redact or remove any other material on our website.

However, if you feel any of the items listed in Mr. Farrant's or any other person's reply are factually incorrect, you are encouraged to post your own reply to present evidence to the contrary.

Further, after reading carefully it is my opinion that the original reply made by, as you claim, someone on your behalf and under the name of a society with which you are closely assocated with was carefully and maliciously worded to maximize the damage to Mr. Farrant's own reputation. An unconditional apology by yourself or the originator of the message on our website would seem to go a long way to convincing everyone involved of your good intentions.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Scott Johnson
Co-webmaster, AMCGLTD

CC: AMCGLTD reply section

Hopefully we'll hear from the man himself soon.

Posted by: Scott on April 10, 2004 08:34 PM

Thanks Scott-- the beautiful sounds of sanity and common sense at last Priase the LORD!!!!!!I should warn you, however, the the Bishop (anything for a quiet life!)will not take back a dot or t or what he hath written--"The moving finger hath written"(Omar Khayan, from memory!)
He is more infallible than the pope, more turbulent than Becket! Bless him though, he makes a good conversation piece!
I'll post the rest of the saga on later today--we are off RobinHooding to Wentbridge, where the old outlaw road can still be seen. If you would like the full story please e mail me with your address and I'll post the books on to you, it will fill things in properly!

In the meantime, I hope you will not be too harrassed for your open minded and sensible approach.Many thanks.

Will catch up later David,I expect you will feel you are getting somewhere at last after the recent humbug on you know where!


Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 11, 2004 02:19 AM

I think the Rubayat went like this--it came to me as I was walking my dog

The moving finger writes and having writ
Moves on
Nor all thy piety nor wit
Shall alter yet one word if it

I'll try and find my old school book to check!!!

Posted by: barbara green on April 11, 2004 03:08 AM

Hi folks--we have had a brilliant day at Wentbridge--watch this space,great plans are afoot!!
We found the Old North Road--Watling Street of teh Gueste--it was a muddy track with a lot of trees!!!!!! Well-what did we expect? Still-it was great to stand in the very spot Robin did his ambushes from!
Tomorrow, or later on, when I am not a s tired I will continue the story of The Kirklees Vampire and the hauntings around the grave
We are just going to see what is on bbc 1 at 6.30--someone said there was Robin Hood of Yorkshire on...well, I don't know who they have asked, but they didn't ask the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society!!!!
tata for now

Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 11, 2004 12:54 PM

Cool! I'm sure you folks can fact-check the BBC all day on that subject :)

Posted by: scott on April 11, 2004 02:12 PM

I'm relieved to find, on returning from a long sabbatical, that the 'society of st george' remain as active and moronic as ever. I really need to deal with this jet-lag now. After all, a gal needs her beauty -sleep. But I shall, after consulting Mr Bloggins, return with a tale or two to tell.

Posted by: veronical on April 11, 2004 03:15 PM

Well after a rocky start to this message board, I think that something positive has come out of a bad situation finally.

Scott I want to thank you for doing what you have done with regards to the situation in hand.

But onto the Robin Hood side of things, we did indeed watch the programme on BBC1 it wasn't too bad but they always portray the death of Robin Hood in the wrong way, there are two legends into which Robin died (1) he was bled to death by the evil prioress who was accompanied by Roger of Doncaster or he was poisoned by her. Robin certainly was not killed whilst praying in a church neither did the prioress kill herself afterwards. Where the BBC got this legend from is a mystery because it does not appear in any Robin Hood books that I've read.

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 11, 2004 05:01 PM

However, it's always been my understanding that what modern folk consider "Robin Hood" was a composite of at least two, perhaps even three actual persons?

What are considered the best books in the "quest for the historic Robin Hood"?

Posted by: scott on April 11, 2004 05:34 PM

I CHALLENGE THEE!

I am leaving Mr Manchester's account of his confrontation with the 'vampire' at Kirklees (together with two conveniently unnamed assistants) to Barbara Green who is perhaps better qualified to tell this story without prejudice.

There is a small sequel, however, to my earlier account of the alleged 'indecency' offence in a Barnet churchyard in 1972 which I was forced to post up to explain earlier allegations by the "Society of St. George" who were deliberately trying to put a false interruption on the word 'indecency'.

I do not intend to repeat in detail the whole thing again (except to remind people of the facts by virtue of one or two paragraphs) but I thought I should give here the 'missed out' sequel; if for no other reason than 'amusement purposes'! . . ..

In 1972, I was arrested in a Graveyard in North London (Monken Hadley, in Barnet) for conducting a magical ritual at the graveside of a 17th Century pirate who was said to haunt the area. (This ritual really took the form of a seance and the idea - before this got interrupted by the police - was to communicate with the alleged entity and maybe see if there was any truth to the stories. For this purpose I also had a young lady assistant with me).

We were arrested as the church was striking midnight (literally) and eventually under a 160-year-old ecclesiastical Act with "indecent behaviour in a churchyard" i.e. behaviour likely to offend the Church. As was empathised, "indecency" in the context of the charge had no 'sexual connotations' accompanying it, indeed, both the lady and myself were fully clothed, and, apart from conducting this séance - or trying to - were doing nothing untoward.
The case was eventually heard at Barnet Magistrates court on November 22ns 1972, and we were both fined £10 for entering the churchyard and conducting this ritual without Church permission.

But this is only really the beginning of the story. After leaving Court, I noticed an ex-associate of mine engaged in tense conversation with a large group of reporters.. One of this reports caught me up in the street that this person had just challenged to an 'occult duel' to see who was the more powerful occult. Suspecting a blatant publicity stunt, I replied that I 'wasn't interested' . Probably what made me reply so abruptly was because I reconised the person concerned as one Mr Sean Manchester.

To this end, I had already discovered that Manchester had already been pestering the police to try and get himself called as a Prosecution witness, but the police had already rejected this proposal realising too that Manchester was only trying to use the case as an avenue to attract personal publicity.

But to cut things short … I eventually accepted Manchester's challenge to avoid anymore widely circulated Press releases to the effect I had refused the challenge out of 'cowardice'. But I stressed that should the 'magical duel' take place at all, it must be in privately controlled conditions and be witnessed only by a few selected people.

But my initial acceptance had been sufficient to give the Press (and Manchester) an ideal publicity story.

The next thing I knew was that thousands of posters appeared all over London (not to mention on numerous Press desks in Fleet Street) that … "Grand Master of the Universal Brotherhood of White Magicians" Sean Manchester, was to do 'psychic battle' with "Black Magic Practitioner" David Farrant on the summit of London's Parliament Hill on April Friday 13th [1973] The duel was to include 'naked witches' and in the course of this, a cat was to be sacrificed 'by' myself.

Naturally, on learning this I immediately called the whole thing off in the London Press; (I had always denied being a 'black magician' and on seeing these posters was none too pleased) but, having seen earlier headlines, this did not deter the World's Press and television crew - not to mention thousands of other onlookers from turning up to witness the non-existent event.

Neither did it deter Mr Manchester from turning up with a handful of white-robed followers and conducting a full scale public exorcism to 'rid David Farrant of his evil powers'!

A brave act indeed, knowing that I was not to be there! But that did not really interest Mr Manchester whose only intention was to get as much publicity as he could out of the incident, and he was fully aware that he had fully set the stage for this..

Unfortunately, because of my non-appearance, as far as the Press were concerned (and others), the whole thing was a 'non-event'. Only one National newspaper mentioned the outcome (The SUNDAY MIRROR, April 15th 1973) and then only sarcastically commented that 'one witch hadn't turned up' while the other witch (Mr Manchester) had been 'chased off the Heath by laughing children'!

This may be a little removed from sleepy Kirklees, but, in view of Mr. Manchester's alleged adventure at Robin Hood's Grave back in 1990, it may be worthy of some note!

David Farrant, Patron of the Robin Hood Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 11, 2004 07:25 PM

Hi folks--I'll finish the Kirklees tale tonight when I come in from work. Catherine is correct that even in last nights bbc1 spoof,they got the original story of Robin's death wrong--which even in a spoof the main fact should be right!!
Just quickly to clarify, the articles about the "Kirklees Vampire" were published in orbis magazine-1992 I think-will check later--and also in The Vampire Hunters Handbook. I thought it was odd that the bishop=--then a humble priest I think--came all this way and went on his mission without coming to see me.Its hard enough for us locals to find the grave in the dark and we know the area!!
Anyway when I came to write Secrets of the Grave his nibs would not allow me copyright for that or for Our Patron Lord Manchester which had been written by his wife and published in the YRHS NEWSLETTER.
He--or to be precise, meesrs CRAWFORD AND THANEthe"legal team" said it was defamation--as it was things written by himself or his wife I could not figure this out.Anyway I went ahead and reported the two articles in the text and used the originals as bibliogrpahy--which did not need copyright permission.
This, as well as mentioning David Farrant in one line of the text, is why the Bishop struck me off his social list.
After all the fuss I looked more closely at the Kirklees vampire tale and to be honest I started to doubt that the trip took place at all. See http://groups.msn.com/BeyondtheHighgateVampire

thread the kirklees vampire bites back for an in debth analysis.

An added twist to the tale was that I got blamed for the vampire being there by the landowner and all the fuss in the paapers while the Bishop states on his website that he has offered to bless the place for the landowner with whom he is on amicalble terms. I know he has been in touch with these folks and their tame
pr people, as I have a letter in my possession which went astray.
I'm hoping to sort all this stuff out in Secretsofthe Grave 11 msn board when I have time. There has been a lot of insults flung around these past few years with people scrambling in an undignified manner to claim the glory of Robin's Kirklees heritage, which the YRHS OPENED UP IN THE 80S.
The last insult was that Catehrien and I were"sad Heckmondwike spinsters" whichw e thought funny,though it was very politically incorrect and would have the feminists up ina arms.

Well thats enough for now,more tonight if I'm not too tired

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 12, 2004 02:56 AM

The Kirklees Vampire--at last!!!

Taken from the account published by Orbis in June 1992 AND also the Vampire Hunter's Handbook.


The story starts with Sean Manchester describing the forgotten priory of Kirklees where he states at the turn of the 14th century an apostate prioress bled folk to death. He recounts how the Archbishop of York denounced the nuns for being deceived by the allurements of the flesh.
He states that it is f rom this period that the area's long history of diabolism,curses and spectral hauntings began.
A kinsman of the wicked prioress(robin hood) was drained of blood and interred in unconsecrated ground.Here in teh winter of 1987 a number of finger width holes were found in the ground near the tomb, suggesting the exit of the undead as mist.,
There were also reports of blood drained animals in the area and people in the area calling in priests to exorcise their homes.
He approached Lady Margarete Armytage and requested permission to hold an all night vigil but was refused.So he organised an unofficial vampire hunt on the evening of Sunday 22 April
1990.He was accompanied by two assistants but on reaching the eedge of the Kirklees woods one of them became very agitated and went back to the car.
First they inspected the crumbling priory gatehouse, the sinister setting of the gruesome murder. They found several occult symbols on the priory wall.These ancient signs were another indictation of diabolism.
They approached the grave , under the bushes, finding on the way a dismembered goat.
Then they came upon the "GREAT TOMB"
sEAN OPENED HIS LARGE BAG OF ACCROUTEMENTS and removed a cruscifix holy water garlic and candles.
Suddenly there was an almighty screech.They w ent and stood by a tree for three hours. Then an awful wailing started so Sean quickly lit his candles in the candelabrum and stepped into the path of the unearthly groaning and shouted

BEHOLD THE LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The wailing s topped without further ado. Then there was another unearthly sound but this was his assistant who had got stuck in the brambles.

However.........the assistnat had seen something very dickipoggy and horrid!!!! He had seen a hag with red staring eyes coming at him!!!

Anyway enough was enough, after that they packed up their garlic and crosses and went back to the car where the cowardly asssitant was still lurking. The brave assistant said he would never return to such a dreadful place but Sean vowed to return and exorcise the pollution.
Someone, as he remarked, with faith and courage is needed to release the undead being from its tormented sleep to that it might find the peace of death.

Posted by: barbara green on April 12, 2004 03:33 PM

KEEP THE VAMPIRES AT BAY!

Whilst the mystery of "Robin Hood's Grave" at Kirklees remains an intriguing and ongoing mystery (was/is Robin Hood really buried there or not?), I must confess that, as a psychic investigator, what perhaps intrigues myself the most, is the local rumours and stories circulating in the area that the accompanying ghost or apparition that is said to haunt the gravesite is not only that of Robin Hood, but a fully-fledged vampire. No doubt these stories have been considerably helped by the aspirations of many 'vampire enthusiasts' (egged-on, no doubt, by the prospect of some easy publicity), but the basis for this story was almost certainly based on the somewhat nebulous legend that Robin Hood himself was 'bled to death' by an evil Prioress (witch?) which, in turn, has given rise (only on the part of some people, that is) to a convenient assumption that there could be some connection to this dying man's loss of blood, and 'vampires'. (This theory would, of course, only be vaguely relevant if this account was factual in the first place!)

Be that as it may, we seem to have here an ideal opportunity here to witness in the making (in the 21st century) the birth of yet another story to add to the annuals of 'vampirism'; and are blessed with an opportunity, perhaps, to observe the relatively easy manner - some would say ridiculous - by which such stories can first of all - as they have in the past - come into existence.

Personally, I do not accept the existence of 'blood-sucking vampires'. Although (and as I have said on many occasions in the past) this would not necessarily invalidate numerous others accounts or instances of malevolent or apparently malign psychic entities that appear to take on 'vampire-like' characteristics. However, that is really another matter . . .

Getting back to Kirklees, we are perhaps witnessing a good example of just how easily ridiculous stories can originate in the first instance (indeed, a very similar thing happened with the so-called 'Highgate Vampire' back in 1969/70). The spread of superstition and rumour; eerie atmospheres at certain locations which can so easily play on or influence the human imagination; and a basic inherent fear of the Unknown . . . all factors which can so easily contribute towards - even form - stories about 'nightly prowling vampires'.

If the basic ingredients are there in the first place (and they are at Kirklees as they were at Highgate), it would only take one or more self-motivated individuals to come along and 'throw petrol' on the vampire rumours - so to speak - and before long we have a new case of 21st century vampirism, just waiting to take its place in the history books!

I do hope this does not happen at Kirklees (although it has already been attempted and will no doubt be attempted again, if not from the production of any believable evidence but through the writings made via. some over-enthusiastic pen).

In a way, I feel almost partially responsible now, having recently agreed to be the Patron of the Robin Hood Society!

DAVID FARRANT.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 12, 2004 05:06 PM

Hi David--well, as I have pointed out there are a number of flaws with the Kirklees Vampire story which I have gone through on your msn board Beyond the Highgate Vampire--so its easy enough for anyone interested to check it out!
Just one point though--Catherine pointed out that beeb 1 got the story of Robin's death on their Robin Hood programme completely wrong--even though the programme was a humourous investigation,and otherwise they did their research well--even got rid of Ricahrd the Lionehart!!!!
I have now wondered if the same influence--which we have encountered since the eighties-- could be still at work making everyone play Kirklees down so that no one will be interested in going up to see the grave. Robin was not stabbed in the bck by the prioress while at prayer--they simply made that up and passed on, without further comment!
No gory bleeding to d eath stuff--I thought they would have made a real good paRT of the programme from that but no way.
Scott--if you a re interested I can send you a copy of my two main books to fill you in with the nitty gritty--there's also a bibliography at the back with all the most useful books I found on the subject.

Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 13, 2004 01:45 AM

Well i've emerged from my beauty sleep, been waxed and manicured, toned and sculpted. The results speak for themselves. Sensational! Then i'm off to see David Farrant. I've even had my NAILS done for him. And if those rumours about him two-timing me are true, he'd better watch his scrawny a** !!!!!!!!. I also intend to meet with my man Boggins for the end of his story. That should certainly provide cool material for my little book and should also blow the lid, or the cosy off of the teapot, on a certain Van Helsing wannabe.
I'm here until early May, so I might just catch up with some old buddies in Bonnie Scotland as well. P[ity about the weather here, just the same as NJ at present.

Posted by: veronical on April 13, 2004 04:43 PM

I have never met Veronica L in person but I've heard quite enough about this bossy journalist come writer and her interest in the Highgate affair. That's fine. If she wants to get the facts for her book or magazine or whaterver thats fine by me. But I've also heard about her keen interest in David. Whilst it is a free country (here as well as America) she is of course at liberty to interview him. But if her interest extends any further than this she will have myself to deal with.

In case you haven't gathered this means in plain english that David Farrant is already spoken for ... by me!!! So lay off Veronica.

If that is your underlying attention if not, than please accept my appology for the assumption. With so much gossip flying around on the internet and elsewhere about David you can hardly blame me for jumping to conclusions!!!

Yours
Catherine Fearnley
Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 14, 2004 02:00 PM

Harsh words, ms Fearnley. You think that some parochial nobody has the edge over gorgeous li'l me. Dream on baby.I've had rock-stars fightin' over me and dated some of them too. Anyhow I've got bigger fish to fry right now and one of them is your old buddy, mr dog-collar himself. If Boggs is to be believed, and he ain't let me down yet, then I should have some real juice on the old kook soon. Wake up and smell the sizzle of that silly hat as it grills in my pan. oh! and keep your grubby little hands to yourself, lady.

Posted by: veronica lake on April 14, 2004 02:24 PM

Who is Boggins???

Hi Veronica, I believe we have "met" on the Fortean board on the exorstitate saga. Its good to hear that you are going to fry the tea cosy--that sounds a very good idea to me -- but please remember,Catherine has led the fight to stop
his nibs pasting David's name all over the Inernet for the past year. While you were sunning yourself with your entourage of admirers, we were both on the front line coping with the mega tantrums of the holy one--and we got plenty of mud thrown our way.Catherine has been a tower of strength to David , so please lets all get on and act like the ladies we are.Catherine and I may be two Yorkshire lasses (not sad spinsters as we were described by You Know Who) but we not two clog wearing peasants with our hair done up in rollers! As for myself, I can assure you I am a most beautiful young damsel,in fact I am quite a femme fatale but I have taken a vow of abstinence, so you can count me out of any dickipoggy!
However united we s tand and divided we fall--like the Three Musketeers we must be one for all and all for one, And more important it will help to stop sleaze flying a round and all these message boards getting clogged up with rabid manifestos about David's past- I have even heard today the Society of St George--I wonder who that is--is sending dickipoggy e mails round to people about us!

Hope that sounds like a good deal to you!

Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 14, 2004 03:40 PM

NO CAT FIGHTS, PLEASE!

I was informed about Veronica's visit but she's not coming to see myself specifically as I have already given her most of the facts about my involvement in the Highgate case.
But she has since found two valuable contacts (one of whom she has already named and lives in the London area) who have information on the Highgate 'vampire' case which dates back to the latter part of the sixties. I am aware of the content of some of this information but I obviously cannot breach confidence here.

It is for Veronica herself to release this information when she is ready. But she has come a long way to get it (or the rest of it) and I can only wish her well in her endeavours. This is just to point out that my relationship with Veronica is now purely professional. My personal involvement's are, of course, a matter for myself. But no 'cat fighting' on this Board, please!

On the subject of Robin Hood's grave, an American journalist has been in contact with Catherine Fearnley (he was put in touch with her by David Hinchcliffe MP) but I don't know exactly what he is planning. No doubt Catherine Fearnley will keep you posted about this.

DAVID FARRANT, Patron, Robin Hood Society

Posted by: David Farrant on April 14, 2004 05:15 PM

Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your support in the situation, I can assure you that myself and David are well on top of everything and no what we are doing.

Veronica this message is for you!

It does indeed seem that David in his usual diplomatic way is trying to keep out of this but he has told me not to make private things public, and I can respect that but being told publically to "keep my grubby little hands off him" I feel needs a personal response, although not much of one.

Just Keep to your story Veronica, and good luck with it!

I can only remind you that some 2yrs ago it was yourself who announced your engagement to David on the Fortean Times Message Board.

What you are not telling people now (I am sure that David will not mind me saying this). David broke off his engatement with you not long afterwards.

That, of course, is his business that was THEN, but this is NOW!

So just keep to your story, whatever it is, but make sure you keep your "manicured nails" off him!

Catherine Fearnley
Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 14, 2004 05:39 PM

Hi Babs! Looks like your pal Kate's put the ice on the 'three musketeers' idea. Sorry. But I guess I never dug those guys anyway. Too suave n' oily for my taste. Too latent with deciet and flouncy blouses. Gimme the justice league of America anyday. As to boggsy, let's just say that he is an old buddy of your ex-patron, the one with the far-out head-gear. The very rogue who has harrassed me on and off for a couple of years through jealousy. And who can blame him? Someday I'm gonna show you guys some of the crud he used to send me. Racist? he makes the Klu-Klux-Klan seem like a clutch of pansy liberals. These e-mails are hot, let me tell ya. And the libels against mr Farrant. And the ravings that give such an insight into a depraved and twisted mind. Believe me, I gotta kick his butt. And, baby, just like they say in the movies, " this time it's personal. On a lighter note, I 'm sure looking forward to my trip to bonnie Scotland. Never been before but hell they might just have some cute guys up there. Jealous, David ? :-)

Posted by: veronica lake on April 14, 2004 05:59 PM

LETS GET BACK ON TRACK

Can we tone this whole thing down now? It seems to be getting a little too personal; but worse, my name, as usual, seems to be caught right in the middle of it!

To reiterate: Barbara Green is the Founder Member of the Robin Hood Society,

Catherine Fearnley is the Regional Secretary of the British Psychic and Occult Society and also an associate member of the newly re-launched Robin Hood Society.

Veronica is a writer/journalist (albeit a slightly 'flamboyant one'!) who is interested in the whole subject.

Myself? . . . Well I am just a writer who tries to get his facts right! But lets just stick to the relevant facts, shall we. I am sure nobody is really interested in 'who was engaged to whom', and so on . . .

So, can we get back to the subject matter about the alleged grave of Robin Hood?

Because personal opinions and innuendoes, are not really leading anywhere.


David Farrant, Patron, Robin Hood Society.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 14, 2004 06:45 PM

Who gives a fig for the alleged grave of that guy in tights. What i'd like to see is some kind of reply from mr suddenly-shy st george. And flamboyant yet? gimme a break, Davey. I may spend time on my NAILS and such but this blonde ain't dumb. I know what you and miss yorkshire pudding are up to. No offence to you Babs. Anyways, I ain't too sweet on you at the moment anyhow. Boggy's not my type, but that guy in Scotland looks like he might have cute buns. You ain't the only gander in the coop.

Posted by: veronica lake on April 14, 2004 07:16 PM

To Veronica . . .
I will meet you as agreed in a day or so. But can we keep things about your project until then i.e. until after we have discussed this in person? Other irrelevant comments made publicly, really do not help the situation. This whole thing should really be discussed in private.
I look forward your private call,
David.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 14, 2004 08:17 PM

You are all supposed to be discussing ROBIN HOOD! Not whos messing with who! Now enlighten us some more on Robin! :)

Posted by: Ellen on April 14, 2004 08:29 PM

Veronica--there is one thing I really cannot--I repeatCANNOT abide.
Please PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME BABS, I really cannot stand it!!

Thanks.

Right folks, I'll post on Robin Hood tomorrow, now is the middle of the night!

BARBARA

Posted by: barbara green on April 14, 2004 09:26 PM

TV PROGRAMME - WE'RE ALL INTERESTED!

Getting away from all the personal innuendoes, but bearing in mind Barbara Green's last posting in which she said she would be 'posting more on Robin Hood tomorrow' . . . there is something I forgot to mention. (Well, can you blame me in view of all the distracting comments lately!?) … On Tuesday, 13th April, Barbara appeared on local TV (in Yorkshire) with David Hinchcliffe, MP) concerning something about a proposal to build a new "Robin Hood Airport" - or something along those lines. There was apparently some local controversy about this, but as I did not see the programme, I am really unable to say little more about it. (Catherine Fearnley told me about it as it was shown in her Region.)

Can you tell us a little bit more about this, Barbara when you next post? (Being your usual 'modest self' you might otherwise forget to mention it!). You may be doing so anyway, but I am sure the basic facts would be of some interest to people reading about the story in general.

Anyway, I'll have to leave this to you as I was unable to watch the programme myself.

David Farrant. Patron, Y.R.H.S.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 14, 2004 10:44 PM

Hi David--i made a reply about the tv programme but it wasn't accepted--can't imagine why not!And I am too tired to wite it out again, so I'll do it later today. I can't imagine what teh "questionable comment" was !!!!!!

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 15, 2004 04:21 AM

Have been doing some research on a certain person who shall remain nameless, I've just done a quick search on MSN and have found out that 'The Cross and The Stake' has 177 members and not nearly 300 has stated before, and also his 'Bishop Sean Manchester' group has only got 4 members, granted it has more members then we have but where are all these members and why are they not posting. There has been nothing on his group since 12th of April.

We are continually updating our boards, adding new photographs, new material etc. After I have finnished serialising Dark Secrets on our boards then it will be Return Of The Vampire Hunter which is the transcript of an interview which Rob Milne did with David.

If anyone would like further information on these subjects or indeed Robin Hood or would like to join any of our Societies then please can you contact one of us.

Catherine Fearnley
Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society/The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 15, 2004 07:32 AM

Sorry, folks I forgot I had said he would remain nameless, but I had to name his board otherwise it would not have made much sense and no-one would have known what/who I was on about.

Catherine Fearnley
Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 15, 2004 10:26 AM

Billet doux

We have been told by a very important Robin Hood person that they are getting billet doux through the e mail system discrediting the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society. This person won't pass us a sample on to us verify the matter--and if necessary take action-- though he says it it the Society of St George. I have printed off his e mail to me about the mater , and advised him--and anyone else who receives the billet doux to use their common sense and delete them.

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 15, 2004 12:16 PM

This is the second time I have tried to post about the tv slot and I keep getting it has questionable content!!!!!!!!So I think I will give it up as a bad job. I have posted it on boosy bishopsand naughty nuns if anyone's interested

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 15, 2004 12:23 PM

Hi,
Here are two new David Farrant groups:
http://groups.msn.com/ReturnofTheVampire
http://groups.msn.com/SuspendedAtDawn

Also as for the tv programme we are having a new airport situated in between Sheffield and Doncaster which is to be called Robin Hood Airport it has a longer title but can't remember what.

Veronica, I would rather be a Yorkshire Pudding any day then a piece of American Pie. That statement is just stereotyping us Yorkshire Lasses. As being David's girlfriend I might like to add that I am in contact with him every day via telephone and will be staying with him in June. Long distance relationships can and do work and this is one example and we are firmly at ease with the situation.

Thanks Catherine.
Regional Secretary for The British Psychic and Occult Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on April 15, 2004 12:26 PM

EE by gum, Veronica luv,well i niver an sither ere, thas banna get thysen in a reel tarradiddle if tha spake t us yorkshire lasses assif we were daft int'ead.
cant mek as ner coke on thee ,luv.
but keep frying t'old tea cosy,thas doin a grand job,sither!
we've ad plenty o yon parson , in wit'tea cosy on 'is 'ead ,telling us up dingy north in the foggy foggy dew weere's a reet set o sinners,by gum,(--like that song --hellfire, don't push, just shove,he killed fifty rascals in the west! he's got a row or medals on his chest,big chest!my brudda,sylveste!)


Thats a sample of Yorkshire lingo, in exchange for the lesson in how to speak American. --just a bit of fun !Anyway must go and get me clogs and shawl and set off up cobbles to't' mill!just get me crust of mucky fat and bov for me tea!
--ever see monty python and the four yorkshiremen?

barbara

wonder if this will get on, when the tv one wouldn't!!

Posted by: barbara green on April 15, 2004 01:24 PM

A NEW BOOK ON ROBIN HOOD?

Somebody recently sent me a manuscript (as yet unpublished, I think) by Graham P Kirkby titled "ROBIN HOOD BOLD OUTLAW FROM LOXLEY". It is excellently written; not only in style but in the objective way in which it compiles all the known facts about Robin Hood and his supposed grave at Kirklees.

I am not trying to hold anyone 'in suspense', but obviously, as this work is not my copyright, I will need the author's permission before I can further refer to it.

I am going to contact Graham Kirkby to try and obtain such permission. Even better would be if he could post this information on this site himself. But we'll have to see.

Lets hope Barbara Green will not be long in bringing out a sequel to her own authoritive book SECRETS OF THE GRAVE. So much has happened lately, that that could really make a book in itself.

In the meantime, spare a thought for myself folks. I've got to meet Veronica on Saturday! I'd better not say anymore. My life is 'hanging in the balance' as it is!

DAVID FARRANT.

Posted by: David Farrant on April 15, 2004 05:03 PM

KIRKLEES QUERY

This thread has strayed far from the original question of Robin Hood's grave. Barbara Green began by noting that in the early eighteenth century the traditional site, then marked by a stone cross, was excavated by Sir Samuel Armytage and his gamekeeper Mr Hobson after a night in the pub, but that they found no body. In fact they only dug three feet down, whereas corpses are traditionally laid 'six feet under'. Since then an elaborate monument has been erected there (now fallen into disrepair) making any further digging almost impossible.
The traditional story is that Robin Hood went to visit his cousin, the Prioress of Kirklees, to be bled. This was a popular mediaeval remedy, and might well have been effective if the patient had high blood pressure. But owing to some obscure plot, she bled the heroic outlaw to death. Realising that he was dying, Robin shot off an arrow and told Little John to bury him where it fell.
It has been objected that the traditional gravesite is some six hundred yards from the Priory, an impossibly long bowshot even for a particularly skilful archer, especially if he was dying. But since Kirklees was a nunnery, it is likely that any hostel for sick men would have been well away from the Priory itself, to protect the chastity of the Brides of Christ, and perhaps located just a short distance from the grave. There is no trace now of such a building, but no timber building would have survived so long unless it was carefully preserved, which would not have happened after the dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteenth century.
Gareth J. Medway

[N.B. Gareth J. Medway is author of LURE OF THE SINISTER, published by New York University Press, 2001. David Farrant, Patron, YRHS]

Posted by: David Farrant on April 16, 2004 05:25 PM

Hi everyone
I will post an account of Robin's death later on today when I have a bit more time. Suffice to say at this point that it is a bizarre and little known tale and up until recent years has been given a very low profile by any filmakers, who all tell the same old s tory about Robery beinga crusader at the time of Richard 1 which is a load of rubbish.
Robin's king was actually Edward 11--who was gay(as the term is today)--therein lies as tale as Robin spent some time in London with the king.
No film has even potrayed Robins death except I think Marian and Robin and then they put Kirklees priory outside Nottingham had had him poisoned.
This is a weird and bloody tale,and subject to many interpretations--so far only thought up by myself!
Was it bad nursing, inevitable shock from blood loss in an already ill man, murder--for what reason--sacrifice for pagan reasons--and of course, mustn't forget the vampires!
After his death Robin was buried outside the consecrated priory grounds, as were all thieves and felons. The area where his grave lies,we found out a few years ago accidentally--was actually on the crossing of ley lines.
There have been several reports of a white spectre in the area, and visitors were strongly discouraged or refused permission to visit the site which was allowed to fall into disrepair.
On the medieval priory lands a new house was erected and the grave a one of the prioresses--not the one who bled Robin but a later one--stands in the garden of this house.
The nuns were renowned for their scandanlous lives around the time Robin sought their help.

Anyway thats all for now

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 17, 2004 02:58 AM

Two new connections regarding this subject :

http://groups.msn.com/TheGatehousethatDrippedBlood

http://groups.msn.com/TheSeventhSowardandTheHolyGrail


barbara

Posted by: barbara green on April 17, 2004 10:38 AM

sorry--its

http://groups.msn.com/TheSeventhSowrdandTheHolyGrail

Posted by: barbara green on April 17, 2004 10:39 AM

The Gatehouse that Dripped Blood

TERRIBILIS EST LOCUS ISTE--Terrible is this place--
Abbe Berenger Saunier, Rennes-le-Chateau

Robin Hood's death is mentioned briefly at the end of the Little Geste when he says he must go to the prioress of Kirklees who was "nye of his kynne " to be let blood. The prioress and her presumed lover, Red Roger of Doncster, plot to kill him.
In the ballad "Robin hood his death and Burial" there is more detail.
This later ballad tells of Robin going to Kirklees with Little John and against the wishes of Will Scathlocke. It is a winters days when they set off and on the way they pass an old woman at a stream who "bans"(curses) Robin. Further along the road they pass weeping women.
On their arrival at the priory gatehouse Little John is sent away and Robin taken to the upper room where he is bled by the prioress.
This is, of course, standard medieval treatment, but nevertheless, either something goes wrong and Robin dies of a fatal exanguinating haemmorhage--either by design or accident.

"She laid the blood irons to Robin Hood's vaine
Alacke the more pitye!
And perct the vaine and let out the bloode
That was full red to see

At first it bled the thicke thicke blood
And afterwards teh thinne
And well then wist good Robin Hood
treason there was within"


Robin Hood His Death and Burial v 16-17


The symptoms or such a death are ghastly and messy. As the blood pours out it becomes paler and paler--as accurately described in the ballad--because of the loss of red bllod cells which cannot be replaced. The aptient turns a waxy white colour, right to the lips and conjunctivae.
The body becomes very cold and is covered with a clammy sweat. The pulse is too rapid and weak to be felt , yet the patient remains conscious and clear minded. The repirations are increased and a dreadful terminal restlessness takes hold of the person, his breaths coming in wild gasps, while the arms are moved in all directions.


(It wasn't much like that in any film I have seen!)

Would Robin have had the strength to shoot and arrow, and to ask Little John to busy him where it fell?


Moe tomorrow!!!

Posted by: barbara green on April 17, 2004 04:42 PM

I have spent a lot of time investigating the history of the priory and said resting place of robin hood as i live and was born in the Kirklees area. One of the more interesting facts to me was the evidence that it was actually on the crossing of ley lines , which i had already been investigating but had not been able to test out due to the access problem. However in an attempt to get a better idea of ley lines in the area I was able to begin to map and eventually fill in the blanks so to speak by gathering as much data on ley lines in the surrounding area of Kirklees Borough which led me to discover other interesting facts not widely known about the area. I have so far begun investigating two areas which sit on , in my calculations, one of the said ley lines that runs through Kirklees estate, which locally are said to be haunted, one of which i have now discovered via local history to be a place where many strange rituals had apparently been carried out, some said it was a place where devil worship was frequent, there are traces of what look to have been symbols carved into trees surrounding a grassy mound, along with a very large rectangular stone slab off centre, this is also a place where ley lines cross and standing in the area itself did feel unpleasant, but then based on the information i had already gathered about it thats probably not suprising :P I have not had any paranormal experience at this location, however the second one im looking into did pose for a very interesting evening, this area is on the same ley line however a leyline doesn't cross at this point, this again is a supposed site of some kind of ritual , is also said to have been part of a long disappeared roman road and is quite close to what was a Saxon settlement. During the course of the evening spent there I was beginning to get quite bored and had even begun the journey back to the main road , i had probably walked about 50yds away , downhill , and had a feeling of being watched suddenly. When I turned around I saw what many have described as an orb i guess in the vicinity of where i had just been , it lasted a few seconds then faded , it never actually moved. I returned to the location the next day to see if i could work out any logical explanation like windows behind the area at a distance that may have reflected something, but as this was on a hillside i could rule that out , plus this was very rural and at 3am , i would have most certainly heard and seen any vehicles around at that time , nor did the possibility exist that it could have been any form of street lamp or moonlight reflecting off the surface of anything as it was thick with cloud on that particular evening and extremely dark. I am currently using DEM and topo data to get a better idea of what the exact land composition is and any seismic activity data to see if any of it can fall under earth lights , or possibly stone tape theory. This does not mean i do not believe in the possibility that the hauntings may be very real spirits , but it is interesting to compare the data of faults and things , including ley lines with the data of apparent haunted places , they look almost identical in fact. If anyone here is from the surrounding parishes of Kirklees and is interested please email.

Posted by: G Robson on May 16, 2004 08:59 AM

Hi G Robson, as being secretary of the Yorkshire Robin Hood society and obviously The British Psychic and Occult Society we would very much like to get in contact with you and possibly meet up with you to discuss your theories.

Could you please email me at
CatherineFearnley@mailblocks.com

You did not leave your email address in the previous post. Thanks

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 16, 2004 10:53 AM

HELLO Mr Robinson,

I was interested to hear of your experiences and hope that you will contact the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society as Catehrine has suggested.We would be very interested to learn how you came to research this subject and hope that we may add you experineces to the file of paranormal experiences reported to us from other people.

Barbara green www.robinhoodyorkshire.co.uk

Posted by: barbara green on May 16, 2004 12:09 PM


RAIDERS OF THE LOST GRAVE


Hi there mr Robson--please don't leave us all in suspense--we would like permission to add your interesting and well researched details to our Robin Hoods Grave paranormal file--and maybe, as you seem to live in thE area--meet up with you ! Catherine and I will be lurking round the Three Nuns 11.30 --12 midday Sunday--we are going photgraphing Kirklees estate from the back with our super new zoom lens--you can see everything!
I am the beautiful one with long flowing golden tresses and big blue eyes with inch long eyelashes and Catherine is the exotic one with sultry dark looks like her namesake Miss ZJ. I will have Jet with me also who is black and quite unminstakable.
barbara

PS YOUR REPORT IS IMPORTANT--obviously you have put it on the web for a reason.So please lets hear more!

have you checked out bossy bishops?

Posted by: barbara green on May 17, 2004 04:31 PM

The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society are growing in membership and fame. Today I have received a letter from a prospective member who lives in Ireland, in County Wexford no less. This person is definately keen on the Yorkshire Robin Hood legend and hopefully is going to write a small book or Thesis on the subject.

Catherine Fearnley,
Regional Secretary for The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society and Secretary for David Farrant, President of The British Psychic and Occult Society/The Highgate Vampire Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 17, 2004 05:50 PM

Myself and Barbara will be going for a visit to Robin Hood's grave this coming Sunday, weather permitting I'll take some photographs. If they turn out ok and anyone wishing to see them I'll let you know as soon as they are ready and you can email me.

Thanks Catherine.
Secretary for David Farrant and also the Regional Secretary for The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 20, 2004 04:01 PM

Just to note the info just coming in about the Kirklees Vampire which is making the news.........more when I know more!

Posted by: barbara green on May 20, 2004 04:42 PM

Just to let regular readers of this website know that today I received a letter from Keith Clifford aka Billy Hardcastle (from the Yorkshire TV Programme Last Of The Summer Wine which is shown on BBC1). I wrote to him 4th of March asking him if he would like to be a lifetime member of our Society (YRHS) and he wrote back saying that he would be honoured and has sent us a lovely signed photograph which will go in the next newsletter.

I would like to thank Mr. Clifford for taking the time and trouble to respond to my letter and for becoming a lifetime honorary member of our Society.

Catherine Fearnley
Secretary for David Farrant and also The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 21, 2004 07:16 AM

Also found out by chance that the Kirkless Vampire is on at the York Dungeon and we are goingt o see it om Sunday.
See http://www.thedungeons.com

Barbara

Posted by: barbara Green on May 21, 2004 11:57 AM

We have been given two complimentary tickets to the York Dungeon and they would also like our opinion on the Kirklees Vampire exhibition plus they would like to learn more about our Society which is great news.

Catherine Fearnley
Secretary for David Farrant, and also The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 21, 2004 03:40 PM

Yes things are really looking up--don't forget our two film projects also--though I WON'T give the details out yet, till things are more certain.
Also I have had a reply from David Nortcliffe the Countryside Ranger who takes people round Robin Hoods Grave--these walks started about 2 ywars ago due to public pressure. I asked why the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society had never been involved and also pointed out that our books and literature would be interesting to tourists.
He has more or less repeated at the usual things about the farm which we heard in the eighties as a reason why no one could visit the grave and I haven't really been given any positive response. In fact, what he is saying is again, that the landowner doesn't want information given out as it would encourage more people to visit. Its a very polite letter but I get the message--which was just as I expected, Fortunately we aren't dependent on Calderdale Council or the landowner for out promotion of Robin Hoods Yorkshire connections. They have always opposed it and continue to do so.

Barbara

Posted by: barbara green on May 21, 2004 04:05 PM

Well, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed yesterday at the York Dungeon once I got over my fear of being in the pitch dark. Only the first bit was like that though. I must admit I nearly shot back out again. One was none too happy. But I braved it and was ok when we went further in once I got settled, I thoroughly loved it. There was this drawbridge over one section and everybody apart from me was scared stiff, I just ambled over this. That sort of thing doesn't bother me as much as the dark. Anyway the Kirklees Vampire was there in all his glory and the blood-drained goat managed to get onto Robin Hood's grave somehow, which was quite surprising as it was meant to be in the fields behind but not to worry.

Afterwards we went to see the real Robin Hood's Grave at Kirklees Estate. We did get stopped at the gate but I had my little blue letter which saved the day although I must admit, I did take a wrong turning and we got told off. But it was 2 years since I was there and everything had altered slightly. It was a gorgeous at the graveside, very peaceful, although I don't know about Barbara, but I definately felt as though something was watching us all the time and I started to tingle. Barbara wanted to back down the hill the other way but I wasn't having it. I preferred to go the same way we had come at least most of it was in the broad daylight.

Then we went back to Barbaras and printed off the next Yorkshire Robin Hood Society Newsletter had a barbecue and I came home about 9pm so I could phone David.

Have fun folks. More to follow
Catherine

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 24, 2004 10:45 AM

The Kirklees Vampire story is told on
http://groups.msn.com/TheKirkleesVampire

I have put it on the world wide robin hood forum but got no reply!!!They don't hold with such things!
There is also soem info of David's guest thread, which I will be putting a post on later when I have more time!

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on May 26, 2004 04:01 AM

I've just been contacted by an irate compt de milano wanting to know where the site has gone. He said he's been having some rapier practice lately to get back in form again. Apparently, he wants to make an announcement on the Robin Hood site.

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 26, 2004 02:42 PM

We will be starting a new website soon on the highgate vampire case should anyone wish for further details please email.We will also keep you posted here.

Thanks Catherine

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 26, 2004 02:46 PM

Just completed the first page of our new website which took some doing last night. I'm hopefully going to add new pages which will include photographs, articles, reviews etc in the near future. Also the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society and The Kirklees Paranormal Society will be featured on here.

Thanks Catherine

Posted by: Catherine Fearnley on May 27, 2004 08:17 AM

Robin the Brujah

I came across this on WEBSITE

Robin of Loxley, 5th Gen Brujah.797, 1203--1247 Seriff of Nottingham, Child of Anis

The legends of Robin Hood state that he was bled to death by the prioress of Kirklees in 1247 under the pretext of medical treatment. The elgend does not point out thAT HE THEN WENT ON to become a vampire. His sire,Anis, is mow in America having gone there in 1400, Robin does not know whethr she is alive or dead.

Has anyone the least idea what all this means, apparently it is soem kind of vampire clan.

its on

http://www.nanvaent.org/people/fairbane/vampire/clans/brujah.htm


This is a seperate strand of the Kirklees vampire legend but I wondered if htere could eb a connection somehwere

barbara

Posted by: barbara green on June 9, 2004 04:15 AM
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