RIP + David Farrant 1946 - 2019 +

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David Farrant

It Can Be Hard Sometimes . . .

You see - no time. © Della Farrant

It certainly makes a break to have finished my next book.  I mean the actual writing  Its taken about 16 months of non-stop work which didn’t just involve the actual writing.

It involved much more than that and must have cost me hours upon hours of ‘abnormal’ sleep routines in the process.  It was not just the writing.  If only it had been that simple!  It was not like writing fiction (well I’m not a fiction writer, but I can imagine what its like);  I was writing about actual events in my life and being autobiographical, it had to be accurate – or as accurate as possible.

My last book (published two years ago) was hard enough but I had the advantage of a multiple of old notes and memory’s to assist me.  I had written most things down, so all it needed really was to put old notes and past memories together (some of them admittedly painful ones); and I had a basic ‘diary’ to work from.    Not so with the current one.  All I had was a head-full of memories, which meant names, times and dates all had to be put in sequence – from scratch!  I had to record things from the year 1974 (where the first one ‘finished’) until the early 1990s – a long gap really, when a  lot had happened!

I wrote a lot of its at night, when the world was quiet and there were no distractions.  No traffic noises; no harsh daylight; no phones ringing (at least not normally!); just comparative silence to work through!  Of course, this inevitably affected my sleep process’s, and it would not be unusual for me not to get any sleep whatsoever until it began to get light..  And then, of course, it was not that simple, because I still had things to do that could only be done in ‘working hours’.  The Post Office closed at 5.30 pm for example (and the banks and most shops not long before that) and so to communicate with the outside world, I had to make sure that any sleep did not go on much longer than lunchtimes.  It soon turned into a regular habit – I never saw mornings – and before long normal sleep had vanished altogether. Leaving me so little time in the process.

But its finished now.  But here I am sitting up at 6. 15 in the morning again as a consequence of an induced habit. Luckily. I have never had any sense of time, as others do.  So I think that helped.  I have never ‘watched clocks’, even when having nothing to do.  I have never eaten at set times – only when I’m hungry.  And I have never cared about the normal human conventions that seem to entrap so many people.  Don’t get me wrong; I am not condemning normal routines or behaviour.  That is part of the normal system, and most people couldn’t survive without that.  So I am not ‘knocking’ anyone; just trying to point out that my ‘time sense’ is certainly different from that of most people.

But the writing is still not finished – by a long way.  But I feel I have earned a little break, so can just can just relax in the hectic turmoil instead!  In reality, most of it passes me by anyway.  I have little awareness of the petty thoughts and set routines that otherwise make up ‘normal reality’.   Admittedly I have to live in the midst of all these; but I am certainly not ‘trapped’ by them – that’s the main difference.  This is not some ‘acquired sense of freedom’; so some reason, it has always come naturally.  Of course, some ‘outward events’ have served to ‘entrap me’. But only very few judging by the way these can entrap most people.

Some outward events can sometimes seem beyond your control though.  And yet I wonder if even these are somehow ‘fated’, or sent to provide some unrecognised guidance.  So I just go with the ‘flow’ of life normally.  Trapped materially by some things, but inwardly basically free.

It can be hard sometimes, almost seem cruel.  Events of 1965 have taught me that.  But even then these are not ‘dead’.  There can be no physical death in the presence of a greater Reality.

David

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7 Responses

  1. Dear David,
    I couldn’t sleep last night, well broken sleep really. So I got up have just finished “pact with the devil” what a painful time…I had no idea. There are times in ones life when it just seems that people are destined to travel a rocky path and there is nothing one can do to stop it.
    Here in north Wales, the land is rich in folklore and spooky tales we even have reports of a werewolf on Denbigh moor!!! According to a story from coaching days, a giant wolf or werewolf attacked a coach and horses…trying to remember the details, I even think that one of the horses was killed.
    David is there any chance I could contact Patsy, for I am currently doing research on the Highgate case and I really really don’t want to bother you with dull questions that you have properly answered a million times before? I know she has written a book with you on the case so I am hoping that I could pick her brains on the more mundane issues etc
    Her email address would be most helpful. If not, I understand.
    Blessed be
    Simon

  2. Hi Simon and sorry for not getting back to you before. Firstly, please don’t worry about asking questions – that’s what I’m here for! I have just had a few things to ‘tie up’ but that’s mostly done now. I have not forgotten your other question about HC (about the undergroung tunnel) and will come back to this a little later.
    I in fact spoke to Patsy last night and have already told her about yourself and permission to give her email. She said ‘yes’ so I will email it over later on.
    I appreciate what you say about “Pact with the Devil” a lot of other people who have read it made similiar comments about that person’s conduct The person just changed from being kind ad considerate into some sort of ‘she-devil’, which is how she still remains at the moment. Consumed with malice, would be accurtae way of putting it. The most ironical thing is, I’ve never been able to understand why: she even tried to decieve her own Priest about my involvement (rathe non-involvement now) in Wicca. I don’t know why – I really don’t know. I wish sometimes I really had done something because then at least then I could understand some reason. But hope you enjoyed the book apart from that.
    Will send the email in an hour or so. Thanks Simon,
    David

  3. dear david,
    yes on the surface it does appear strange the way people act but reading between the lines…I guest I have a feeling that the person built up such expectations about her future, unrealistic perhaps…created a whole image of what and where she wanted to be but not taking into account other feelings and factors.
    Well, I’m not here to babble lol…I would welcome a chance to continue talking to you, david…I was not sure, you understand, but now after you have explained…brilliant.
    that is great news about patsy, thank you.
    I have been watching those old amicus films with my daughter,( she ‘s 12) the ones with titles like “the house that dripped blood” (1972) they are the films with many short stories, about five short stories strung together lol she loves them…so there is hope for the next generation lol.
    anyway talk again
    Simon

  4. Dear David,
    Thank you very much for answering the tunnel/catacomb questions…cheers.
    Now about ley-lines…lol…I have been wondering about the ley lines theory which you spoke of in your book (beyond the Highgate vampire) I find this idea rather interesting that a “ghost” or paranormal force could use this ley to transport under the right conditions to another location…then materialise to be observed. Transferring along the ley, assuming the entity has the required energy to use the ley, or the ley if not dormant, could the ley empower the entity in some way I wonder?
    David was there any reports of the black tall entity in Highgate wood? I wonder if the phenomenon was observed ever in by the old beech tree?
    You could be onto something here, leys becoming spiritual corridors. We know that ancient man was aware of the magic in the landscape, he marked these leys lines, maybe they were enhancing the ley lines by marking them with stone monoliths etc?
    food for thought
    simon

  5. Dear David,
    I just realised that a nun had been seen in Highgate wood and you have already considered that could the nun be the same entity from HC.
    regards
    simon

  6. Hi again, Simon,
    Let me answer your two questions about the tunnel connecting Highgate Old Cemetey and the ‘New’ one, the Terraced catacombs in the Old Cemetery. I guess maybe I should have addressed it on my “book finished” post, but as it is only the last post, I can answer it here.
    The tunnel connecting Highgate Cemetery to the New (later) one runs under Swains Lane from the Old cemetery Chapel and was used to convey coffins out of sight to save them being carried acrpss the lane in ful view. It is about 15 foot deep but has long since since covered over although you can still see it through a few cracks in the covering. I’m not actually sure off hand as to when the New Cemetery was opened but this was the time the tunnel was constructed.
    The Terraced catacombs were cut into a side of the hill on which teh Old cemetery was built (in 1839). So in that respect they are partly underground because they were then covered over. There was a lot of vandalism in the Terraced Catecombsin the 1970’s by vandals breaking in to steal the lead and other groups who held bizarre Satanic rituals inside.
    Anyway, hope that answers your two queries.
    David

  7. Hello Simon,
    As I think you may have noticed, many ley lines have now been submerged beneath tons of concrete that make up modern civilisation. They are obviously easier to trace in untouched countryside. This, of course, begs the question of whether the ‘built over ones’ have in any way lost their power or energy? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Yes, in that they may have become ‘insulated’ from the earth’s surface; no, in that being part of ‘earth currents’ they always retain their ogiginal energy.
    There have for long been stories of a blacked-draped sighted in Old Highgate Wood (some say its a nun) and its appearances do seem to coincide with the ley line that runs through there and connects to the site of an Old Roman Settlement. Interestingly, this line runs from Highgate Cemetery and goes through other reportedly haunted locations.
    David

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