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David Farrant

The Wave of Progress?

David Farrant Today

Its cold. Do you know, its actually snowing now. And I hate the cold, and that includes the snow.

Some people might like it as some ‘fairyland picture’, I suppose, but in reality it doesn’t do much for me, or my ability to keep writing well into the night sometimes. But its here, and I will just go on writing regardless, but having said that, I must apologise for any delays in me writing up this Blog.

I have said this before, but things have really been so hectic of late, that sometimes it makes it a little difficult to get back into a personal spell of writing. Anyway, enough of the waffle, here is what has been happening lately.

I think I have already mentioned this, but Kai Roberts’ book “Grave Concerns” on Robin Hood’s grave has just been released. I did like his assessment of events surrounding the alleged grave of the legendary outlaw, and also appreciated his narrative in chapter 6 which detailed old research about my own involvement as ‘President’ (sorry I meant – or rather he meant – Patron) of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society.  It seems Kai spent quite a few months if not years methodically researching the book; but in reality, I was only Patron of the YRHS and not its President! (I am the President of the British Psychic and Occult Society and the Highgate Vampire Society, and that is quite enough work for one day!)

But I do wish him every success with the book, and no doubt, that appreciation should be due to other people who aided him in his research as well.

Anyway, my thanks should also go to Mike Hallowell, a former police officer turned investigative journalist who runs a paranormal column for the Shields Gazette. He has devoted his column for the past 2 weeks to a series of articles he felt motivated to write about myself and the Highgate Vampire case, after meeting me in person.  I first met Mike back in 2000 when I was giving a Talk for Jon Downes’ Weird Weekend in Exeter. I travelled down there with a friend in the hot Summer months and, after a little way-searching, managed to find the old Church Hall which they had hired out for the weekend.

It was somewhat set back across the River Exe and I was greeted rather enthusiastically by Jon and some of the other speakers. I was tired. Notwithstanding I had been given a lift there in a car by a friend, but was resigned to giving a filmed Talk on the Highgate Vampire which I duly did. Its strange, but sometimes when I give Talks I have become accustomed to large groups of people questioning me extensively about facts I have raised in my Talk. It did not seem the case here, however, as the atmosphere was quiet, almost placid and I was surprised at the audience’s reaction to essential points that I was trying to convey.

At the moment Della and I are really quite tired. So many other things have been happening lately that it seems a bit difficult to put them all into an accurate contrast against those somewhat quiet Talks dating back to 2000.

Anyway, regarding more up to date events I find I have more up to date things to deal with.

I have been approached by an organisation in West Yorkshire for permission to use my involvement in a certain film. Well, as I had already signed a Release Form for this, I do not really see what the problem is, as I pointed out to them. Della and I will be in West Yorkshire anyway in June for an unrelated event which I have been asked to attend, so this coincides well with the organisation’s plans to premiere their project – which has been given more than tacit support by the local authority. I am slightly concerned because we have been offered accommodation at the Three Nuns Inn (which I understand is a highly unusual as the inn no longer offers board as a rule) but it seems that the current management have shown an interest in previous BPOS investigations of haunted taverns and would therefore like us to stay with them while we are in their neighbourhood. That is all fine, however I was rather perturbed when a regular telephone correspondent of mine from the immediate area informed me of certain developments which have gone beyond being mooted, concerning the future of the old public house, and indeed, other significant local landmarks. I suppose the wave of progress is inevitable, especially in an area with such high unemployment, but we’ll just have to wait and see. And in any case, Della has some old friends in Dewsbury who can put us up if need be.

More to follow on this forthcoming adventure I hope, but for the moment, with my apologies for the late week old Blog,

David

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2 Responses

  1. Thanks for mentioning my book, David. The reference to you as “President” of the YRHS on p137 is really just a typo which I should have picked up on when I was proof-reading, rather than a failure of research. You’ll notice that I refer to you as patron elsewhere on p137 plus on p85 and p139 (I hope those page references are correct; I’m looking at the proofs rather than the published version – I seem to have given all my copies away!).
    Also, I forgot to apologise for the fact that the acknowledgements were mistakenly omitted by the publisher. I definitely submitted them, but their absence is again something I should’ve picked up on during proof-reading. It was my first time doing such things though, so a bit of a learning curve! Hopefully, we’ll include them in future print-runs, but for now, they can be found on my blog.
    Cheers,
    Kai

  2. Thanks Kai,
    That’s no problem whatsoever (about the President/Patron thing). Really its academic, and was only a typo as you say. I have had far worse things said about me in the past; much of them exceeding accidental typo errors!
    I seem to have read somewhere (probably on your own Blog) that you are doing another book on Yorkshire ghosts. Best of luck with that, and please feel free to post anything here whenever you want to.
    For now,
    David (Farrant).

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