Diminishing responsibility

BBC

It seems Della Farrant's got an axe to grind with Barbara Green. For some reason.

Green's president of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society and believes Robin Hood was buried at Kirklees Hall Estate.

She also has the rare distinction of being aligning with both sides of the Highgate vampire case's feuding overlords, Sean Manchester and David Farrant. They've both served as Patrons of the YRHS; the latter as part of a 'calculated snub', in Kai Roberts' opinion.

As of this writing, Della's devoted three blog entries to Green's 2001 book, Secrets of the grave (here, here and here), all of which take potshots at her; increasingly personal in attack. Indeed, the latter post makes several jibes about her mental state—'Anyway, a parting treat is presented below for any of you who can stomach it – it might help if you are a fan of the film ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’'—etc.

Della never really explains her 'beef', but perhaps the clue's in her aggrandising coverage of David's role as patron. She 'lets him off' scott-free: 'As a well known psychic investigator of some standing, and ‘considered the sane one of the bunch’ viz the YRHS, David Farrant (who was at one stage persuaded against his better judgement to act as  Patron for said ‘society’) has benefited from a mutually reciprocal relationship over the years with Dr David Hepworth, a close friend and practical and academic advisor of Lady Armytage (referred to by some as her manager).'

It's rather strange she'd give her husband 'innocent fair maiden' status, chaste as the driven snow, as 'persuaded' waylays the reader into thinking he was somehow conned into the role. Far from it, it's something he openly embraced. 

I'm sure, for instance, that no one made him take part in a 'blessing ceremony' at the gravesite on 20 April 2005 in the presence of film cameras, any more than anyone made him pen this letter to the Halifax Courier in 2008. I'm equally sure no one made him promote Green's article on the supposed Kirklees conspirary in 2009—even though he pooh-poohed the idea two years before, voicing scepticism the day after that post, yet still choosing to be the society's patron.

Della also overlooks the fact that he attempted to arrange another visit to the gravesite—in 2010 (part 1; part 2). If these were mere blips in David's 'better judgement', then let me remind you he maintained his role as the YRHS's patron over a ten year period.

Indeed, the tenth year, 2010, marked a turning point. He was replaced—David says he 'resigned'—by a new Patron: John Pope de Locksley, better-known as John Pope.

Could this all stem from a case of 'sour grapes'? If not, why did David align himself with the society for so long? Perhaps the answer's in his latest post on his involvement with the YRHS: 'There has also been renewed activity on the filmed project involving Gareth J. Medway, Barbara Green and a couple of other assistants on the subject of Robin Hood’s (reputed) grave at Kirklees. I understand this film is now near completion, and will be released publicly later this year. Maybe even at the Brighouse Gala? – and I cannot think of a more glamorous and appropriate setting for its debut.'

It's the same film for which the camera's rolled on David's blessing ceremony in 20 April 2005.

Goosestepping with the BNP?

I recently came across Richard Bartholomew's blog entry, "'Master of the Black Arts' to Speak at Springbok Club" which contains a little bit of info on our favourite miscreants.

It's nice to see that despite David's insistence that he does...

not find the ‘feud’ interesting [...] but one-sided, and extremely petty minded on the part of the ONE person who instigates all this nonsense against myself whilst hiding behind aliases

...that Bartholomew recognises their two-sided "sparring" for what it is:

For several decades he [John Pope-de-Locksley -ed.] and his occultist associate David Farrant have been in a feud with Sean Manchester, a bishop of the Old Catholic Church who pops up on TV from time to time with tales of battling vampires and other paranormal manifestations.

According to Bartholomew, the Springbok Club "agitates for the return of white rule over Africa."

The link in the chain here, of course, is John Pope-de-Locksley.

Bartholomew acknowledges him as "an associate of David Farrant". To cement the connection further, Pope-de-Locksley also mentions that he's "head of the junior department of the Highgate Vampire Society", which, of course, was founded and still presided over by Farrant.

Pope-de-Locksley also happens to be the nephew of Bill Binding, a former member of the BNP.

So, what we now have are two Vampire Society figureheads, with possible connections to racist organisations.

In the Bishop's case, I've established that he plagiarises from BNP sources and tries to cover it up through deceptive means.

In David's case, there's a more explicit allegation, as found in the thread on Alexander Lucard's "Vampire Hunter Drama Part 3", left by "Anonymous" (2006-06-02 07:56 am UTC):

What was the significance of the symbol of a rune beneath an eagle on WWP [Wicca Workers Party -ed.] posters circulated by Farrant in the late 1970s? This same rune was being employed at the time by the extremist Column 88 group. It is now used by the BNP youth movement. There are slogans on the posters that bear an uncanny resemblance to Neo-Nazi slogans. Any comments?

To try and untangle this mess, I left a comment on Bartholomew's "'Master of the Black Arts' to Speak at Springbok Club". Let's hope we can solve this mystery.