Everything shown in quotes is from Francisco Garcia, and was published online 5th February 2020.
(Francisco Garcia is a London-based writer and journalist who works for The Guardian newspaper.)
"While Farrant had presided over The British Psychic and Occult Society, Manchester founded the British Occult Society. When Manchester published his sensational book The Highgate Vampire in 1985, Farrant countered with Beyond The Highgate Vampire in 1991."
Farrant's booklet hardly "countered" my own work published five years earlier. Indeed, as more than one commentator observed, were it not for all the material filched from The Highgate Vampire, including one hundred lines lifted straight from the text, there would have been very little of interest in the stapled pamphlet. Moreover, I did not "found" the British Occult Society. It existed long before I was born. I became its president on 21 June 1967 until 8 August 1988 when I moved to dissolve the BOS.
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"The duo traded insults in print until Farrant's death, though the feud reached its dramatic peak in 1973, when both parties heavily advertised a 'magical duel,' which was to take place on Parliament Hill in Hampstead, before cooling down and calling off the clash."
This has been cribbed from Jacqueline Simpson's entry on Wikipedia. She was a friend and ally of David Farrant, even appearing at his symposium in July 2015 to offer him her support and belittle me. There was no "magician's duel," and I certainly made an appearance on the summit of Parliament Hill, as evidenced in above photographs. Not only was the occasion covered correctly in the Hampstead & Highgate Express, but I wrote about it in one of my books. The national press were in touch with Farrant, and he provided them with a different account of what would transpire. He was not present, of course, but he spoke of naked witches, sacrificing a cat and raising a demon. I created a ring of prayer.
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"The Highgate of 1970 was different, just as the Highgate Cemetery of the era was not the genteel tourist destination it is today. In place of the carefully manicured graves and pathways, there was a deep set neglect, characterised by rampant vandalism and mutterings about pagan sex parties taking place in the dark of night."
"In the 1978 General Election, David Farrant ran in Hornsey as the sole candidate for his own Wicca Workers Party, on a platform of free sex and nudity, restoring the Wiccan creed, outlawing communism, establishing state brothels, restoring true power to the monarchy and leaving the EU Common Market. Farrant's brand of electoral paganism may have been unsuccessful, but it says something of an era in which London could play home to eccentrics and outliers."
It surprises me that Francisco Garcia, a left-wing journalist, chooses to overlook the eagles and runes on Farrant's WWP leaflets, or pursue what Farrant wrote to the Hornsey Journal, preferring to dismiss it all as "eccentricity." The fact is that Farrant was prevented from standing because of his criminal record, and transferred his vote to the NF.
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"Things took a left turn in the early 2000s, when Don [Ecker] posited a question on a blog about Manchester, written in admittedly brisk language. Several days later, the emails started from the Friends of Sean Manchester Society [sic]. 'Oh boy, that first day there must have been about ten or 15,' he told me. 'And I'm convinced [to this day] that Manchester does not have a secretary'."
There is no "society" as described above; though people might be aware of a group and blog called Friends of Bishop Seán Manchester, on which can be discovered the following regarding Don Ecker:
"Hey All ... I need some help. Where in FB can you contact the people running this? I have a major complaint and I need to contact someone. I have l looked everywhere and can not find a link or name or telephone number. Pleassssse??"
His complaint, which Facebook naturally ignored, was that pictures owned by Bishop Seán Manchester stolen by Mr Ecker had been deleted from his FB page. These infringed photographs linked to his blogsite where legal notices have also been consistently ignored by his service provider and friend Don Peek of Coastland Technologies. (Mr Peek has also divulged confidential material to hate sites after receiving legal notices concerning infringed material owned by Bishop Manchester on those sites run by anonymous individuals).
"Well David, Bishop Bonkers (that is actually ol' Sean Manchester) struck again! It appears he doesn't like my Dark Matters blog posting ... 'Is The Bishop a Nutter??' He whined, sniveled and cried to FB claiming an infringement of copyright. Now, how can that whining and sniveling little ol' holy joe have copyright on ...MY FREAKEN BLOG?? Hmm? I ask you? You know, I think I will dedicate another whole show to him and pull out all the stops. Yep, just might do that."
Threats from the aging bully are commonplace, and FoBSM have certainly grown used to them down the years. David Farrant quickly made an offer which the American frothing at the mouth was quick to accept:
"Just let me know if you want me on the show again. Don, a PS. Did I ever send you a copy of my book "The Seangate Tapes"? If not, I will put one in the post for you. Its a classic!"
Don Ecker replied:
"Good morning David. No, you didn't send me that but it does sound fascinating! Would love to read it!"
To which Mr Farrant responded:
"I've just packaged it up for you Don, and will post tomorrow. I might as well put Pact with the Devil in with it as well, but the other thing will come a little later. Boy! will you have some fun when you read "The Seangate Tapes" book. For now, David."
"David ... I can HARDLY WAIT!" panted Don Ecker.
David Farrant commented further on his own blog:
"I heard from my friend American Radio Broadcaster, Don Ecker, to say he received the two books I sent him last week, and he has read them. I better not repeat what he said here, but let’s just say I don’t think he has a very high opinion of ‘nutters’ who go around wearing teas pot cosies!"
The infantile reference to "tea pot cosies" is Mr Farrant's coded allusion to Bishop Manchester's biretta.
You have to keep reminding yourself that these are two elderly pensioners: an Englishman in his mid-sixties, and an American who is even older still!
Anthony Hogg had the same insulting comment posted by Don Ecker on his Facebook page. Mr Hogg responded:
"G'day Don. Good to hear from you! Yeah, he's a troublesome, dodgy sort. Leaves a nice trail of buffoonery behind him. This is the latest example."
Recovering stolen property, according to Anthony Hogg, is now to be regarded as "buffoonery."
On his self-congratulatory blog, Mr Ecker makes any number of personal attacks on Bishop Manchester with the mandatory stolen images to accompany each malicious swipe. On an entry titled "Is the Bishop a Nutter?" Don Ecker's true colours are revealed, as he barely contains himself:
"Now, let me tell you a little bit about the guy that shoveled all that shit out there……. Sean Manchester" Don Ecker begins, and it is not long before we are being treated to more of his remarkable eloquence: "Well, I almost popped a blood vessel. ... This was after Manchester, under an assumed computer user identity, accused me of being an 'American War-Monger' because of my Viet Nam service. As I said later, I was soooooo happy I was here (So. Calf.) and not there (England-UK) because I just wouldn’t trust myself if I happened to 'bump' into good ol’ Sean. ... So remember Sean, it is never a good idea to go out of your way to piss someone off who buys ink by the gallon and spend their spare time in front of a radio microphone. It will come back to bite you …. you Holy Joe … you."
In fact, Bishop Manchester has never had any contact with Don Ecker. It was a member of FoBSM (a female) who referred to Mr Ecker as a "war monger." This came about following Mr Ecker turning nasty after he approached FoBSM to arrange a radio interview with the bishop. Don Ecker had been desperately trying to interview Bishop Manchester for years until he finally gave up and settled for David Farrant who managed to lead the American up the garden path with very little difficulty. The open threat from Don Ecker of what he would do if he bumped into the bishop, unfortunately, is typical of the man.
David Farrant started posting his familiar abuse on the blog comments at the invitation of Don Ecker. Then some balancing commentary appeared courtesy of FoBSM until the man who claims the American Constitution's first amendment allows him to say what he likes, using infringed images in the process, decided that "free speech" was to be curtailed if an opinion other than his own was being heard. The comments' section abruptly ended with this statement:
"Hear Ye This! Further comments on this topic are CLOSED! If you all wish to continue, do so on Mr. Farrants blog, Net Curtain Lurkers, The Pussy Meows, or where ever. I no longer am accepting further comments here. Don Ecker, Administrator."
Don Ecker wrote a vampire novel fifteen years ago which he is constantly plugging. It appeared a decade after the first edition of The Highgate Vampire was published to great acclaim. Indeed, Mr Ecker purchased a copy of the bishop's non-fiction work. His own less than successful first (and last) attempt at writing a book might have caused some envy towards Bishop Manchester whose book still remains a bestseller in its category, and is currently under option for a major cinema film. The trouble with Don Ecker's novel is that it reflects the man and his poor command of the English language with a tedious story that is almost impossible to read. If the amateurish presentation of language fails to put the reader off, the absence of any convincing or coherent storyline certainly will.
Envy, coupled with the fact that Don Ecker has failed at every attempt made to interview Bishop Manchester to boost the ratings of his self-serving radio show, is probably the reason the man has now turned to publishing libel. It is no more than you would expect from a pathetic bully who cannot get his own way.
As Hallowe'en approached, Mr Ecker decided it was time to interview Mr Farrant again via the telephone. It was only a matter of minutes before both engaged in an unadulterated hate-fest where each sought to lead the other in a mad scramble to introduce fabrications and lies. As Mr Ecker struggled to lead a hesitant Mr Farrant into fresh areas of calumny, it was not long before their joint defamation of character reached a new and disgusting low. More than three quarters of the interview was devoted entirely to issuing falsehood about the bishop; mocking and ridiculing him while declaring him mentally deranged. And this from one of them, Mr Farrant, whom psychiatrists appointed by the courts in the UK found difficulty in agreeing whether he was sane enough to stand trial. Don Ecker made the startling admission that if Bishop Manchester is a Christian, then he would rather be on the Devil's side. We thought he already was!
David Farrant repeated all the same libel from past interviews he has given with whoever is daft enough to provide him with a platform, including Mr Ecker, where he employs every piece of incitement against the bishop that he can dream up. This includes the malicious allegation that he was once was a member and canvassed for the National Front. Don Ecker is never slow to seize upon any libel that comes his way without requiring a a shred of evidence.
Bishop Seán Manchester's position is quite clear. He has no interest in party politics and has at no time in his life been a member of any political party. False claims to the effect that he has been a National Front member, and indeed canvassed for them, stem solely from David Farrant; the same David Farrant who attempted to stand as a WWP candidate in the 1978 British General Election; the same David Farrant who recommended that potential voters should switch to the National Front when he stood down; the same David Farrant who has sought and received support from Nazi-minded individuals, eg Kevin Chesham, with far right associations to attack Bishop Seán Manchester.
At the time Ecker tried to make contact to interview me, my secretary was Katrina Garforth-Bless who was also my personal assistant. My next secretary and personal assistant was Diana Brewester.
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"There is a crucial problem with reporting the case today. Farrant is gone, his side of the story dependent on the often strained memories of others, and Manchester remains in no mood to relinquish his grip on ownership of the case – it is, after all, almost his entire life's work – while also not exactly forthcoming when it comes to interview requests."
I was central to the case from start to finish. There is no "grip" to relinquish. I began to investigate the case in 1967, and, devoting a lot of my time to it, closed it in 1982. My published account followed three years later. Apart from VRS members, friends and colleagues, there was nobody else involved. Francisco Garcia is aware that I ceased to provide any and all interviews in 2013, and eschewed contributions to television, radio and film in 2011. The case is definitely not my "life's work."
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"I'm not really sure what I expected when I asked Sean Manchester for some thoughts on his old rival, but it certainly wasn't a link to a relatively magnanimous self-penned eulogy. Perhaps I should have already realised that, when it comes to the Highgate Vampire, one should leave any reasonable expectations at the door."
Farrant was not a "rival." He sought publicity, whereas I shunned gratuitous publicity. I believe in the existence of a supernatural realm, including vampires, ie predatory demonic entities. Farrant did not.
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