RIP + David Farrant 1946 - 2019 +

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David Farrant

Quite An Eventful Day

Its been quite an eventful day. Had to be up early as had quite a few things to do. I knew I probably wouldn’t make my first appointment at 10 so I ensured some alarm calls – and even with these, I very nearly didn’t!

That’s not really as ‘lazy’ as it sounds, for lately – and especially through the summer – I never get to bed until the early morning light reminds me I’d better get ready. It was the same this morning. Having a beautiful dream (up there on the ‘astral plane’, where else?!), then suddenly, the bloody phones start ringing! I was almost annoyed, but I knew the caller meant well, so I eventually pulled myself out of bed. Shirt and trousers on in a bit of a daze before I realized, ‘hell’, I can’t wear those, I’m supposed to look half presentable. So had to change those. Easier said than done when its so difficult to find anything. That alone added about 15 minutes to the getting up process. Splashed some water on my face and made some tea. Was going to shave but didn’t really need to having done so in the early hours in anticipation. Lucky I did, as there wouldn’t have been enough time. Heard the ‘mice family’ scuffling about, but didn’t have time to give them much attention.

Arrived half an hour past the planned 10 dead-line. But it was nice and warm out and I enjoyed the short walk, so I didn’t really care. Anyway, I wasn’t really that restricted as I normally make my own ‘time’, and never commit myself to precise dead-lines. Then, the post office to post a Recorded Delivery letter. That was bad with queues out onto the pavement. Then it started! Some old nutter came up to me out of the blue and said . . . “Hello. Have you met Count Dracula lately?”! Everybody was listening as he was so loud so I just replied . . . “Yes. I met him last night actually!” More stupid talk, but that basically shut him up. When people like that try to embarrass me, they are usually disappointed!

Went to the bank after that, as had to draw some money. More queues. But I didn’t mind. There’s a really attractive black cashier in there that I really fancy. By now it was lunchtime, so it was into the store to get some things for this evening. Sitting outside on walls and benches were loads of school kids eating their own school dinners (don’t really blame them for that!). As I passed through the middle of them I heard one girl say . . . “Look, it’s the vampire!”. I pretended I didn’t hear. But I couldn’t help thinking . . . ‘Its going to be one of them days!’

Back home, the phone went. It was an old guy from Exeter. He’d just found something rather nasty on the Internet about himself and wanted to ‘warn’ me because my name had also been mentioned. I told him not to worry as everybody knew who the poster, or ‘posters’ were, and nobody really took them seriously.

Then I realized that five book orders were overdue, so they all had to be invoiced a sealed up, which took the best part of 40 minutes. Then the phone went again. Craig this time and he said he had some important news from his job about a certain individual. So I told him to come over which he duly did a couple of hours later bringing a work-mate. They gave me some interesting copies which they suggested should go in my next book. I probably will include them, but I really have so much material now that it’s a slight problem to get more in – at least in this edition. Few cans of beer (bless Craig! He always brings beer with him!) which took up another couple of hours at least.

Slumped back in the chair a little exhausted after my ‘early rise’ and then, yet another phone call from a local newspaper up North. About ‘vampire abductions’ in the Liverpool area! Well, I couldn’t really help as I never read newspapers (unless something has been specifically bought to my attention) and I hadn’t heard anything about it. She sounded a little disappointed but then asked if there might be any connection with the ‘Highgate Vampire’! There never was a ‘Highgate Vampire’, I told her so I very much doubted that!

A few more questions and she seemed to ‘cheer up’. They were doing a separate piece about a few interesting ghost cases in the area, so would I mind if she contacted me again for that? Not at all, I assured her.

Then K phoned about 11 asking me if much had happened. Not much out of the ordinary, I told her!

For the moment, David

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4 Responses

  1. Crikey David–is that what you call an “eventful day” ? What uneventful then? Only joking–my twilight years are pretty uneventful, get up, eat breakfast—used to take Jet for a walk before he went to doggy heaven–now I’m out of the dog walking club——–do computer,fall asleep!!!!!!!!!pick up grandaughter from school, tidy house, do garden, fall alseep wondering where and what I am!
    And so to bed as S Pepys said
    sort of just waiting to die, man…………
    now I really wonder what Bonky’s day consists of, can anyone imagine
    got up
    church service?????
    private prayer
    Internet dickipoggy
    bishop stuff
    lunch of nourishing broth
    planning plots
    more church and bishop stuff
    emergencies
    duels at dawn to book
    fan club
    important issues
    fell asleep and awakened completely disoreintated
    beauty parlour for whisker trim
    AND SO SO BED TO DREAM OF DIANA
    tata for now
    barbara

  2. -“Some old nutter came up to me out of the blue and said . . . “Hello. Have you met Count Dracula lately?”
    Do you think that sort of thing happens frequently in Bournemouth also?

  3. Sounds like your’e coping with your mice reading the previous blog? I get Woodmice sometimes in the Winter-time. They’re the “RM Commandos” of the lesser rodent world…bigger, smarter, bestowed with better night vision capabilities…but at this time of year they resort to the fields & hedges. Plenty of Norfolk outside of my cottage to journey through, without raiding my provender! Last year three Shrews attacked me, (or at least tried to unsettle me!), by rushing from all points of the compass at once, screaming like banshees before disappearing through the open front & back doors! Over in seconds, but utter commotion…unbelievable!
    Viewing these tiny creatures from a lofty(?) 5’10” perspective this reminded one only of a flotilla of Destroyers going in to ‘Sink the Bismark’. History thankfully did not repeat itself on this occasion!
    David, what are your conclusions of the paranormal nature, or otherwise, of the Highgate affair? Or is the final chapter still ‘hanging’ as it were? The Borley Rectory haunting has always interested me – still being written about even to this day. Maybe these things take on a life of their own in a material world broadly speaking; but sifting some of the more convincing testimony from the oft repeated hearsay gives you reason to wonder.

  4. Hi Mike and welcome,
    I don’t really mind the mice after all’s said and done, as long as they stay in the kitchen – or behind the kitchen wall. I caught a glimpse of one the other day. I surprised it on a shelf looking fro food I suppose. In a flash it was gone. They boldly ‘squeak’ and scuffle around behind the wall when they hear me in there. But I suppose that’s because they feel sake knowing I can’t get to them!
    Your question about the Highgate phenomenon is really quite a loaded one. There was definitely something being sighted there (I witnessed something myself in 1969) and still is for that matter. Indeed, this was the reason for our original investigation.
    But I’m afraid all the stories of this unexplained entity being a ‘vampire’ were just that . . .stories! The ‘vampire’ itself was a fictional creation, as were the stories about the people it was supposed to have bitten.
    It’s a pity in a way, that my name has now become synonymous with the word ‘Highgate Vampire’ and so many other cases of unexplained phenomena I have investigated and written about over the years are frequently overlooked.
    But simply the answer to your question is, ‘vampire’ or ‘vampires’, definitely not. ‘Ghost’ yes. But no vampire!
    Thanks for your reply Mike, and do keep posting.
    David Farrant

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