Saturday 27 February 2016

Clones, Clowns and Calumny



Forty-six years ago today the Highgate Vampire case was taken into the public domain for the first time in the form of a front-page news feature article headlined "Does A Wampyr Walk In Highgate?" There was no mention of David Farrant in the article which focussed on the findings of the President of both the British Occult Society and the then fledgling Vampire Research Society. Many have since attempted to jump on the publicity-bandwagon that ensued, but none perhaps have been so desperate and compulsive as Anthony Hogg and his collaborators Trystan Lewis Swale and Erin Chapman who are currently trying to track down two females who have hitherto enjoyed their privacy.

A response from the author of The Highgate Vampire, Seán Manchester:

"Hogg, Swale and Chapman make clear their intention to pursue two women who I happen to know will resist any attempt to have their privacy compromised after all these years, but the trolling trio show no interest whatsoever in finding eye-witnesses identified with names and addresses in the Hampstead & Highgate Express in the early months of 1970. These eye-witnesses only differ from Elizabeth (I do not include Jacqueline because she is not 'Lusia' as falsely alleged by the stalkers) in one regard. None of them have any connection to me. Had they a connection to me they would doubtless be pursued to the ends of the earth by these obsessive non-entities out to grab their undeserved fifteen minutes of fame at the expense of innocent women and, of course, on the coat-tails of my book The Highgate Vampire and myself. What they are doing is morally unacceptable, and should not be encouraged or helped in any form." - Seán Manchester (27 February 2016)

Kenneth Frewin, R Docherty, Julian McKennar, Audrey Connely and Nava Arieli (aka Nava Grunberg) were all identified as first-hand eyewitnesses in the Hampstead & Highgate Express, February — March 1970. Trystan Lewis Swale, Anthony Hogg and Erin Chapman are content to ruthlessly pursue Elizabeth while ignoring the other self-proclaimed eye-witnesses. Elizabeth was not identified by name in 1970, albeit she was referred to anonymously on television programmes that year. Mary Farrant and Colette Sully, although sympathetic to David Farrant at the time, might bring fresh evidence and certainly an unheard perspective. Females much less sympathetic to Farrant who were also identified by name in newspapers and magazines, eg Victoria Jervis, Nancy O'Hoski and many others, might equally shed new light on the goings-on in the 1970s. They have unique and privileged information. But you will find neither Hogg nor Swale nor Chapman showing the slightest interest in these females because they have no association whatsoever with Seán Manchester.


As David Farrant, now turned seventy, falls further into an undead slumber, Anthony Hogg, Trystan Lewis Swale and Erin Chapman have replaced him, using pernicious propaganda originating with Farrant to pursue an identical vendetta against the exorcist Seán Manchester. They are this generation's clones of a clown who nobody took seriously back in the 1970s. Swale, who regards Satanists as being mostly atheists and is one himself, declared on his site yesterday that Seán Manchester "doesn't know much about Satanism." The implication is that these clones do and their undisguised empathy with the dark side provides common ground with the source of all the malice.


Seán Manchester's final comment in 2013 on the Highgate Vampire case:

"It was necessary to tell the full story, even though this was not an easy decision, due to the overwhelming public interest in the case, but I really now feel the subject has been exhausted and all there is to say about it has been said. It has also exhausted me after decades of television and radio interviews, film documentaries and related projects concentrating on this one topic. There will always be people seeking to cash in and exploit my work for their own ends. Many, of course, will be too young to remember the happenings at Highgate. That notwithstanding, my book The Highgate Vampire is optioned for cinematic treatment, but that is not something I wish to elaborate upon here.

"I am willing to quietly and privately set the record straight where need be, but I gave my final interview about this case to the broadcast media some years ago and have no intention of returning to the topic despite persistent requests from television and radio programmes for me to do so almost every week. I still make contributions on unrelated matters, but this subject of intense public fascination — in some cases obsession — concerning events at Highgate Cemetery more than forty-four years ago is not something I have an appetite to return to any longer. Having said that, my memoir in its unexpurgated form obviously mentions the case in a proper and fitting context to my life. However, I have no plans to have my memoir published — now or ever.

"Unimaginable horrors were experienced by folk at the time of the contagion and these I feel are best not evoked. They should be left undisturbed. The reality that I and others, most now sadly deceased, experienced all those many years ago no longer exists, and next to the hunger to experience the supernatural, albeit in this case at its most maleficent and deadly, there is perhaps no stronger hunger than to forget.

"Should an individual have a particular query about those mysterious happenings, I will give that person an answer (but not an interview); otherwise I have too much in the present with which to be concerned without reliving nightmares from the past."


Monday 22 February 2016

The Italian Connection



Alan commented on Trystan Lewis Swale's "Looking for Elizabeth [-------] and Jacqueline [------]."

The following unedited, uncorrected comment was posted by an Italian man to Swale's website blog:

"Good evening. My name is Alan, i’m from Italy, please accept my apologies for my poor english. I study vampirology since many years and obviously i’ve followed the Highgate vampire case with a lot of interest during the last decade. I would like to say a few words.

"Frankly it’s really hard for me to understand why a group of few people has decided to establish a climate of hate, rancour and mockery against the Bishop Sean Manchester. First of all please remember that Bishop Manchester is not a child, he could be your father, and it’s really annoying to read some comments from people that clearly don’t know good manners (i remember the 'Bishop Bonkers' story, just to make an example).

"Second: honestly i don’t understand what kind of result you hope to obtain bothering two ladies that evidently don’t want to speak about the past…the Highgate vampire’s case has happened 46 years ago, a lot of water has passed under the bridge, they never talked about that story and you really believe that they will talk now only because of your call? I think that you’re really optimistic….Guys, get a life! After 46 years every protagonist of that event has said what it was necessary to say, we have a lot of articles, books and testimonies about it… everybody has the right to have his own opinion and believe me, i perfectly understand that it sounds fascinating to investigate but it seems to me that you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel, don’t you think?

"Third: in my opinion we all should say just a big 'thank you' to the Bishop Sean Manchester because it’s only thanks to him if we all write a river of words about the case after almost 50 years after the facts. That Friday 13th Bishop Manchester has made history, period, deal with it. He lit up our passion and interest. Now you can believe in his account or not, it’s your right, if you think that the whole story is a hoax you can just put his books on the library and forget about them. Your choice. You don’t believe in demons? You don’t believe in God? You don’t believe in the existence of vampires? No problem. But please stop bothering him cause it’s very sad to see a coalition of adults acting like childs.

"I wonder why many people attack Bishop Manchester and not a vandal and a black magician like David Farrant?! Maybe because Bishop Manchester talks about God and Farrant talks about magic and occult rituals? It’s clear enough that a Catholic clergyman is surely a easy target in these years of anti christian propaganda but Farrant is just an opportunist who desperately seeked his 15 minutes of fame on Bishop Manchester coat-tails. And he’s still trying to demand attention after 46 years, it’s a little pathetic, but this is just my two cents…Bishop Manchester is much more coherent than a person who organize clownings like the Highgate vampire symposium only to say that he doesn’t believe in vampires… wow! Really interesting! So why he still takes advantage of that story using the terminology “The Highgate vampire”? And you’d really spend your money to see a depressing show of that kind? With what authority Farrant talks about the Highgate vampire case? Honestly i really don’t understand. Moreover i’m pretty sure that he doesn’t remember what he ate yesterday, let’s imagine what he can recall about his awkward wrongdoings dating back to 46 years ago…

"Bishop Manchester has turned the page, he doesn’t organize pointless 'symposiums' and he doesn’t need your money like somebody else…. so i think that the best thing that some people could do is leaving him alone. Regards."

(Comment posted on 21 February 2016 at 6:03 pm)
__________________________________________________________________________________



Swale's offensive reply was steeped in libel and lies repeated from Farrant and it is not worth sharing. Anthony Hogg's comments continued in much the same insulting and dismissive vein. For example:

"Could people call me a 'troll' for referring to your asshole behaviour here? Probably. But then they’d be overlooking the context, wouldn’t they? ... I’m sorry you feel that I’m rude, Alan. But I’m afraid you haven’t left me much choice. ... Don’t waste my time with bullshit, Alan. ... Your condescending, shitty attitude was actually the whole problem in the first place. If you get back to me with some fair and balanced comments, including taking the effort to read what we’ve shared with you [to] discuss their content [and] not whinging on and on about 'rancour' and some other bullshit, then, and only then, will I be able to take you more seriously." (Anthony Hogg on Trystan Swale's website's blog)

Alan (who is a resident of Milan, Italy, albeit falsely accused of being in Germany by Swale) added:

"Anthony, i’ve been polite and reasonable but you insist to be aggressive and frankly this makes me feel unconmfortable. i really would like to examine your points but at this point i guess that it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s a pity but if you don’t know the good manners there’s nothing i can do unfortunately. You’re a guy full of preconceptions. For example: you say that i’m an apologist but i’ve never expressed my opinion about the Highgate case. Never. Surely i believe in the supernatural but i didn’t express an opinion about the case itself. In all my comments i’ve just asked respect and politeness for the Bishop Manchester and for all the people who could have different views. I’ve made some questions and objections but i didn’t offend anyone as you did. Why you need to use personal offenses to express your reasons? I don’t understand…Anyway, if this means to be an apologist, well, i’m guilty but just for the record i’ve spent a lot of years studying vampirology and paranormal so i repeat that your insults are out of place. Maybe you need to insult and provoke because the quality of your topics is low, i really don’t know, it’s just a theory. That said, i’m sincerely sorry cause as said before i was not here to argue and it was not my intention to be offensive. I’ve tried to find a meeting point but it seems that it’s impossible to have a normal conversation with you. I think that there’s really something wrong in your attitude, maybe you should think about it, just my two cents. Thanks to Trystan for the hospitality, much appreciated."

Saturday 20 February 2016

The Unholy Trinity



"Through [my] site I recently issued a joint appeal with [Anthony Hogg and Erin Chapman] to trace two alleged victims of the Highgate Vampire: Jacqueline [surname deleted] and Elizabeth [surname deleted]. Collectively, we are keen to obtain something that nobody else has — first hand recollections from the pair without a middleman. In their case that third party was none other than Seán Manchester, [author] of The Highgate Vampire! The appeal seems to have ignited something of a spark over on the Portals to the Truth website run by Friends of Bishop Seán Manchester."    Trystan Lewis Swale

"We don't really know if they want to be left in peace. As explained, several times over, [Seán Manchester] is not their guardians. [He's] not their representatives. ... Our position on this matter is fairly clear and reasonable." - Anthony Hogg (The Enfield Independent newspaper)

"How predictable that literally within minutes of a comment from myself in an online newspaper providing publicity for this unholy trinity, one of the three stalkers would be arguing the case to find two women after half a century who definitely do not wish to have their lives disrupted in this way. To be absolutely clear, Jacqueline made me her representative back in the early 1970s. She was absolutely explicit about her privacy not being violated, and I intend to uphold that wish. Elizabeth reiterated her desire to have her privacy protected when we recently spoke at length about this matter. I represent her, too. Should either female be run down by this trolling trio it might easily become a police matter. I knew these women very well and am in no doubt how they would feel about being exploited by the likes of Anthony Hogg, Trystan Lewis Swale and Erin Chapman. Brushing aside my words while insisting that the women speak for themselves defeats the exercise because by that point their privacy will have been violated. There is no honour among trolls and it is up to others to become the 'guardians' of women being pursued in this way."  Seán Manchester

"Some might suggest I remain silent, as this is often the best way to deal with compulsive individuals who want to gain attention to cause distress and some sort of connection. However, silence is often construed as a form of consent, if not tacit approval. That notwithstanding, how do you remain silent when obsessed ne'er-do-wells come metaphorically knocking at the door? The problem with these trolls is that they are intrinsically cowards who cower from any real encounter that would prise them from behind their computer screens where they seem to spend every waking moment. I draw the line when they go after defenceless women, especially those who have been a part of my life and my history. Hogg, Swale and Chapman have overstepped the mark doing that and I really do not understand anyone wanting to assist them in such a despicable endeavour. Seán Manchester

"I’m not sure why [Seán Manchester] is making this about [him]. By seeking Jacqueline and Elizabeth it isn’t an invasion of [his] privacy. All we want to do is speak to the women quoted in [Seán Manchester's] book. That isn’t stalking, it’s called trying to speak to eyewitnesses."  Trystan Lewis Swale

"Swale then proceeds to turn his blog commentary into something exclusively about me, mentioning me by name at least fifty times and regurgitating the same old lies and propaganda à la Farrant we've heard a hundred times before. None of which has anything to do with the topic at hand. When the opportunity arises to attack me, like his associates Hogg and Chapman, he drops everything to concentrate on defaming me, using malicious falsehood originating with Farrant. If I am making this topic about anything it is a trolling trio who are obsessed with me and have been for some considerable time. It is not about Jacqueline who has been misidentified as being somebody else by them. And it is not about Elizabeth whom I spoke to as recently as February 8th. She made it quite apparent how she felt about being contacted by anyone regarding this history which she considers to be dead and buried. She gave her testimony at the time in the 1960s, and that really must suffice, as far as she is concerned. Anyone wishing to listen to her testimony may do so [by clicking on the image below linking to a television documentary]. Jacqueline had no part in the case, save at the periphery and only because she often accompanied me. She made absolutely clear to me in the 1970s that she wanted her privacy to be protected, but understood that photographs in which she had been used as a model remain extant. When Elizabeth and I talked recently she was also adamant that her privacy remain sacrosanct. She was very clear about that. Seán Manchester


Portals to the Truth would like to add that the self-proclaimed impartiality of the unholy trinity, who are totally reliant on David Farrant's poisonous propaganda, can be exploded when you consider how obsessed they are in tracking down literally anyone and anything connected to Seán Manchester, but show little if any interest in people connected to Farrant whose son, Jamie, and demented lieutenant, John Pope, they are all Facebook friends with and have been for quite some time. They might occasionally make jokes at Farrant's expense, or question his claim about the Victorian origin of his "ghost," but that is the full extent of their "research." Swale had his nose put out of joint recently when Farrant refused to return some money owed when Swale was told he would not be welcome at a symposium after buying a ticket to attend. There is evidence that Farrant doesn't like any of them.

"Lusia" has never been identified and is not the person used to represent her in books, and, like Elizabeth, was not referred to in the media during the time when massive interest was being shown. Though her experiences, eg nightly visitations etc, were briefly touched on in 1970 by Seán Manchester during television interviews, he did not actually identify her by name. That came later when the hysteria had died down and she was eventually identified in Peter Underwood' anthology The Vampire's Bedside Companion and, of course, Seán Manchester's own The Highgate Vampire.

There were people that self-identified as correspondents in the Hampstead & Highgate Express who claimed to be eye-witnesses to the supernatural entity at Highgate Cemetery in 1970. Yet we find Trystan Lewis Swale, Anthony Hogg and Erin Chapman showing no interest whatsoever in them.

The question is why? Upon closer examination we discover that some of these correspondents were either put up to it by Farrant, or allowed their names and addresses to be used by Farrant when he submitted fraudulent letters to the editor. With the benefit of hindsight and a considerable amount of solid evidence we now know there was no ghost, as claimed in these letters. Indeed, we know that Farrant himself was the only "ghost" making an appearance at Highgate Cemetery in early 1970.


The following letters to the editor of the Hampstead & Highgate Express appeared immediately in the wake of Farrant's own letter claiming three sightings of a ghost-like figure at London's Highgate Cemetery. The first is written by Kenny Frewin, complete with Frewin's genuine address at the time.


Kenny Frewin was and remains a close personal friend of David Farrant and often acted as his "minder" throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also collaborated in further stories manufactured by Farrant in the press, but changed his name to "Kenny French" (on Farrant's advice) for that purpose.


The second is also written by a close friend of Farrant. He knew both Audrey and her husband Michael Connely, the latter joining him and his first wife, Mary, whom he married in August 1967, on drunken forays with others to Highgate Cemetery after the pubs had closed. Farrant altered her married status from "Mrs" to "Miss" when he came to write the letter using her name and address.


The third letter is written by someone by the name of R Docherty who was also an acquaintance of Farrant. Docherty allowed his name and address to be used. There were others, Yossel Baker being one, who did not give permission for their name and address to be used. Farrant used it anyway.


The fourth counterfeit letter to the local newspaper is attributed to "Nava Arieli" who, in fact, is Nava Grunberg (later to become Nava Jehans) who was undoubtedly Farrant's closest friend (and occasional girlfriend) at the time. The address is not hers. She lived in Hampstead Lane, and still does. The next couple of fake letters are no less interesting. Yossel Baker often drank in the Prince of Wales pub where Farrant was present with a couple of mutual friends, including Tony Hill. Baker's real name and address was used on the fraudulent correspondence without his knowledge. Farrant assumed that Baker would not be especially bothered about his identity being used in this way.


Finally, we come to a bogus letter written by a certain J McKennar of Muswell Hill Road, N10. By a curious coincidence that is David Farrant's current address where he has resided for decades; indeed, ever since his parole release from prison in 1976. When Farrant wrote his original hoax letter of 6 February 1970 he resided in Tony Hill's coal bunker which was part a communal cellar of similar bunkers belonging to 9 Priestwood Mansions, 294 Archway Road, London N6. Hill, his wife and mutual acquaintances such as Audrey and Michael Connely, were all well and truly in on the hoax.


Tuesday 16 February 2016

A Shambles from Start to Finish and Dull as Ditchwater



"During our final session of the day, we invited panel and audience members alike to share their questions and perspectives upon the nature of the Highgate entity. We were joined by John Fraser of The Society for Psychical Research and The Ghost Club, founder of ground breaking radio show Mind Set Central Gareth Davies (who flew all the way from Los Angeles!) and esoteric author and co-host of Keeping the Paranormal Friendly Andy Mercer. We were also graced with the presence of two witnesses to the entity, who were brave enough to share their experiences in public before a live audience, and to them we would like to extend enormous gratitude." - Della/Anna (14 February 2016)

Three words describe the line up of speakers at the Farrant organised Highgate Vampire Symposium of July 2015: dull as ditchwater. Even if just one of them had an engaging personality that was likeable, or could entertain those present with some vestige of wit and intelligence, the fact remains that none were blessed with an iota of knowledge about vampires. They were all hand-picked, of course, for precisely that reason, ie their established prejudice against the existence of such things.

John Frazer is a perfect example of this. He is heard blurting his ill-informed nonsense early on in the final part of the symposium on video (which can be viewed by clicking on the images on this page).

Frazer absurdly states that vampires are not part of our culture which would explain, he posits, why the only cases in the British Isles he has ever heard about are the Croglin Grange Vampire in Cumbria and the Highgate Vampire in London. The reason he is not familiar with more cases is due to him not studying or researching vampires. Like the remainder of those chosen to speak at the symposium, he is not a vampirologist or vampire expert, which some might find strange given the topic supposedly under discussion, ie the Highgate Vampire. Needless to say, it wasn't discussed beyond dismissing it out of hand. Everything other than vampirism was tediously trotted out to explain away the occurrences in and around Highgate Cemetery up until the early 1970s.

The English term "vampire" was probably derived (via French vampyre) from the German wampyr, in turn thought to be derived in the early eighteenth century from the Serbian вампир/vampir. The Serbian form has parallels in virtually all Slavic languages: Bulgarian вампир (vampir), Czech and Slovak upír, Polish wąpierz, and (perhaps East Slavic-influenced) upiór, Russian упырь (upyr'), Belarusian упыр (upyr), Ukrainian упирь (upir'), from Old Russian упирь (upir'). Many of these languages have also borrowed forms such as "vampir/wampyr" subsequently from the West; these are distinct from the original local words for the creature. The exact etymology is unclear. Among the proposed proto-Slavic forms are ǫpyrь and ǫpirь. Like its possible cognate that means "bat" (Czech netopýr, Slovak netopier, Polish nietoperz, Russian нетопырь / netopyr' - a species of bat), the Slavic word might contain a Proto-Indo-European root for "to fly." An older theory is that the Slavic languages have borrowed the word from a Turkic term for "witch" (eg Tatar ubyr).  Records of vampirism in the British Isles reach back a thousand years, and I would refer John Frazer to Historia Rerum Anglicarum by William of Newburgh (1136-1208) where accounts of the undead who stray beyond their grave in such places as Buckinghamshire and Berwick are given in significant detail.

None of which was of any interest to the organisers and invited speakers at the Highgate Vampire Symposium in July 2015 where the most they could offer was a "ghost" and a phoney one at that!





Wednesday 10 February 2016

A Certain Bonky Individual



"A certain ‘bonky’ individual has attempted to give his own version of these witnessed and recorded events and sightings . . . this person being one known as a certain 'Bishop Bonkers.' ... But regarding the Highgate Vampire Symposium of last July (and as I stated in my last Blog), this bonky individual seems to have taken great exception to this public event held at the theatre Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate Village. During that Conference, several witnesses came forward to confirm the ghostly legends and stories which have surrounded Highgate Cemetery for many years, including the appearances of a ghostly black-clad figure which have been claimed there. The general consensus during the Symposium however was that, although still unexplained, this ghostly apparition was definitely authentic as far as ‘earthly proof’ and testimony can ever go, but was definitely not a ‘vampire’ as this ‘bonky individual’ had been trying to make the public believe. I explained in my Blog that Bonky viewed (and views) the Highgate ghost reports of the apparition sighted at Highgate Cemetery as a serious threat to his ‘vampire tale.’ ... Personally, I did not take too much notice of Bonky’s presence. ... Anyway, (and don’t lose interest dear readers, as we are coming to the important part which I didn’t think to be of enough importance to mention in my last blog) . . . etc, etc, ad nauseam." - David Farrant (6 February 2016)

Readers by this point, unless already comatosed by Farrant's infantility, will have lost interest long before reaching this relatively early stage in his stumbling ramble where he promises the imminent release of the final edit of the so-called Highgate Vampire Symposium's ultimate wheezing whimper. 

In this one blog entry of which only a snatch is quoted above, Farrant employs the term "bonky" no less than twenty-one times to describe his arch-nemesis Seán Manchester whom he additionally calls "Bishop Bonkers." So, the use of the "bonky" / "bonkers" expression twenty-two times in all. We really do have to pinch ourselves to believe that this is issuing from a seventy-year-old man!

The ultimate farcical part of the ultimate farce is, therefore, pending, and will be duly covered here.




Tuesday 9 February 2016

A Low and Hollow Place



"CHELTENHAM, 6 February 2016 – Vampire enthusiasts are asking for the public’s help in finding Elizabeth [.......] and Jaqueline [sic] [......]. The two women are reported to have been attacked by a vampire in North London during a spate of incidents that occurred between 1969 [sic] and 1973. The first hand testimony of these victims promises to settle the mystery of the ‘Highgate Vampire’ ... So far, neither [Anthony Hogg's and Erin Chapman's website] or [Trystan Lewis Swale's website] have been successful in their attempts to trace [Elizabeth] and [Jacqueline]. Members of the public who have any knowledge of their whereabouts are encouraged to [make contact]." - Trystan Lewis Swale

Let's get the mandatory mistakes and obvious deceits made by Trystan Lewis Swale out of the way:

1. The only "vampire enthusiasts" requesting the public to help track down these women after the passing of approximately half a century are Anthony Hogg, Erin Chapman and Trsytan Lewis Swale.

2. The spate of incidents regarding Elizabeth's recorded experiences began in 1967, not 1969.

3. First-hand testimony of Elizabeth was recorded in The Highgate Vampire (1985 & 1991), and also transcribed on audio and, later, video (DVD). The other named female, Jacqueline, was not "attacked by a vampire" and her identity is not that falsely attributed to her by Hogg, Chapman and Swale.

Seán Manchester's response on Facebook sums the whole sorry situation up most aptly:

"Hogg, Swale and Chapman, none of whom were alive at the time the Highgate Vampire case was making headlines throughout the media, are trying to track down two women by spamming their intent to stalk them across the internet. One of the women is misidentified as 'Lusia' and deserves to be left in peace. The other had enough of a traumatic experience half a century ago without having stalkers chasing her down to wherever she lives in order to interrogate her. I happen to know she wishes to be left alone in order to live out her days in peace. No pensioner wants the uninvited attention of stalking trolls who will only bring tumult into an erstwhile private existence. The actual women themselves would hardly want to be pursued at this time in their life by latter-day publicity-seekers whose sole source of falsehood and misinformation is David Farrant. One of them was a professional model half a century ago who was prepared to give testimony against Farrant at Highgate Magistrates Court over threatening and harassing telephone calls. Since then she has become an extremely private person who has an absolute right to enjoy a private family life. The same goes for the other one who is identified in The Highgate Vampire due to experiences she underwent in the 1960s. That history of long ago exists in print and in a video transcription. There it should be left because she, too, wants to be allowed to enjoy a life without such unwelcome intrusion as the likes of these latter-day bandwagoneers intend. Maybe they will contact the police if they hear about Hogg's and Swale's campaign to track them down?" - Seán Manchester (7 February 2016)

"Someone is trying to help Hogg and Swale hunt these people down who is also a member of this [Facebook] group. The number of females totally unconnected who stand to be bombarded and invaded with all manner of things, not just by trolls but also others who read the spam they are putting out, just because they have the same or a similar name, is unacceptable." - Robert Darnley

"I note the points you and Seán [Manchester] have raised. After giving the matter some thought I have removed my relevant post, and will not be investigating this matter further." - Andy Pryce

"It is in the interest of any number of women out there who might end up being harassed due to the Hogg-Swale 'search warrant.' Yesterday I spoke at length to Elizabeth, one of the two women being sought by Hogg and Swale. She again reiterated that claims made by David Farrant that she was contacted at work by an emissary of his decades ago is absolute nonsense and utterly false. On the current situation, she made very clear that the protection of her privacy is paramount with the police now probably having to be alerted and the names of all her stalkers being provided. In the case of Trystan Lewis Swale an address in full is known and any attempt to compromise this lady's privacy will result in immediate action." - Seán Manchester (9 February 2016)

"I noted a post by Erin Chapman to the London Vampire Group looking for this info. I have deleted it." - Darren Powell (The London Vampire Group, 9 February 2016)

"Have these people nothing better to do than stalk defenceless women? They seem to spend their whole existence as parasites feeding off something that no longer exists and is a part of history." - [The female who made this comment has purposely not been identified for her own protection.]

Should anyone be wondering about the title of today's blog, the definition of the word "Swale" is: "a low and hollow place." The meaning of "Hogg" requires no explanation, but hogs tend to like low and hollow places in which to wallow. The word can also mean: "to curve up in the centre and sag at the ends as a result of strain." Names clearly sometimes hold a significance for their owners.

This canvas portrait in oils of Elizabeth was painted by Seán Manchester in the previous century: