David Farrant

 

This is the first photograph I took of David Farrant (following his letter to the editor of the Hampstead & Highgate Express, published 6 February 1970). Publicity had already caught hold of him at this point, and it would soon carry him off in a direction few would want to emulate. In those months I suppose I came to know him; as well as anyone could, that is, which was probably not particularly very much. But certainly a great deal more than those who would attach themselves to him over the next half century. I was flattered that he would want to mimic me, well, at first, but by March 13th I was already questioning the wisdom of him doing so and strongly advised against his amateur vampire hunting antics. I need not have been concerned about him taking a brief ride on my coat-tails because he had other plans which took him about as far away from imitating me as he could get. I took it upon myself to look into his claims (outlined in his letter to the editor of the Ham & High on February 6th), and met him close to the North Gate, but still within the cemetery.

Having ignored my advice and warnings on Thames Television and in the Ham & High, David Farrant was arrested around midnight in Highgate Cemetery on August 17th; to be held on remand at Brixton Prison. It was from that point that relations between us seemed to deteriorate considerably. He became increasingly paranoid. I did not dislike him, and tried to understand him. Until, that is, he set into motion all the elements of a public feud, which could not be ignored, try as one might.

This photograph, and the one immediately above it, first appeared on page 62 of the first edition of The Highgate Vampire (published by the British Occult Society, 13-15 Pond Square, Highgate, N6).