The word “Orchid”comes from the Greek “órkhis,” literally meaning “testicle” because its root has a similar shape. The term was introduced in 1845 by John Lindley in School Botany. In Greek mythology, Orchis was the son of a nymph and a satyr. During a celebratory feast for Bacchus, Orchis committed the sacrilege of attempting to rape a priestess, resulting in his being torn apart by wild beasts, then metamorphosing into a slender and modest plant. Mr Farrant has always claimed Dionysus/Bacchus, along with Lucifer, as being a very important deity for him in his belief system.
David Farrant with his ritual dagger - holding a death doll.
The altar to Dionysus/Bacchus at David Farrant's home.
Angie Mary Watkins, who triggered the present controversy that brought Catherine Fearnley back into the fray after three years of calm, calls herself BlackOrchid. This is what she has to say about her user-name: "My identity is open for all who wish to know. On Facebook I go by the name BlackOrchid and also Luci Loo. I no longer use the name Clarmonde. My real name is Angie Mary Watkins, and because I love graphic novels, and superhero comics, I usually use the name BlackOrchid, and more often than not, a picture of this superhero as my avatar. I have met Mr Farrant three times, and yes, did make him a Shepherds pie." Miss Watkins (BlackOrchid), like so many before her, would eventually see Farrant for what he is, as her comments on the Supernatural World forum (where Farrant also posts) attest: "Its hardly surprising all this paranoia is coming out? I discovered once I had met David Farrant that it is impossible to be his friend, and NOT end up paranoid? I liked him at first, and formed the impression he was an approachable, nice enough bloke - THEN all the stupid games started? And by the way, David,why did you pretend you were going out with a lady called 'Veronica Lake', whilst you were already going out with the lady known as now your ex-secretary and girlfriend? How was she meant to react to this? These things might seem amusing to you, but don't you think it's a bit unfair, if not cruel, to appear to go out of your way to MAKE people paranoid? When you and I fell out, I kept silent, as you sent me a message saying that I was deliberately trying to hurt you. It was true that I was annoyed. But what you don't understand is that YOUR behaviour hurts people - all these stupid games, silly lies and red herrings! You just ###### people about, and they dont like it? Then you complain that people are accusing you of things!"
Barbara Green adopted the pseudonym GreenOrchid, and not long after that Catherine Fearnley was calling herself BlueOrchid. Three orchids for Mr Farrant which, intentionally or not, helped to fuel Mr Farrant's hate campaign against Bishop Manchester. Mrs Green and Miss Fearnley have history which reveals them participating with Mr Farrant and his close associate Gareth Medway in a pseudo-occult ceremony over a grave on private land, something they now regret doing.
An illegal witchcraft ceremony conducted over a private grave.
In above the photograph, from left to right, are Barbara Green, Gareth Medway, David Farrant and Catherine Fearnley on the night of 20 April 2005. There were two others present, these being from Red Monkey Films who took video footage of the proceedings without consent from the landowner. This video film has never been shown after the threat of an injunction by the landowner. Mr Medway would later recount on 29 April 2005, via Mr Farrant’s computer, on the Fortean Times forum:
“The ritual conducted there by me, at sunset on 20 April 2005, was based upon the invocation of three (not two) Greek Goddesses. Firstly, Athena was called upon … Secondly, Hekate who guides the spirits of the dead to the next world … Thirdly, Themis, the Goddess of cosmic order and balance was invoked … The ceremony finished with a general blessing. In my opinion it is too early to say whether it has been successful … What I did notice was that, when I arrived, I felt very cold and my nose kept running, but that after the ritual I did not notice the temperature at all. Barbara Green, who had been campaigning for many years for such a ritual to be done, seemed to be satisfied.”
.
David Farrant preparing a pseudo-occult ritual
over a tomb on private land in West Yorkshire.
Miss Fearnley’s ex-boyfriend is no stranger to nefarious nocturnal rituals over graves. Mr Farrant’s first criminal conviction was in November 1972 at Barnet Magistrates Court. One of the more reputable local newspapers in their coverage of the court proceedings where Mr Farrant and his co-defendant, Victoria Jervis, were both found guilty of indecency, the Hampstead & Highgate Express, 24 November 1972, revealed:
“Mr P J Bucknell, prosecuting, said Mr Farant had painted circles on the ground, lit with candles, and had told reporters and possibly the police of what he was doing. ‘This appears to be a sordid attempt to obtain publicity,’ he said.”
David Farrant and Victoria Jervis being arrested in 1972.
Editor and journalist Peter Hounan wrote in an article for the Hornsey Journal, 19 June 1974, following Mr Farrant’s sentence of four years and eight months at London’s Old Bailey:
“As a lad, David Farrant was ‘a little devil’ some of the time. As a teenager, he was ‘a bit of a terror’. But as a man he caused the most trouble – because of his wicked witchcraft activities. Farrant, aged 28, of Archway Road, Highgate – a former Highgate public schoolboy – paid the penalty for his weird pastimes at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. He was jailed for four years and eight months at the end of three separate trials.”
The following month, Peter Hounan, who had interviewed Mr Farrant twice in person, wrote again in the Hornsey Journal, 16 July 1974:
“Farrant was a fool. Fascinated by witchcraft, which he learnt from his mother, he couldn’t keep his interests to himself. He was a blatant publicist. He told this newspaper of his activities, sent photographs and articles describing his bizarre activities.”
David Farrant was given a two years’ prison sentence in June 1974 for vandalising a tomb and for offering indignity to remains of the dead at London’s Highgate Cemetery. He received a further two years for making black magic threats in an attempt to pervert the course of justice, and another eight months for theft from a hospital, plus possession of a firearm with ammunition.
It should be added that Angie Mary Watkins, Barbara Green and Catherine Fearnley have subsequently seen through David Farrant's deception and want nothing further to do with him.
