Introduction

Some background about myself in relation to the topic is required because these areas are frequently misconstrued purposely by those with an agenda which I recognise while others quite easily might not.

I was not raised in a religious environment, but took it upon myself to seek a path while still at school. This led to my being baptised in the Church of England, becoming a boys' church leader and a head choirboy.

While in my mid-teens I supported and had friends who belonged to a Christian coalition known as the Christian Nationalist Movement which sought to preserve Christian England in terms of Faith, heritage, culture and morality. The CNM was not a political party and therefore did not stand to be elected, nor did it want to. Nor was it, moreover, allied to any political party. It was non-denominational, and mostly comprised Anglicans with a sprinkling of Catholics and various others. The sharp decline in public morals, common courtesy and education that began in the 1960s made the need for such a grass roots movement all the more relevant, but it did not survive and by the end of the decade it had all but disappeared. When I was accepted into the Roman Catholic Church I mentioned my association with the CNM to the priest preparing me prior to my confirmation at Westminster Cathedral. He saw no problem whatsoever in my having this past association, or indeed anyone supporting the ideals, aims and aspirations of such a movement. I agreed with his assessment back then, and still do today. Indeed, I feel it was an honour to have known such people, something reflected in some of the framed pictures I nostalgically keep on view with images of Saint George, Saint Michael and various Christian Knights from the medieval period (as seen in the photographs immediately above and below). These pictures are kept quite separate from where militaria has been on display along with books in a place where such memorabilia for trade was on show for inspection due to their high value and for them to be authenticated by purchasers as genuine. Below is the friend turned traitor standing before some of those treasured items in my retreat house.

Something else I would like to clarify is my serving as Chairman of the Society of Saint George which organisation is inspired by a love for England and its Faith. The Society of Saint George sometimes holds luncheons and celebration dinner parties at my home. It stands for the recovery of our endangered English language, heritage, culture and Faith as obtained before the mid-twentieth century when a sharp decline noticably began in everything quintessentially English, Christian and decent. It supports those who are told by local authorities that they cannot display the St George flag, shield or emblem because it might "offend" local minorities. Likewise, certain borough councils have appeared to absurdly outlaw the display of the Christian aspect of such celebrations as Christmas. I am yet to discover any minority religion that is offended by the presence of Christian symbolism, and suspect this has more to do with a pinko-liberal-atheist agenda against all things Christian. At its most "political" the Society of Saint George campaigns for the protection of our cultural heritage, the abandonment of metrication and a return to Imperial Measure, plus the restoration of pre-decimal currency extant prior to 1968, and naturally seeks our country's immediate withdrawal from the European Union. In that sense it is a pressure group, and, of course, is not allied to any political party. Members are accepted from all persuasions, parties and none. I have at no time in my life been a member of a political party and, though I have been approached by various people, it is not my intention to join one.

I am an outspoken opponent of the corrosive effect of liberalism and modernism in both Church and society generally. I have always opposed wars, especially those Great Britain has engaged in during my lifetime, and have made radio and television contributions to this effect. Furthermore, my books The Grail Church and From Satan To Christ reflect my personal beliefs on this, and much else besides, as well as chronicling my spiritual odyssey. I nevertheless support stronger sentencing and a return to a more effective application of law and order. I believe we have the right to self-defence when in personal danger, but I am otherwise opposed to any form of intentional violence. In the days when I was an active peace campaigner with Monsignor Bruce Kent at the helm, prior to him leaving the priesthood when the Roman Catholic Church obliged him to make a choice, I discovered another member of my local group who had a fascination with militaria, even though he accepted it was a strange hobby in the circumstances. Yet he was by no means alone in that respect. I found others who were actively involved in peace campaigns who nonetheless found an interest in things which, to say the least, at first sight appear somewhat incongruous.

In my own case it was contiguous with my love of history (I have written two historical books and also a novel with many references to Victorian England and the Second World War), plus the fact that I was born in the last months of the Second World War. During my youth I heard much talk about how the conflict with Germany had reduced Great Britain from the largest Empire the world has ever known to a satellite of America with the status of a banana republic. As I grew into a young man, I witnessed the steady erosion of everything that had made our country special and unique. Politeness, courtesy, manners, integrity, honour, loyalty, self-sacrifice and trying always to do what one knows to be right for the greater good. This loss persuaded me that Great Britain had taken a wrong turning and had lost its way. I still hold that opinion.  

In making these things known I hope to give a rounder and more realistic portrait to that being painted by someone who, after three and a half decades, betrayed our friendship to collude with my enemies, doing so with a plethora of malicious falsehood. I am told by others that these despicable actions are all to do with envy and resentment, and they are correct, but equally I recognise the root of the problem being the paranioa I recognised to be part of his personality from the first day I met him. Schizotypal personality disorder explains some of Kevin's odd behaviour, but others more qualified will make that diagnosis. I have always been ready to help folk where my help is needed and in that respect he was no different. Often was the case that he did seek my help. I have never given this man almost a decade younger than myself any cause to bear false witness against me or otherwise behave dishonourably at the expense of me and those close to me. I find his treachery and false accusations terribly sad. Not especially sad for me, because the truth is always preferable to deception, but sad for him because in selling his soul he has gained nothing. In the process he has lost a friend, plus all our mutual acquaintances, and I am very aware he has few enough friends.

Throughout all the time I knew him there are only two people other than myself whom he regarded as friends, both originating from the time when I first made his acquaintance in 1973. I suspect much the same has happened to them as now has happened to me because he suddenly refused to discuss either of these individuals since his return from New Zealand. Have you heard from Eric McGregor? Have you heard from Ken Gaskell? I would ask, knowing how closely he had kept in touch with both over the previous three decades. No! he would murmur with a dour expression flashing across his countenance and a lowering of his head. Then he would fall silent and appear to sulk. This had become a "no go" area, as doubtless so have I should anyone from the past enquire about me in much the same way.

I never judged Kevin, and do not judge people generally, but I do feel compelled to address the appalling behavior he undertook at my expense and the calumny so maliciously disseminated by him. His willingness to spread bare-faced lies betrays malice beyond anything I could have possibly suspected or imagined. The turning point where the contamination probably began came after his return to Basildon, England, from New Zealand where he had made an unsavoury association. Yet there was another component that is more to do with Kevin himself than anybody else, and that is the fact that he secretly did not want to be the quite ordinary fellow he actually really is. He so obviously sought the fame that others he had known (or known about) throughout his life had seemingly effortlessly achieved; though he made no distinction between being famous and being infamous. He was vaguely known in triathlon circles as an athlete who was still chugging along and doing reasonably well for his age, but he knew that few people are interested in an aging and frankly uncharismatic triathlete. Like John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, born within two years of the man about whom I speak, the only way a non-entity manages the slightest modicum of "fame" in their own mind is to "destroy" someone already famous and become known as the person responsible for doing so. Many people believed Mark David Chapman to be unbalanced. After examining all he has done, a growing number of mutual acquaintances firmly believe that my persecutor is mentally unhinged. He has sacrificed the only long-standing friends he possessed for a man not personally known to him who represented everything he professed to loathe — someone, moreover, he was supposedly still railing against and ranting about two years after I last saw Kevin.

As a Christian, I love my enemies, and this includes the man who became my "Judas," pictured above, but I do not have to like them or what they do. Being a Christian does not take away my right to defend myself. Furthermore, inciting hatred against me places me and mine in some degree of danger, which, too, compels me to respond to this ex-friend's criminal allegations and unacceptable behaviour.

Friends in the Society of St George attend a luncheon.

Friends (Kevin, far left) attending a reunion (below).