From Dampest, Darkest Highgate

"David had various framed images on the wall of the room where he spent the last weeks of his life, all of an occult nature – which Jamie helpfully  put up. Some of these you will all be familiar with from the many videos which were filmed at the flat David and I shared in Muswell Hill. It seems that a member of nursing staff (who had grown up in a part of the  world where spirits and witchdoctors are greatly feared) took exception to these images, and found out more than a little about his reputation.  So much so that within half an hour of David’s passing I came under an  extraordinary amount of pressure from her to arrange for him to be  ‘taken away’ – as soon as possible. Not when the sun rose – but  IMMEDIATELY! The member of staff’s fears were entirely supernatural in origin. It turned out that she was terrified of his living presence – but his mortal remains sent her paranoia through the roof." — "Della Farrant" (9 April 2020)

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From Dampest, Darkest Highgate

From dampest, darkest Highgate I came

To seek out phantoms and fame,

Which led to my spell in jail,

And the telling of my tale.

From dampest, darkest Highgate I chose

A coal cellar bunker to put my clothes

And weary head out of which

I thought I'd be a witch.

From dampest, darkest Highgate I came not.

Instead Muswell Hill became my lot. 

Where from that bedsitting room I saw

Many a journo knock on my door.

From dampest, darkest Muswell Hill

It grew damper and darker until

Memories of the coal cellar

Did fill this fellow

From

Dusk

To

Dawn.

Yawn.

Mind if I smoke

And take a toke?

What

Was

That

You

Were

Asking

Me?

Sorry,

It's

My

Memory.