Back in the 1970s, all sorts of graveyards were violated in London – kids probably on glue or worse thought it was somehow cool to desecrate graves and throw bones and skulls up to the top.
The unpopular press at the time in salacious fashion decided to attribute weird kids’ attitude to tombs as somehow “satanic” – the unpopular press banged on about this sort of stuff all the time. [Pictured below – Jan Bailey, editor of SOTHiS magazine, Kenneth Grant, right Janice Ayers from Buffalo, VII degree member of Kenneth’s Sovereign Sanctuary@thetime picture taken. Picture copyright Mike Magee]
The Metropolitan Police arrested an individual – not a ring leader, but a slightly psychotic kid with schizophrenic tendencies who had done quite a lot of this stuff.
Kenneth Grant was called as an expert witness by the cops, as I recall things.
Kenneth Grant was absolutely in no way no satanist, although he was a very skilled magician imbued with compassion because of Anandamayi Ma. He was considered by the Met as an expert on these matters. The deranged boy was given medication, as far as I recall it. The tabloid press gasped. And shut up. And it was good. I await more obituaries… ♥
best Photo so far, looks un posed and real
Would be fascinating if this episode had made it into the papers somehow that someone could track down an article. Esp with mr Grant mentioned.
Oh and thanks for sharing more of your memories. He surely seemed a right gentleman in the truest non bourgeoisie sense of the word.
It made it into the newspapers at the time. Guess you can view them at the Colindale Newspaper Library, if that still exists – opposite the Smallpox (shiitaala devi) Centre as was…
Yes, Satanists are always “the Other”, aren’t they? Even among mealy-mouthed “Left-Hand Path” types who haven’t the courage of their convictions. Or especially among such types.