The Templars' Lost Treasure

I will be appearing in a National Geographic documentary entitled The Templars' Lost Treaure, which will air on 21 December 2009 at 2100 in the UK. Apparently it will then be repeated over the Christmas period.

All I can tell you at the moment is that it is a French programme that has been recut for the UK, with myself and Helen Nicholson being inserted as the English-speaking experts/voices of sanity.

I'm not sure whether to add zut alors! or merde! at this point. But anyway, the interview - conducted in St Pancras Old Church - was fun to do. I'll post more info when I have some.

The churchyard, incidentally, was used by the Beatles for the photos that appear on the inside cover of the Red and Blue Albums.

New Templar Documentary

I am being wheeled out again in front of the cameras to hold forth on our old chums, the KT. This one's for a major broadcaster - I've been warned to not say the name - and will go out sometime before Xmas. More into when the Bishop allows...

Meanwhile, the Channel 5 programme, Secrets of the Cross: Trial of the Knights Templar, is now out on DVD. Avail yourself of a copy forthwith at yon vendor. (Click on 'Templar Documentaries' in the menu on the left.)

Radio 4 Appearance

I was featured in a Radio 4 programme yesterday together with fellow Westonian Nick Harding. Weston's New Pier recounts the story of... Weston's new pier, after the last one burnt down in the July of last year. The programme is still up on the Radio 4 site, and can be listened to again here if you missed it. Nick and I appear about halfway through. I attempt a Watney's Red Barrel rant about sunburnt holidaymakers eating saveloy and chips on the Beach Lawns, but I think Eric Idle would have done a better job...

Reading in Glasgow

I'm making a long overdue return to the world of readings this Friday, when I will be appearing at “Reading Allowed” at the Tchai Ovna Teahouse in Glasgow's West End. Also on the bill will be
David Manderson, Alan Riach (who is launching his latest collection), Janet Paisley, Donny O’Rourke, Dave Dick and Lynsey Calderwood. Live music will be provided by Wing and a Prayer. Kick off at 2000, all welcome.

Knights Templar in Paperback - Now Available

The new paperback edition of The Knights Templar: The History & Myths of the Legendary Military Order is now available. You can get a copy here.

The book is revised, mainly in the final chapter on Templar myths and mysteries, plus I've also added a new Afterword which details some of the new research on them. Interestingly, this research - undertaken by academics - seems to suggest that some of the myths about the Order might have some substance to them... 'No smoke without fire,' as the old saying goes.

Templar Documentaries Now on DVD

The first two Templar documentaries I did, The Templar Code: Crusade of Secrecy (History Channel) and Secrets of the Code (an independent feature documentary, narrated by Susan Sarandon) are now available on DVD here.

They're both NTSC (i.e. North American) discs, so you'll need a multi-region DVD player to watch them.

Goings on in Stone Circles

On Saturday, I found myself taking part in a Druid ceremony in a stone circle to celebrate Lughnasa (AKA Lammas - see the 891 Filmhouse Blog for a tad more info). During the ceremony, we played a game to symbolise the war and trade we presume ancient Britons to have indulged in. This basically took the form of running across the field, trying not to get tagged by the opposing side. I was sadly tagged, at which point I had to freeze on the spot. (I was one of 3 people from our side to get caught.) At this point, the rest of my side had to ransome me and the 2 others - and I can happily report that the ransome paid was a bottle of Old Peculier! Very apt, methinks.

On similarly pagan/heretical lines, I will be turning my quill to revamping The Gnostics soon, as a new edition is due out at Yule (AKA Christmas, the 12 Days of Consumer Overkill), and I would like to put in the few things that I actually forgot to put into the first edition. I'll put up an Amazon link to the new edition once one appears.

Until then, may your God go with you, as Dave Allen used to say.