http://www.veryabc.cn/flash/html/stories/20070417/1244.html

...and BI decided to make THE MYSTERY OF EATUM HALL into a 'movie' and so you don't have to pay over the odds for the book.

Yes, there were a few scenes missing perhaps...such as the wolf's tail disappearing around the door...but all in all...it gives you the general impression of the book...

More to the point, the COACH-LOAD of wolves turning up...as the couple depart...unpleasantly reminded me of ST JOHN IN THE DESERT monastery...

SHARON and me had been called out of there by the Arab Muslim guard upon the gate...we had to leave before the PRIEST turned up...so we belted out of the gate and were about 100 yards away...to see a car pass us...the gates then re-open...and the car with the PRIEST was let in...

Anyway, we walked up the dusty road through that strange countryside...until we got to the main road...and as we were waiting for a bus to take us back to EIN KEREM - a packed COACH sped past us down that very same dusty road...it appeared to be packed with rather glum and tired looking CHINESE tourists...or would that be 'mind control slaves'...I hadn't seen one CHINESE person in JERUSALEM until that point...a few JAPANESE but not CHINESE...

I remarked upon that one to SHARON...didn't he think it was odd?

I mean to say - it was the late evening...and nearing CHRISTMAS...I cannot remember the precise date...either before or after XMAS and of course it wasn't exactly cold that day...sunny and warm...but the day was already drawing to a close...the sun was about to go down...and that road only led to one place...to the ST JOHN IN THE DESERT MONASTERY...what were they all doing, going there so late on in the day...hardly any tourists went to EIN KEREM from JERUSALEM...never mind to ST JOHN IN THE DESERT MONASTERY...really off the beaten track for tourists...Christian or not...

Anyway, watching the video of the MYSTERY OF EATUM HALL...bought that one back to me...had SHARON and I been 'on the menu'?

Perhaps they ate the priest then, eh?

It brought back that terrible year 1980...when BI had flown us to ISRAEL...put us all up in that EIN KEREM YOUTH HOSTEL...and then rounded us up at midnight...to be forced to walk into the walled/blocked up ST JOHN church in the centre of EIN KEREM...to be taken past the altar and into the VESTRY...where RIMINGTON and SCARLETT had what they called a COOKED PIG on the table...but it wasn't - was it? They told you to take a piece and then they showed you the tiny skeleton hand of a baby...TOMLINSON had eaten loads of it...and was promptly sick all over the floor...I had to clean it up, with KATHLEEN...