Barometer | 12 May 2012

Before the Golden Dawn

A neo-Nazi party called the Golden Dawn won 7 per cent of the vote in the Greek elections. The party denies being inspired by the Nazis, even though its flag bears a resemblance to the Swastika. Its name, however, may be inspired by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occultist society founded by William Wynn Westcott, a coroner from Leamington Spa.

— The society was founded upon rituals and teachings which Westcott claimed to have obtained by deciphering letters from Anne Sprengel, an imaginary illegitimate child of Ludwig I of Bavaria. In 1888 the society opened a temple in London, followed by others in Weston-super-Mare, Bradford and Edinburgh, where members taught astral projection and alchemy.

Most popular

Matthew Parris

What if Trump is just bonkers?

— The movement’s following included W.B. Yeats and Aleister Crowley plus a smattering of actresses, but it broke up in the early 20th century. Several splinter groups still exist, one of which operates from a PO Box in Florida.

Name game

The town of Bungay, Suffolk, staged a football match featuring players who all shared their surname with the town. If there were a premiership for footballers with toponymic surnames, which places would have the biggest choice of players?
1 Hamilton 2 Burton 3 Newton 4 Reed 5 Sutton 6 Cunningham 7 Buckley 8 Middleton 9 Barton 10 Morton

Among premiership teams, Blackburn (just relegated) would have most choice.

Banned wagon

Lion Walk shopping centre in Colchester has banned Morris dancers because they planned to pass around a hat for donations. Other things banned in shopping centres:
— Baseball caps and hooded tops: Bluewater, Kent
— Photography: Fareham Shopping Centre
— Selling cakes for Help for Heroes: Houndshill Centre, Blackpool
— Hallelujah Chorus: Meadowhall, Sheffield
— Church of Scientology: Wulfrun Centre, Wolverhampton

Spend, spend, spend

Britain has slipped back into recession, yet we are spending more in the shops.