I am pleased to say that Peter's final post of this journey is now available here. It is a little sad that the trip to retrace the final known steps of The Secret Method is now coming to an end, although Peter and Clive have achieved the simple, though poignant purpose of the voyage successfully.

Peter's latest post in this feature is now available here. Today was the pinnacle of this commemorative journey as Peter and Clive planted three young saplings in memory of the three lost members of The Secret Method.

I am pleased to report that Peter and Clive have arrived safely in Ireland and have been continuing their six - day journey marking ten years since the disappearance of The Secret Method in 1996. Their progress to date can be followed here

Today has been the first of two full days in Ireland and according to a very tired Mr Bramble, it has consisted chiefly of travelling. However I am informed that they are now wholly prepared for the simple act of remembrance which will be conducted tomorrow.

As ever I will bring Peter's updates to you as soon as I receive them.

Simon :)

Once again, just the quickest of announcements to say that the latest installment of "Retracing the steps of The Secret Method" is now online here

Peter (and Clive, who is now on board) are currently somewhere in the Irish Sea after departing from Liverpool earlier tonight. I will resume contact with them when they arrive in Dublin early tomorrow morning...... hopefully! ;)

I will continue to post Peter's updates just as soon as I can....

Until next time.....

Simon :)

Good evening everyone, Peter's second installment of "Retracing the steps of The Secret Method" in which he will revisit the last known movements of the band before their entry into Black River House is now online here, and is also accessible from the home page.

Once again, I will post Peter's updates as I receive them and I will do my very best to get them online in the blink of an eye! :)

Simon

Hello all, just a brief note to say that Peter's first installment of this feature is now accessible from the home page or from the link here.

I will be posting Peter's diary entries as he e-mails them to me over the next week and I will endeavour to get them online as soon as is humanly possible so that, with a little luck and the co-operation of technology (touch wood), we should be able to follow Peter's commemorative journey in "real time".

I will be taking the reins of the web site for the next few weeks in Peter's absence and I will be glad to answer any queries which may arise. I can be contacted at simon@blackriverhouse.com though of course Peter will still be available on his Usual Address

As far as I can make out Peter is rather tired from his initial train journey but he's eager to get started....

In any case I won't steal his thunder, you can read it all here.

Best wishes

Simon Cloney.

I am now able to expand further upon a news item posted on January 17th of this year (below) in which I referred to an upcoming reconstruction of the movements of The Secret Method ten years ago, during the prelude to their arrival in Ireland.

I am now very pleased to say that this will take place next week. Initially the trip was planned for the same week in which the band travelled, however some rather tragic complications forced us to reschedule our arrangements...

Late on the night of Friday January 13th, our intended date of departure, a car and bus collided, damaging railway lines near Crystal Palace (my destination) disrupting train services quite severely. I do not, and will not subscribe to the idea of 'omens', and though the date itself appeared somewhat trite, the accident gave me a lot to dwell on as I prepared to take the train to London. After some reflection both myself and my good friend Clive Lubb, who will accompany me on the second half of my journey, decided to put some distance between our itinerary and those of the band. In truth we most probably chose this course of action out of both respect and unease, but nonetheless the decision brings us to the present moment.

Thus, my journey will begin on Sunday morning, the 5th of February, a date unconnected with any particular occurrences for The Secret Method so far as we know, yet close enough to their original journey to mark the passing of a decade.

Whilst I am eager to embark upon this pilgrimage and to offer a token, however small, of remembrance for the three missing members of The Secret Method, I also begin with a somewhat heavy heart. The passing of ten years has yielded no results and has shed no light on a case which remains unexplained. If this situation is ever to be redressed, then the memory of those lost to us must be kept alive.

It is with this notion, and indeed, with this intention that I will depart on Sunday.

Peter.

I am delighted to announce a number of new resources which will be added to www.blackriverhouse.com in the coming weeks and months.

There will be a series of events intended to raise awareness about the Marchant case and the disappearance of The Secret Method. More details will be made available in due course, but look out for live performances of some of The Secret Method's tracks in the months ahead, planned with the aid of our friends at XL Recordings.

The latest batch of restored tracks by The Secret Method will be posted soon, accompanied by musical analysis. In addition a selection of John and Carole Marchant’s artwork and writing will finally be made available, much of which was produced during their time within Black River House.

Finally, I have secured permission to abridge and make available several books and articles written about Kildubhan and the local area. A biography of local prize-fighter Jim Murphy and my own book 'Black River Where Do You Flow?’ will be among the works available for download soon. The latter will also be available as a hard copy later in the year.

More immediately, the key feature for January will be an upcoming article entitled “Retracing the steps of the Secret Method”. For this, I will be embarking upon a reconstruction of the movements of The Secret Method ten years ago, during the prelude to their arrival in Ireland.

NB This will not be a trip to Kildubhan or to Black River House; as many of you will know, I am still seeking final confirmation to return to the house later this year. The intention of the excursion outlined above is to trace the movements of the band in the days immediately prior to their departure and to recreate their journey across the Irish Sea. Whilst in Ireland, I have gained permission to plant a commemorative tree for each of the three band members.

I will be posting the progress of the trip with pictures each day by means of Simon Cloney who will be taking the reins for the next week or so...

More news on this soon!

Peter