There are a few items on Frank Searle that have built up, so I would like to put them under this one article. As ever, anything about the most infamous of monster hunters always generates more than average interest.
Firstly, I got back to Paul Harrison, author of The Encyclopaedia of the Loch Ness Monster, asking about his book on Frank Searle. Some readers may recall a previous article in which it was stated that Paul had tracked down Frank to his home in Fleetwood before he died and conducted a series of interviews. Frank Searle died on the 26th March 2005, having previously spent fifteen years camped at Loch Ness in pursuit of the Monster.
Paul now tells me that the book will be published in August or September this year. It should prove to be a stimulating read! As I have said before, I don't regard any person as 100% evil, nor any other as 100% good. Most of the stuff we read demonises Frank Searle, and some of it will be deserved, but as they say, the victors get to write the history.
On my second point today, Frank Searle certainly gets that kind of treatment in a book called "50 People Who Screwed Up Scotland" by Allan Brown. This is a recent publication, having come out last May.
Amongst these fifty personalities, I found that Frank Searle was entry number 48 after Alex Salmond. If you go to the Amazon entry and click on the book image to "Look Inside", you can find that entry and read what Allan Brown has to say about Frank Searle. I don't think one would learn anything new as a Loch Ness researcher, but you'll get the point about the vilification of Frank Searle.
Finally, and I suppose by way of balance, I have placed one of Frank's books on my Google Drive. It is his 1977 booklet, "The Story of Loch Ness" and you can access it as a PDF document at this link. It will prompt you to enter a password which is "nb2vsm6p". I reviewed that book in a previous article, but you can read it for yourselves now. I see no reason to withhold its distribution as I see no copyright claim on it and I am sure it would be Frank's wish to see it receive a wider readership.
After all, having by then spent eight years at Loch Ness, you would expect some degree of knowledge from the man. Judge for yourself, but I am leaving the main judgement until Paul's book comes out.
The author can be contacted at lochnesskelpie@gmail.com
I had a family holiday at Loch Ness in the summer of 1983 as a twelve year old, and remember driving along the lakeside and stopping at Frank Searle’s exhibition caravan. I’d read Tim Dinsdale’s book on Nessie, but had no idea who Frank Searle was. There was nobody else around apart from my family, and we were greeted by a ruddy faced man with a moustache and a camera around his neck. I would describe his manner as friendly, and he seemed keen to give off the authoritative manner of an expert when he spoke of the monster.
ReplyDeleteThe only Loch Ness Monster photos I’d seen were in Dinsdale’s book, and I was stunned at how many images this man had on display in the exhibition. I remember finding the ones that showed just a portion of a grey back to be convincing and chilling, yet others jarred in the fullness of their detail.
A few weeks later at school I was browsing through a book on “Unexplained Mysteries” , and was flabbergasted to see a photo of the Searle in the Nessie section!
Mike McKeown
That would be around the time I met him. I posted a picture of inside his little exhibition in a previous article. I haven't seen any others since, do you have one in your family album?
DeleteSadly we didn't take a photo of him!
DeleteDo I remember hearing on here or somewhere else that someone was going to make a film about Searle and his conflicts with other monster hunters?
I'm sure there would be a really interesting feature film that could be made which deals with the Nessie hunt as it reached its fever pitch in the 60s and 70s.
Who would play Searle and Dinsdale?
Mike McKeown
Frank would have picked George Clooney. :)
DeleteI'd cast Colin Farrell.
DeleteJack Black would be my choice.
DeleteFrank Searle also reminds me of Robert Shaw, the actor who played the shark obsessed fisherman called Quint in the Jaws movie.
DeletePete..you are absolutely right about Robert Shaw!
DeleteSearle????? Oh dear :((
ReplyDeleteHe's part of the Nessie tapestry, Jake. I actually wish I had spoken to him longer back in 83/84 if I had known he was about to disappear!
DeleteNot my cup of tea GB. On a par with George Edwards.
DeleteI'm always ready to read anything 'frank Searle' love him or hate him he did always seem to bring colour to the place just a shame I never met him. Looking forward to Paul Harrison's book should be an entertaining read .
ReplyDeleteYes, Frank Searle may have been a scoundrel, a charlatan, a fraud and many other things they say he was, but I can't help but feel a bit of sympathy for this much maligned, misguided soul, who entered the Loch Ness Monster scene with zeal and the best of intentions, only to self-destruct in his pursuit of recognition and fame. How sad.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the pics he took {fabricated) back in 70's for the first time and naively thinking they were the real thing. I've seen video and heard his Loch Ness story narration on YouTube with his delightful cockney British accent. Comes across as an engaging, jovial fellow and knowledgeable of all things Nessie, for the time. Might have been fun to toss a few pints back in a pub with... as long as he didn't start a brawl!
Five years on from when I first heard of Paul's book on Frank Searle, we still have not seen it. It is always on the verge of being published but then some other book by Paul comes along to push it out further.
ReplyDeleteA bit perplexing and frustrating to say the least - especially when he says the manuscript is all but done. So folks, it may never come, I am sure by now you have stopped holding your collective breath.
Sorry to have raised any hopes!
My Dad and I met Frank Searle every year between 1976-1981 when we holidayed near Drumnadrochi in a cottage overlooking the locht. We spent hours with Frank each time we visited which over the two week holidays was at least 3-4 times. He was a terrific individual, always happy to put the kettle on and talk with genuine enthusiasm about the stream of people who had found their way to him to report seeing unexplained creatures and shapes in the Loch. I genuinely don't know what to think about Frank's pictures now, perhaps he did finally come round to deciding the only way he could afford to keep living on the loch was to come up with something to interest the media. However.. for all of his detractors remember this.. He lived for 14 years in a tent and a caravan in all weathers with few comforts and come rain or shine he was out in
ReplyDelete" Seeker 1 /2" every day at first light most days. If he's just a charlatan he's the hardest working one I've ever heard of. He was a good friend and is sorely missed.
Marc Aitken
Having just got back from a visit to Loch Ness, I was reminded of Frank Searle who I met several times when I used to visit annually in the 70's & 80's. I will say that despite his detractors, he was the only monster hunter who was permanently there. And every morning when I was out fishing, Frank would come past in his boat, trolling for salmon, but always with a camera on board. So if he was faking the pictures, I don't know when or how he did it. His photographs and his verbal descriptions of what he saw were always very convincing. There's absolutely nothing to mark the spot where he stationed himself for so many years - maybe his marker is the caravan at the bottom of the loch!
ReplyDeleteYou're not Graeme are you?
DeleteNo sorry, Phil not Graeme
ReplyDeleteOkay, you sounded like someone similar.
Delete