2022 was a tumultuous and potentially disastrous year for the institution of the Prime Minister. The trust in the position had been undermined, the ability of the structure of British government brought into question and the office made into a hollow shell of the power and authority it was meant to yield. 

In many ways, the sentiment towards the institution of the Prime Minister in 2022 was reminiscent of the feeling towards the office at its inception.

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When I first started this Present History Multimedia Project, one of the main things that I wanted to do, and something that was very high up on my list of priorities, was to speak to Amanda Hale. 

While writing my undergraduate dissertation about this topic, her book, Mad Hatter, had provided interesting insights into the character and personality of many of the members of the League of Christian Reformers. In particular, James Larratt Battersby, the so-called Mad Hatter, and Amanda’s father. 

And so, I shot her an email, intrigued as to what her response would be to me doing a whole multimedia project on the League of Christian Reformers, and especially wanting to do an episode specifically about her father. She responded quickly, and seemed interested in the project, and excited to talk about her book. I was elated. We soon organised a meeting, and, as we sat down to record, the sun was glaring through the blinds in my office, and snow was falling outside the windows of hers. She was in Canada, I was in England. And yet, what should have been an obstacle that made an interview like this impossible, is now hardly a barrier at all. 

We pressed record, and for the next hour or so, we discussed James Battersby, his life, career, beliefs and eventual end. We also discussed Amanda, her process in writing, balancing fact and fiction, her research into her father, and how this journey of discovery became more than just research for a book to her, but something that challenged and impacted her to the core. 

It was a fascinating conversation, and I can’t wait to you to hear it. So, sit back, get comfortable and enjoy my conversation with Amanda Hale, bestselling author and the daughter of James Larratt Battersby, the Mad Hatter. 

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When I first started this Present History Multimedia Project, one of the main things that I wanted to do, and something that was very high up on my list of priorities, was to speak to Amanda Hale. 

While writing my undergraduate dissertation about this topic, her book, Mad Hatter, had provided interesting insights into the character and personality of many of the members of the League of Christian Reformers. In particular, James Larratt Battersby, the so-called Mad Hatter, and Amanda’s father. 

And so, I shot her an email, intrigued as to what her response would be to me doing a whole multimedia project on the League of Christian Reformers, and especially wanting to do an episode specifically about her father. She responded quickly, and seemed interested in the project, and excited to talk about her book. I was elated. We soon organised a meeting, and, as we sat down to record, the sun was glaring through the blinds in my office, and snow was falling outside the windows of hers. She was in Canada, I was in England. And yet, what should have been an obstacle that made an interview like this impossible, is now hardly a barrier at all. 

We pressed record, and for the next hour or so, we discussed James Battersby, his life, career, beliefs and eventual end. We also discussed Amanda, her process in writing, balancing fact and fiction, her research into her father, and how this journey of discovery became more than just research for a book to her, but something that challenged and impacted her to the core. 

It was a fascinating conversation, and I can’t wait to you to hear it. So, sit back, get comfortable and enjoy my conversation with Amanda Hale, bestselling author and the daughter of James Larratt Battersby, the Mad Hatter. 

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The two black saloon cars had been there all morning. Not many had noticed them, tucked away in an off-road lane. And, if they had, they had not made a fuss. The people of River, however reluctantly, had become used to seeing strange people doing strange things in their serene village. Not too long ago, the peace of the farmland had been broken by the thunderous voice of a Pastor contending for his Christian faith. It had all started when new owners had arrived at River House. They had quickly renamed it Kingdom House. It was as if a shadow followed the new inhabitants; a dark cloud that washed over the village. Almost everyone in the village knew that these men and women were fascists, and that at least all of the men had been interred in a prison camp for most of the war. The villagers hadn’t accepted them with open arms. But they had been respectful. Then, the newspapers started to report that these people were trying to bring in a massive bust of Hitler’s head to the house. To their village. Their fathers, brothers, sons and friends had fought and died in a war trying to defeat the evil of Hitler and his regime. Now, they were expected to accept a bastion of this ideology, in their village? Not only this, these people, this League of Christian Reformers, were worshiping him. That’s why the Pastor had come, that’s why the atmosphere of the village had shifted. 

The government had done nothing. And said they wouldn’t do anything. Inaction had been tolerated long enough.

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As the breeze curled its way down the street, it carried the low rumble of a black, mud-spattered saloon car. Strapped to its roof were large loud-speakers. It drew up to the massive gate that guarded the entrance to Kingdom House. At the wheel was the 48-year-old Victor Walker. His wide brimmed hat shadowed his eyes from the sun, his jaw set, his heart beginning to pound. He was the pastor of Elim Four-Square Gospel Church, and had driven 15 miles with the sole intention of engaging these ‘Reformers’. He wanted to call them out for what he believed was blasphemy and believed they deserved to be rebuked. Parking the car, he stepped outside. He looked up at the gate that loomed over him. 

He grabbed the wide, ribbed microphone, his Bible under one arm, he adjusted his tie briefly. He lifted the microphone towards his face. And began. 

‘Hello everyone. I propose to hold a short religious service here today.’

This is the story of a British pastor who stood up against the Legion of Christian Reformers.

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Hitler's Kingdom Come - A Present History Multimedia Project - Episode One

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When you think of Nazis and religious cults, you probably think of an old gothic castle in a dark corner of Germany.

You don’t tend to think of England. Much less, leafy Surrey.

But, in 1943, a group of men came together to worship Hitler as the second coming of Christ.

They went on to form a church in Petworth, Surrey. Growing to around 12 members, this cult worshiped Hitler at their altar, wrote letters to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi and went about attempting to make Hitler's Kingdom Come.

This extreme group of fanatical fascists and radicalised pseudo-Christians were brought up in Parliament 4 times, noticed in Soviet Moscow and reviled by their local community. They wrote books, theological works, memoirs and manifestos, marched the fascist campaign trail, but were seen as slightly too bizarre for Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists.

The government said they couldn’t do anything because, despite being a little 'odd' or 'out there' in the words of their local MP, technically, they had done nothing illegal. It was only after stiff opposition from local churches and pastors, and a violent raid by local mercenaries that the cult finally disbanded.

Using recently declassified MI5 files and the secret letters of its members, this multimedia project will incorporate every social media platform, to tell an innovative, groundbreaking and engaging historical narrative.

We will chart the story of the League of Christian Reformers, from their dark inception in the prison camps on the Isle of Man, through their wacky theology and worldview, and to their eventual demise. We will have deep dives on each of the members, uncovering their lives and stories, including a fascinating interview with one of their daughters! Not only this, we’ll also be looking at British Fascism as a whole, where the league intercepted with men like Oswald Moseley and groups like the British Union of Fascists and the Nordic League.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok, subscribe on YouTube, and follow the Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss a single piece of content. You can also check out our website at www.presenthistory.co.uk, where they’ll be a homepage for the entire project, so you never lose track.

Stay tuned, its going to be a crazy ride.

...

Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@presenthistory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presenthistory_/

Podcast:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6BH54bZ944WrcIDxjGmg5N?si=3321ca2bc979452d

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/present-history-podcast/id1519822694

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In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Annie Whitehead, an Anglo-Saxon historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss the Kingdom of Mercia, Aethelflaed, and more!

Check out Annie Whitehead:

Website: https://www.anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @AnnieWHistory

Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom: https://www.waterstones.com/book/mercia/annie-whitehead/9781398103337

Check out Zachary Peatling:

Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk

Twitter: @zjpeatling

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