Croydon Hill - 1985
On Christmas Eve 1985 my sound engineer friend Bob Burnell and I drove to the picturesque village of Dunster, near Minehead, in my father's classic Commer camper van to enjoy a traditional Christmas celebration in the medieval Luttrell Arms, complete with carols and mince pies! Little did we know as we set off back to Taunton that our journey would bring us into close contact with one of the most feared and deadly predators on earth - a black panther!
Bob and I had been friends since the mid seventies when he became the sound engineer for my band Kurly. He had since gone on to the become one of the top sound engineers in Britain. None of our friends had wanted to go to Dunster with us, preferring to go to a more up-to-date pub in Taunton to enjoy Christmas Eve instead! It certainly was a great evening in the Luttrell Arms. As we left that ancient hostelry we decided to drive back to Taunton by taking the road that went over the Brendon Hills, down to the village of Luxborough and through Druids' Combe to Washford ,where we would join the A358.
It was a clear and very windy night and as we drove to the top of Croydon Hill we decided to stop for a few minutes by the entrance to a forest gate, which led into Forestry Commission woodland, and get out of the Commer to enjoy the feel of the gale which was bending the trees dramatically. As we looked at the trees on the opposite side of the road and shouted 'Happy Christmas!' on that wild night, we were blissfully unaware that a wild creature was creeping up on us and that we were in fact in mortal danger! I now count it a miracle that we turned around when we did because no more than 12 feet away a huge black cat was silently stalking us! It was creeping very low to the ground and inching its way towards us! I immediately said to Bob "Look at that! That wasn't there just now!" Bob immediately took out his cigarette lighter, lit it and shouted, "Fire, fire, fire!" As the tiny flame flickered in the moonlight the predator got up from its creeping position and turned tail, bounding off into the undergrowth on the side of the forest gate clearing. We had just been stalked by a black panther! It was a terrifying moment and Bob and I got back into the camper van as quickly as we could. My hand was actually shaking as I opened the door and Bob discovered later that he had dropped his new scarf on the ground! Neither of us felt like going back to pick it up as we continued on our journey to Luxborough in the valley below!
It was a clear and very windy night and as we drove to the top of Croydon Hill we decided to stop for a few minutes by the entrance to a forest gate, which led into Forestry Commission woodland, and get out of the Commer to enjoy the feel of the gale which was bending the trees dramatically. As we looked at the trees on the opposite side of the road and shouted 'Happy Christmas!' on that wild night, we were blissfully unaware that a wild creature was creeping up on us and that we were in fact in mortal danger! I now count it a miracle that we turned around when we did because no more than 12 feet away a huge black cat was silently stalking us! It was creeping very low to the ground and inching its way towards us! I immediately said to Bob "Look at that! That wasn't there just now!" Bob immediately took out his cigarette lighter, lit it and shouted, "Fire, fire, fire!" As the tiny flame flickered in the moonlight the predator got up from its creeping position and turned tail, bounding off into the undergrowth on the side of the forest gate clearing. We had just been stalked by a black panther! It was a terrifying moment and Bob and I got back into the camper van as quickly as we could. My hand was actually shaking as I opened the door and Bob discovered later that he had dropped his new scarf on the ground! Neither of us felt like going back to pick it up as we continued on our journey to Luxborough in the valley below!
This is where the black panther stalked us!
Perhaps we had had an encounter with the legendary 'Beast of Exmoor' on that wild and windy night - the same predator that the Royal Marines had spent weeks searching for on Exmoor, following a spate of mysterious sheep killings on and around the moor. Exmoor contains quite a few such animals though! Even though the black panther had stalked us, I still actually felt sorry for it and did not report the sighting until some time later. The Somerset County Gazette featured the headline for our story, "I was stalked by the Beast Of Exmoor", says Taunton man.', on the front page!
I have no doubt that the black panther we saw was intent on making a kill that night as it stalked us. It had no fear of us despite the fact that we were shouting in the wind, and only ran away when it saw the flame from the cigarette lighter - or maybe it saw something else. I know now that God saved us from danger that night and I feel sure He sent an angel to protect us!
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalm 91:11
I have no doubt that the black panther we saw was intent on making a kill that night as it stalked us. It had no fear of us despite the fact that we were shouting in the wind, and only ran away when it saw the flame from the cigarette lighter - or maybe it saw something else. I know now that God saved us from danger that night and I feel sure He sent an angel to protect us!
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalm 91:11
Looking towards the trees that were bending in the gale
