BUFORA Newsfile - No.06 - October 1991

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO NEWSFILE
Issue: Number 6
Publication: A BUFORA PUBLICATION
Date: October 1991

This issue of UFO NEWSFILE, published by BUFORA, focuses heavily on the 6th International UFO Congress held in Sheffield, UK. It also delves into various UFO sightings, alleged abductions, and the ongoing mystery of crop circles.

Extraterrestrial Scoop Comes Down to Earth

The lead article details the unusual experience of Ms. Kathryn Howard, editor of Florida Home and Garden, who decided to go public with her story of being abducted by aliens in 1969 while living in southern Sweden. She described being taken into a spacecraft and restrained, able to view the Earth through a window. Howard claims to have seen alien figures three times since then and feels the timing is now right to share her experience. Her story is considered a significant coup for the organizers of the International UFO Congress in Sheffield.

Storm in a Saucer

This editorial piece reflects on the growing acceptance of UFO phenomena, citing President Gorbachev's acknowledgment and increased sightings in the Soviet Union and Belgium. It questions the motivations behind the "craze for the supernatural" in a de-communizing world, suggesting it could be KGB disinformation or alien influence. The article touches upon the Kennedy assassination theory involving UFOs and poses whether Kathryn Howard's testimony is a public service or a distraction.

Key Figures and Organizations Mentioned

Several individuals and organizations are highlighted:

• Kathryn Howard: Editor of Florida Home and Garden, abduction claimant.
• Oscar Wilde: Quoted on the concept of Utopia.
• Sir Eric Gairy: Former Prime Minister of Grenada, who brought UFOs to the UN.
• President Gorbachev: Acknowledged the existence of the UFO phenomenon.
• Lord Hill-Norton: Former Chief of Defence Staff, who seems to believe in government cover-ups regarding UFOs.
• Carl Jung: Mentioned in relation to a "religious vacuum" in modern man.
• Elke Sommer: Actress who reported seeing a UFO.
• Muhammad Ali: Boxer who claimed to have seen a UFO.
• Jimmy Carter: Former US President who witnessed a UFO.
• Andy Roberts: Ufologist and organizer of the Sheffield Congress, co-author of "Phantoms Of The Sky, UFOs A Modern Myth?"
• Major Sir Patrick Wall: President of BUFORA.
• Jenny Randles: Britain's only professional ufologist, editor of UFOCALL.
• Charles Hickson: Witness who claims to have been taken aboard a flying saucer.
• Budd Hopkins: Author of "Missing Time" and "Intruders."
• Philip Mantle: Conference organizer.
• BUFORA (British UFO Research Association): The organizing body for UFO NEWSFILE.
• MUFON (Mutual UFO Network): An international UFO research organization.
• IUN & ICUR: Supporting organizations for the Sheffield Congress.

The Sheffield International UFO Congress

The congress, held at Sheffield's Library Theatre from August 16-18, is described as Britain's largest UFO conference. It attracted speakers and delegates from around the world, including America, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Norway, France, and Africa. The event featured presentations on recent sightings, theories, and events, as well as firsthand accounts from "close encounter" witnesses. The Scottish rock band CE4 performed, with music revolving around the UFO mystery.

UFO Sightings and Encounters

Several specific incidents and claims are reported:

• Kathryn Howard's Abduction: Her 1969 experience in Sweden is detailed.
• Elke Sommer's Sighting: A shiny orange ball, about 20ft wide, seen in her Los Angeles home.
• Muhammad Ali's Sighting: A UFO seen in New York's Central Park in 1972.
• Jimmy Carter's Sighting: Witnessed a UFO in Georgia with 20 others.
• The "Bumper to Bumper on Space Highway" Incident: A mystery object filmed by US astronauts near the shuttle Atlantis.
• Frederick Valentich Case: The alleged UFO "kidnap" of a pilot over Tasmania in 1978.
• Catherine Howard's Claim: Allegedly snatched by a UFO.
• Charles Hickson's Claim: Allegedly taken aboard a flying saucer in 1973.
• Omar Fowler's Research: Studying UFOs for over 25 years, he believes about 90% of reports can be explained. He investigated the Alfred Burtoo case, where Burtoo claimed to have encountered beings who took him onboard an object.
• The McMurray Case: A couple encountered a UFO at Bagshott Heath in 1985, with David McMurray revealing under hypnosis that the object was piloted by "Guardians of the Earth."
• Nessie's Alien Spy Theory: George Rawcliffe, a UFO expert, suggests the Loch Ness Monster could be an alien visitor observing Earth.
• Dave Taylor's Work: An investigator focusing on mysterious sightings in the Midlands, aiming to provide natural explanations.

Crop Circles: Hoaxes or Natural Phenomena?

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to crop circles. Dr. Terence Meaden, director of the Oxford-based Tornado and Storm Research Organisation, maintains his theory that circles are made naturally by a "vortex" of electrically-charged matter. However, the article "Cereal Killers" highlights the claims of Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, who stated they were responsible for creating the circles. The magazine questions their claims, pointing out the existence of circles reported in other countries and in different conditions (snow, sand) and the eyewitness reports of circles forming in daylight. The debate is presented as potentially setting back research, but also attracting more funding.

Other Mentions

• UFOCALL: A telephone service providing UFO news and updates, edited by Jenny Randles.
• "Alien" Lights Alert: A reported UFO alert at Stourhead was explained as powerful lasers used for a "silver screen theme."
• Hill Abduction Anniversary: The 30th anniversary of the Betty and Barney Hill abduction case seems to have gone unnoticed by the UK media.
• Regional Meeting: A joint meeting of BUFORA and the Northamptonshire UFO Research Centre is scheduled for January 18, 1992, with John Spencer speaking on the role of the witness.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently presents UFO phenomena as a subject worthy of serious investigation, even while acknowledging the prevalence of hoaxes and the need for scientific explanations. There's a clear emphasis on the growing public interest and the efforts of organizations like BUFORA to gather and disseminate information. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, seeking to separate credible reports from misidentifications or fabrications. The coverage of the Sheffield Congress suggests a belief in the importance of international collaboration and the potential significance of UFOs as a national security issue. The magazine also highlights the challenges faced by researchers in gaining mainstream media attention and public acceptance.

This issue of "In search of the strange" is a compilation of various reports and articles related to unexplained phenomena, UFO sightings, and mysterious events. It includes reader contributions, news snippets from the USA and UK, and detailed case studies.

Reader Contributions and Research

David Whitehead is actively researching for a book provisionally titled "Question Marks" and is soliciting strange but true stories from readers. These stories can encompass UFO sightings, unusual animal encounters (like the Surrey Puma), ghosts, legends, and encounters with mythical creatures. An extract from the "Evening Express" in Aberdeen, dated July 11th, 1991, shows one of over a dozen letters he had published that month across the country. Another mention from the "Chester Chronicle" dated July 12th, 1991, indicates ongoing efforts to gather such accounts.

US Snippets

Across the pond, Betty Hill, known for her mid-seventies experience, is now giving up lecture touring. The US was also experiencing a surge in articles and books concerning the July 1947 Roswell, New Mexico incident. The "Gulf Breeze Sentinel," which had extensively covered UFO events, was reportedly sold to a rival publication less sympathetic to the subject. Mike Corbin and his colleagues, operating the Paranet Information Service, were planning to form a new UFO organization, likely to be called the Mid-West UFO Network. Additionally, fifties contactee Howard Menger has written a new book and is planning a lecture tour that may include parts of Europe.

Mystery Light Baffles Car Pair

Jennifer Urwin and her son Richard reported a mysterious bright light, described as blue-white and almost spherical, over fields near Swaffham Bulbeck, UK. They observed it travelling alongside their car for several seconds before it vanished. Jennifer described it as unlike anything she had seen before, leaving them to wonder if it was a freak of nature or a UFO.

Spotlight on UFOs

This section, written by Ian Martin, explores a mystery surrounding unidentified objects seen over mid-Somerset. It suggests that powerful searchlights used during celebrations at Stourhead gardens in Wiltshire may have been the cause of these sightings. Numerous people reported seeing bright, circling lights, with some mistaking them for shooting stars. Donald Richards witnessed half a dozen lights circling for 20 minutes and took photographs, but the film was blank. His neighbour, Yvonne White, described them as large, round, bulb-shaped lights bouncing around. However, Richard Tarr, a UFO investigator, noted that many witnesses had reported white orbs moving in a figure-of-eight pattern. The article also mentions a recent increase in UFO activity in the Bristol area, accompanied by complex crop formations, and reports of sightings of small, white-grey beings with large heads and almond-shaped eyes in Bristol.

Close Encounters of the Todmorden Kind

This article details the potential for a Hollywood feature film based on the experiences of Alan Godfrey, a former local policeman from Todmorden. The film would be based on his claims, made under hypnosis, of being taken aboard an alien spaceship in November 1980. The article also links this to the unexplained death of Zygmunt Jan Adamski, a Polish emigre found in a coal yard near Todmorden in June 1980 with mysterious head injuries. The "Todmorden News" reported on these events, noting that police had initially investigated but later dropped the case under a security clampdown. American producer Michael Grais visited Todmorden to plan the film, which would be based on a recreated television program already aired in the US by CBS. Grais noted that while the film would be made in Todmorden, rural areas around Los Angeles would be used for filming, even recreating the cows that PC Godfrey was investigating when his experience occurred. The documentary also covered Mr. Adamski's death. Grais mentioned a recent surge in interest in unexplained phenomena globally.

UFO News from Around the UK and Finland

Several brief reports cover UFO activity: In Bournmouth, a UFO was reported to have hit a lake. Finnish nuclear safety experts were checking for radiation traces after two people reported seeing an unidentified flying object crash into Saukonniemi lake near Helsinki. In Swindon, a resident reported a kettle-shaped UFO hovering over the Shaw Ridge leisure centre. The "Irish Times" reported a saucer-shaped UFO escorting a truck driver home in Hungary, shining a green beam into his room.

Harry's UFO Makes its Return Over Poole

Amateur astronomer Harry Deemer reported seeing a bright, white UFO over Poole, Dorset, for the third time in recent weeks, nearly a year after his initial sighting. He described it as a ball of brilliant white light that moves very fast, usually heading towards Wimborne, and then disappears and re-emerges as a white speck. Deemer is certain it is not a falling star or a plane, and notes the lack of noise. He believes other people may have seen it but are afraid to report it.

Aliens All At Sea

This section reports on aliens being spotted over Britain's favourite seaside resorts. It reiterates Harry Deemer's sightings over Poole and mentions that other people have reported seeing white orbs of light in the Bristol area. It also describes sightings of beings described as "nearly four feet tall, white-grey, with large heads and almond-shaped eyes."

Flying Saucer Scare in Village

Villagers in Cottingley reported seeing a brightly shining disc-shaped object gliding above the village. Shipley Police stated they were not taking the sightings seriously. One witness described the object as eerie and frightening, moving without sound. Another witness, Clare Hudson, described seeing a disc-shaped, bright light moving through the sky.

UFO Sightings Dismissed

National UFO trackers, including Philip Mantle, Chairman of the UFO network, dismissed a recent flurry of sightings in North Yorkshire. They suggested that most sightings could be explained as misidentified aircraft, particularly stealth bombers, or atmospheric phenomena. While the Royal Air Force and US Air Force stated they had no aircraft operating in the area on the nights in question, Mantle suggested that darkness could make aircraft appear different. Barry Bellamy, North Yorkshire's official UFO reporter, described a silent, floating object with coloured lights, which he reported to the military. Despite the dismissals, some witnesses, like a farmer near Driffield, described seeing objects with multiple coloured lights moving silently, and expressed a desire to connect with others who had similar experiences.

Other UFO Reports

Dr. Armen Victorian (also known as Dr. Henry Azadehdel) is noted for his UFO research, including investigating claims of a UFO shot down over South Africa. Timothy Good's new book "Alien Liason" is reviewed, focusing on cattle mutilations in the United States. The "Sport" newspaper briefly discussed the Ummo reports from Spain, detailing their claims of landing in 1950 and communicating with a strange symbol.

BUFORA News and Events

BUFORA (British UFO Research Association) announced the opening of a new administrative office to improve response times to member and press inquiries. They also detailed their monthly lecture program in London, covering topics like Crop Circles, Pie in the Sky, and Esoteric UFO Stories, with admission fees for members and visitors. The notice for the Seventeenth Annual General Meeting of BUFORA Ltd was also included.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, unexplained aerial phenomena, alleged alien encounters, and the investigation of these events. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena, with a mix of presenting witness accounts and providing skeptical or investigative perspectives, as seen in the "UFO Sightings Dismissed" section. There is also an interest in the media's portrayal of these events, such as the potential film about the Alan Godfrey case and the coverage of the Roswell incident.