BUFORA NEWSFILE

Magazine Overview

Title: BUFORA NEWSFILE
Issue: Issue Number 55
Date: February 1997 (Cover date, with a raw date of 26 DEC 96)
Publisher: Waltham Abbey West Essex Gazette

This issue of BUFORA NEWSFILE delves into a variety of UFO-related topics, from a controversial theological theory to numerous eyewitness accounts and scientific investigations.

Cover Story: 'Alien Infiltrator' Jesus and his UFO

The lead story explores a theory, published by Waltham Abbey born-again Christians, that the Christmas story of Jesus' birth could have originated from a real-life version of a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster. The pamphlet suggests that the Star of Bethlehem might have been a UFO that attracted the attention of wise men and shepherds, and that baby Jesus himself was an alien infiltrator. This theory is presented as a tongue-in-cheek explanation for the appearance of a 'new star' and its unusual travel across the Arabian sky. While some historians link the event to comets, this theory posits an extraterrestrial origin. The article quotes Mike Tobin, a spokesman for the church, who states that the Star of Bethlehem was 'definitely an unidentified flying object in the usual sense of the phrase,' and that 'Jesus was a visitor from another place.' However, Mike Wootten of the British UFO Research Association dismisses the theory, cautioning against pinning the UFO subject on everything and stating that it's a matter of personal belief and interpretation.

Reports from Across the UK

The issue is replete with reports of UFO sightings from various regions of the United Kingdom:

• Caithness: Kenneth Arrowsmith reported seeing a 'slightly yellowish round ball' speeding across the sky in the early morning, though he believed it was a satellite.
• Dunbeg: Thomas Sharp was fascinated by a hovering, flashing red and green light above the village, which his wife suggested he video record. UFO-ologist Dennis Hardley is studying the phenomenon.
• Italy: Witnesses reported a strange green light flash near Rome's airport, which air traffic controllers suggested was an optical effect.
• North Norfolk: Two police officers, Sgt Steve King and PC Andy Coller, were left 'mystified' after tracking a luminous oblong shape with red, white and blue lights for 10 miles before it vanished over the North Sea.
• Ulverston: A businesswoman and her son spotted what they believe might have been a UFO hovering silently in the sky.
• South Devon: Torbay Police confirmed a report of a bright diamond-shaped object soaring across the heavens in Kingskerswell.
• Corby: Amateur cameraman Cliff Linnell captured film of an unidentified flying object described as a cigar or saucer-shaped light hovering in the sky for about 15 minutes.
• Bramshill: Security staff at the Police Staff College observed a cigar-shaped object with lights drifting across the sky for ten minutes.
• Skegness: Police reported seeing a strange red and green rotating light in the sky, which appeared stationary.
• Boston: A tanker crew reported seeing two multi-coloured flashing lights.
• Carlisle: Several residents reported seeing 'circular ring of rotating lights' hovering in the sky, which were later revealed to be laser lights from a pub's new display.
• Longsowerby: Eight residents reported seeing alien visitors 'bobbing' along above the night sky, described as a circular shape with dull white lights.

Scientific Investigations and Research

The magazine also touches upon scientific efforts to understand unexplained aerial phenomena:

• 'Elves', 'Blue Jets', and 'Red Sprites': American scientists at Stanford University have obtained images of these 'celestial lights' – luminous rings and streamers of light high in the upper atmosphere, thought to be an afterglow from lightning. They are using a camera called a 'Fly's Eye' to capture these fleeting flashes.
• Ministry of Defence Investigation: The MoD was investigating sightings of two large unexplained objects hovering over the Wash, with personnel at RAF Neatishead tracking the lights. The objects did not carry transponders, and military officials stated they were not seen as a threat.

UFO Interest and Support Networks

The issue highlights the growing public interest in UFOs and the networks supporting this interest:

• The X-Files Effect: The popularity of TV shows like 'The X-Files' and movies like 'Independence Day' is noted as feeding a public appetite for the unexplained.
• UFO Research Network: Russell Kellett of the Bradford UFO Research Network discusses the phenomenal growth in interest, with magazines and groups dedicated to the topic. His group has over 200 members worldwide and uses specialized equipment for investigations.
• Abductee Counselling: Eric Morris of the British UFO Studies Centre (BUFOSC) has launched the world's first counselling network for people claiming alien abduction, offering confidential support and using hypnotherapy.
• Public Opinion Survey: A survey by Rolling Rock beer and the Fortean Times journal revealed that 41% of people have experienced or witnessed something beyond explanation, with 17% claiming to have spotted a UFO and 22% believing they have seen a ghost. The survey also indicated a belief in government cover-ups of UFO crashes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the widespread nature of UFO sightings across the UK, the ongoing efforts to find explanations (both conventional and unconventional), and the increasing public acceptance and interest in the paranormal and extraterrestrial phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded investigation, presenting various theories and reports without necessarily endorsing them as definitive proof of alien visitation, while also acknowledging the scientific efforts to understand these events. The inclusion of a controversial theological interpretation of the Christmas story alongside eyewitness accounts and scientific research suggests a broad approach to the subject of the unexplained.