Lantern - No 13

Magazine Overview

Title: LANTERN
Issue: Nº13
Date: Spring 1970
Publisher: Borderline Science Investigation Group (BSIG)

Introduction

The introduction thanks readers for their response to a previous questionnaire, indicating that Lantern will continue in its current form but aims to expand its circulation by attracting more subscribers and finding more outlets. Readers are encouraged to suggest potential subscribers or outlets. The editor welcomes contributions of articles, comments, and information.

Notes and Queries

This section features several short items:

• Tim Church (USA) is interested in exchanging notes on unknown animals (lake monsters, sea serpents, yetis) from the US with UK counterparts.
• The journal MYSTIC FORUM has been renamed KEY and is published quarterly for 20p plus 10p P&P.
• MEGALITHIC VISIONS ANTIQUARIAN PAPERS has released issue No. 10, 'THE SWASTIKA', for 30p.
• The INSTITUTE OF GEOMANTIC RESEARCH has published two occasional papers: 'LANDSCAPE GEOMETRY OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND' by M. Behrend (75p) and 'ANCIENT HILL FIGURES OF ENGLAND' by N. Pennick (60p), available from Fenris Wolf/IGR Publications.
• HILARY BELCHER (Cambridge) seeks information on folklore related to seaweeds and the luminescence of the sea.
• THE LEY HUNTER, a bi-monthly magazine devoted to Ley Lines, has an annual subscription of £1.50.
• BSIG is holding its first public exhibition at Lovestoft Library from May 3rd to 8th.
• WATSUP JOURNAL contains articles on UFOs, Dowsing, Geodetic Phenomena, and Haunted Hampshire.

BSIG is a non-profit organisation investigating unexplained phenomena in East Anglia. An annual subscription for Lantern is 75p for 4 issues.

'timberrr.... it's a sea serpent!'

This article examines several historical accounts of sea serpent sightings, particularly off the Suffolk coast. It begins with the 1938 sighting off Southwold, which was later explained by A. Barrett Jenkins as a collection of timbers. The article then references earlier accounts:

• In the 1850s, the skipper of a Welsh Brigantine reported being rammed and sunk by an enormous 'whale' off the Suffolk coast.
• In July 1912, two daughters of Rider Haggard described a strange creature near Kessingland with a head and a series of pointed blobs.
• In 1931, a creature 50-60 feet long with rounded humps was seen off Thorpeness.
• During the 1930s, a steward on a coaster saw a camel-headed creature about six feet long off the North Norfolk coast.
• In August 1936, Mr. H.E. Witard and friends observed a serpent-like creature 30-40 feet long moving at 90-100 mph.

The article cites Lantern No.3 (Autumn 1973), the Lowestoft Journal (16/1/1976), and Bernard Heuvelmans' 'In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents' as references.

Continued from page 1

This section lists further publications available from Nick Maloret, including UFOs, Dowsing, Geodetic Phenomena, and Haunted Hampshire. It also mentions that BSIG is interested in exchanging Lantern for similar publications.

THE NEWS is a non-profit bi-monthly miscellany of Fortean news, edited by Robert JM Rickard. Issue No. 13 covers mystery deaths, phantom attacks, killer bees, and UFOs, while No. 14 focuses on 'Nessie' photos and mystery animals.

The Puddingstone Track

This article, by N. Pennick, provides context for the 'Puddingstone or Conglomerate Track', previously mentioned in Lantern. It details the discovery by Dr. E.A. Rudge in 1949 of an alinement of boulders in Essex, which he later extended to a trackway of at least 125 stones pointing towards Suffolk and Norfolk, including Grimes Graves.

The track uses conglomerate, known as Hertfordshire Puddingstone, and varies in size. Rudge noted the stones were sited geomantically on hilltops and by fords. Many stones are associated with Saxon/Mediaeval sites, with sixteen found in or near Saxon churches. The track disregards contours and coincides with Mesolithic working floors.

The article notes that Rudge's work faced opposition from figures like Alfred Watkins and Laurence S. Harley, who dismissed the findings. Despite this, further evidence emerged, including discoveries by Mrs. Robertson and Major The Honourable Sherman Stonor. The Puddingstone Track is presented as a challenge to official archaeology, emphasizing the importance of fieldwork. Another puddingstone trackway at Coton in Cambridgeshire is also mentioned.

The Mummified Cat

A brief update on the mummified cat at Sudbury, clarifying that it was buried by the Mayor, Mr. Tony Moore, not the vicar. It also mentions a similar discovery of mummified cats and kittens plastered into a cottage wall at Cricksea, Essex.

Comment 1: Ghosts at Westwood Lodge

Robert Collis, who was present with three policemen during an incident at Westwood Lodge, Blythburgh, clarifies points from a previous article. He describes the foggy conditions, the search of the house, and the presence of a single bat. He confirms that cotton threads were found dislodged but intact, and that mysterious 'thuds' were heard. Collis states that P.C. Lincoln's tape recording, made the following day, contained obscene words due to P.C. Evans falling over.

Ghosts of 1975

This section, by W.J. Chambers, lists several paranormal occurrences from East Anglia:

• Bassingbourne, Cambridgeshire: Mrs. B. Steele noticed strong smells of roses, lilies, kippers, and ham cooking in her cottage.
• Newmarket: A house once occupied by Nell Gwynne is reported to have a strong smell of oranges.
• Bury St. Edmunds: A hairdressers shop is haunted by a small, faceless monk who turns on taps. Mr. Dennis Taylor avoids working alone due to the monk's presence.
• Bury St. Edmunds: A boutique is haunted by a monk in a brown habit who walks through walls. Assistants avoid the upstairs toilet.
• Ipswich: Debenham's department store is haunted by a grey lady, with mysterious noises and lights reported.
• Bury St. Edmunds: The Nutshell pub is haunted by a small boy on the third floor.
• Great Oakley, Essex: The Maybush Inn is haunted by a Chinese girl named Cing-a-Lee, who communicates through noises and footsteps.

Comment 2: Biorhythms and Psi

Ron Hill's articles on biorhythms and psi are discussed. The writer has been checking their biorhythms and experienced a 'triple negative cross-over'. The article questions why rhythms commence on the day of birth, linking it to astrology. Dr. Lawrence Blair's book 'RHYTHMS OF VISION' is mentioned, suggesting a link between biorhythms and astrology. The three rhythms (sensitivity, intelligence, physical) are related to the moon, mercury, and sun. The theory of 'Vivaxis' from British Columbia, proposed by Mrs. Francis Nixon, suggests a permanent magnetic sphere of energy at birth.

They must be joking!

A short news item about villagers in Borley, Essex, complaining that Braintree District Council is refusing planning permission for new houses, fearing they will 'become a ghost village'.

Born to be Magnetic

This section reviews Ron Hill's book 'BORN TO BE MAGNETIC', noting its difficulty but acknowledging its exploration of psychic ability and 'ownership resistance'. The concept of ownership resistance, where individuals disown psychic abilities, is discussed, with examples of dowsers using rods and mediums using guides. The article mentions K.J. Batchelor's investigation into PK skills and a discussion in The Journal of the British Society of Dowsers. An I CHING reading regarding the connection between Biorhythms and Psi resulted in Hexagram 7 (The Army) and Hexagram 15 (Modesty), interpreted as psychic power being invisibly present.

3: Retreat Farm Revisited

This article by I.A.W. Bunn and M.W. Burgess revisits Nigel Pennick's 'Retreat Farm Complex' research into geomancy. They found discrepancies between distances measured on a 1" Ordnance Survey map and actual measurements, concluding that the complex has 'little geomantic validity' due to errors in measurement. They emphasize that smaller scale maps (1" to 1 mile or 1:50,000) have limitations affecting accuracy, and recommend using 6" or 25" to the mile maps for geomantic work.

Local Curiosities

This section presents several brief, unusual stories:

• A creature guarding gold at Clopton Hall, Suffolk, described as having the body of a monk and the head of a hound.
• A witchcraft ritual involving boiling urine with nails.
• J.W. Dunne's 1901 dream of Lowestort being bombarded by foreign warships, which occurred in 1914.
• The Phantom Hedge of Southwold: Mr. Arthur Slater reported seeing a leafless thorn hedge, waist high and covered in raindrops, on South Green. He confirmed it was not an optical illusion by touching it with his walking stick. The article notes that Mr. Slater is investigating old maps to see if such a hedge existed.

Back Numbers of Lantern

A list of available back numbers of Lantern is provided, with details of articles in issues No. 7, 10, 11, and 12.

News Round-up

This section contains several short news items:

• ALL NIGHT VIGIL IN 16th CENTURY HOUSE: Four members of Cambridge BSIG held a ghostwatch at a reputedly highly haunted Manor House near Cambridge. Phenomena included footsteps, music, rattling, knockings, smells, and apparitions.
• STRANGE NOISES: A tape recorder left in the oratory of the house captured 8 clicks preceded by knocks, which could only be reproduced by operating the microphone switch.
• VOICES: An investigator heard a shout or cough, and a cold blast of air was felt. A clatter was heard in the oratory. A cassette recorder picked up loud 'hums' and a sped-up clock tick. An inexplicable voice was heard by another visitor.
• COLD COMFORT FOR LOWESTOFT BSIG INVESTIGATORS: Three members of the Lowestoft BSIG spent a night in the cellars of the Anchor Hotel investigating reports of psychical activity. Little happened, with only a temperature drop and faint footsteps noted.
• SITE OF PRIORY: The Anchor Hotel is said to be built over an underground chapel of St. Bartholomew's Priory.
• HOODED FIGURES: Reports of hooded figures seen at the Anchor Hotel and in the vicinity are mentioned.
• CREATE A GHOST: An attempt by two BSIG members to 'project' a ghost into the cellars during the Anchor Hotel investigation was unsuccessful.

More Early UFOs?

This article recounts two early sightings:

• April 1661: Captain Chelmsford of Ipswich and a lawyer's son saw a fiery light between two stars, emitting lightbeams and a green/white glow, which changed direction and disappeared.
• Summer 1661: An Ipswich clergyman saw three luminous discs moving in the sky. These sightings were widely discussed and believed to be omens.

Subscription Offer

A subscription offer for Lantern is presented, costing 75p for 4 issues, with the Summer Edition due out in June.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores unexplained phenomena, including cryptozoology (sea serpents), ghosts and hauntings, geomancy and ancient sites, and UFO sightings. There is a strong emphasis on anecdotal evidence, personal accounts, and investigations conducted by groups like BSIG. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these subjects, presenting both reported phenomena and attempts at rational explanation or debunking, as seen in the sea serpent and Puddingstone Track articles. The publication also serves as a platform for correspondence and sharing research within the ufology and paranormal community.