Annual Report 1976

Magazine Overview

This document is the Annual Report for 1976 from the Northern H.F.Q. Network (NUFON), prepared in May 1977. It aims to provide an easy reference for research work, following the format of the previous year's report.

Introduction

The report is structured into four sections: SECTION ONE provides a brief review of the ufological scene in Northern Britain during 1976. SECTION TWO offers a chronological checklist of all NUFON reports with basic data. SECTION THREE presents a statistical analysis of the 146 reports and comparisons with previous studies. Finally, SECTION FOUR offers a synopsis of the 15 unidentified reports, considered the core evidence for Northern Britain in 1976. The report is intended to serve as a basis for researchers and to encourage publication via NUFON. The author expresses gratitude to the local groups and individual researchers who comprise NUFON.

1: A REVIEW OF THE YEAR

1976 is characterized as Britain's 'Year of the Humanoids,' marked by a significant increase in entity and contact claims (CEIII). Notable cases include the Winchester landing and others involving abductions. The author points out the 'coincidence' of this surge in reports occurring alongside the BBC's production of a major UFO documentary and the announcement of a major motion picture on the subject. NUFON cooperated with the BBC, with producer Hugh Burnett developing a serious respect for ufology. The report notes that local UFO 'flaps' continued from 1975, with July and August being particularly active months, including a high number of photographic cases. The mid-December flap also repeated the previous year's event with similar objects. High criteria were maintained for classifying reports as unknown, with many intriguing cases omitted due to possible explanations, emphasizing a conservative approach. NUFON is described as progressing as a natural communications channel, focusing on informality and ufology over politics. The report mentions a conference held in Sheffield in May, with papers published by NUFON. Meetings were also held in Manchester and Sheffield, including a lecture by author Raymond Drake. NUFON was heavily involved in organizing the BUFORA conference in Birmingham in November, which brought together researchers from several countries.

Development of UFO Investigation Networks

The document highlights the development of the UFO Investigators Network (UFOIN), a team of qualified investigators focusing on high strangeness cases, financially backed by FSR. This is seen as a vital development in the investigation scene. NUFON has also forged strong links with FSR, with many reports being published in its pages. Progress has been made on a major project, a Northern England Historical Catalogue, intended as a forerunner to a British series.

The report notes that the late-year flaps increased the 1976 total to 18 higher than 1975. Evidence suggests a major flap may center around December 1977, for which NUFON is preparing with coordinated skywatches. The dates December 12/13/14, 1977, are highlighted as significant.

2: CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF 1976 REPORTS

This section provides a detailed list of 146 UFO reports from 1976, including DATE, TIME (local), LOCATION, SHAPE, COLOUR, SPECIAL EFFECTS, IDENTIFICATION, and REPORT REFERENCE. The data is organized chronologically, with locations primarily in Northern Britain (Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Yorkshire, etc.) and other parts of the UK. Shapes range from discs and spheres to ovals and cylinders, with colors including grey, yellow, red, white, blue, gold, silver, pink, green, amber, and orange. Special effects noted include photographic evidence, humming noises, electromagnetic effects, and physical traces.

3: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

This section presents a statistical breakdown of the 1976 reports. Out of 146 reports, 15 (10.9%) were classified as Unknown. Other classifications include Aircraft (35), Insufficient (33), Satellites (16), Stars (10), Meteorological (9), Meteor (8), Balloon (5), Flare (5), Optical (3), Birds (2), Hoax (2), Ground light (1), Fire (1), and Film Fault (1).

GRAPH ONE illustrates the monthly distribution of reports in 1976, showing a general rise throughout the year, with a notable peak in July and August, which was significantly higher than in 1975. February showed a low.

GRAPH TWO plots the distribution of unknown reports from 1973-76, totaling 46. This graph suggests that unknowns show a higher preponderance from September to December, potentially indicating that high strangeness cases occur during broad peak spells, but at lulls in general reporting levels.

GRAPH THREE shows the time distribution of 1976 reports, indicating peaks at sunrise and around 9 pm.

GRAPH FOUR analyzes the time distribution of the unknown reports from 1973-76, showing a similar curve to Graph Three but with a more pronounced peak at sunrise and around 9 pm.

Regional Breakdown and Key Dates

Combining 1975 and 1976 reports (292) reveals a regional breakdown: North East (11.5%), North West (9.8%), West Midlands (11.8%), and East Midlands (13.3%). Greater Manchester had the highest number of reports (62), followed by Staffordshire (32) and West Yorkshire (19).

Three dates are identified as providing important cases or high incidence of cases annually: August 15/16, October 10/12, and December 12/13. The report suggests these dates may be ideal for skywatches in the future, particularly for the predicted Autumn 1977-Winter 1978 wave.

4: SYNOPSIS OF 1976 UNKNOWNS

This section details several specific unknown reports from 1976:

• REPORT 7608 (Jan 23, 1976): A photographic case in Redditch involving a shiny metallic disc that hovered and accelerated away.
• REPORT 7605 (Jan 23, 1976): A close encounter in Bolton where a young receptionist witnessed a diagonal object with a round underside and two lights.
• REPORT 7620 (Mar 1, 1976): Five boys in Oldham reported a rotating domed disc that moved in a 'skipping' motion.
• REPORT 76/145 (Apr 2, 1976): Detective Inspector Collinson witnessed a white disc performing maneuvers over a road.
• REPORT 7638 (May 11, 1976): Mrs. Kent reported a humanoid entity in a silver suit standing by a silvery sphere.
• REPORT 7655 (Jun 30, 1976): A witness and her son saw a matt black cylindrical shape hover in the sky.
• REPORT 7663 (Jul 21, 1976): An elderly lady saw a coppery gold colored object like two saucers stuck together.
• REPORT 7687 (Jul 21, 1976): An object shaped like two saucers hovered over waste ground and then vanished.
• REPORT 7699 (Sep 3, 1976): A landing incident in Fencehouses involving two women and two tiny doll-like entities.
• REPORT 7682 (Sep 23, 1976): A pinky red sphere of light moved fast across the sky towards Rumworth Lodge Reservoir.
• REPORT 76/126 (Oct 12, 1976): A caretaker and his wife reported a white light moving erratically around a school, causing a digital watch to go haywire.
• THE STAFFORDSHIRE FLAP (December 1976): A series of reports, particularly around Dec 13/14, involving objects with tiers of lights and mist, and a man following a red light that landed in a field.

The section also lists publications such as FSR, AWARENESS, BUFORA JOURNAL, and UFO RESEARCH REVIEW, along with their subscription details.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this report are the detailed cataloging and statistical analysis of UFO sightings, with a particular focus on 'unknown' cases and 'high strangeness' phenomena like entities and close encounters. The editorial stance, as expressed by Jenny Randles, is one of conservatism in classification ('err on the side of conservatism') and a focus on rigorous investigation. There is an emphasis on the importance of 'coincidences' in the UFO phenomenon and the need for researchers to consider these. The report also highlights the growing professionalism and networking within the ufology community through organizations like NUFON and UFOIN, and the importance of collaboration with media outlets like the BBC. The statistical approach and the identification of recurring dates for significant events underscore a scientific and analytical methodology.