Northern UFO News - No 146

Magazine Overview

This issue of Northern UFO News, dated December 1990, is edited by Jenny Randles and features cover art by Bill Callaghan. The price is listed as £6 for six issues. The cover headline proclaims 'All the news, views and up to date cases'. The content includes usual features, news from elsewhere, book reviews, media matters, and international and UK-based cases.

Editorial: The Changing Face of UFOlogy

In her editorial, Jenny Randles reflects on the perceived decline in UFO sightings over the years, posing the question: "Where have all the UFOs gone?" She notes a significant alteration in the character of the UFO field, moving from sightings of solid craft with burn marks and engine failures to a more polarized brand of UFOlogy. She observes a decrease in photo cases and an increase in abduction reports, suggesting that modern UFOlogy is heavily influenced by the 'Strieber or Hopkins pattern of abduction'. The rise of crop circles is also highlighted as a significant development, potentially indicating a shift in how the phenomenon manifests or is perceived. Randles posits that UFOlogy is deeply rooted in human consciousness and plays a role at the cutting edge of culture, possibly even forging destiny. She references theories by Keel and Vallee regarding ultraterrestrials and intelligence tests, and mentions her own book, 'Mind Monsters'.

Content Highlights

The issue's content is detailed in the 'CONTENT' section, covering a range of topics:

• Where have all the UFOs gone? (p. 2) - The editorial piece.
• News, elsewhere, book reviews and media matters (p. 3-9).
• British Roundabout (p. 9) - Cases from the UK, including a mysterious orange light in Scotland attributed to British Gas, and a 'cigar shaped light' near Kendal.
• Overseas cases (p. 9) - Sightings from Louisiana (USA), Zambia, Portugal, and India.
• Brief cases (p. 9-10) - Reports from Cheshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Scotland, South Yorks, including the Yorkshire pterodacytl, and Ireland.
• Case History: Cownapping in Ireland? (p. 15).
• Xmas Competition (p. 16) - Offering a free subscription.

Book Reviews

The magazine features several book reviews:

• THE UFO REPORT 1991 (Ed) Tim Good (Sidgwick & Jackson, £9.99 p/back, 1990): This review notes an improvement over the previous year's edition. It covers crop circles, unseen entities, messages, and channeling communiques. Ralph Noyes contributes an article on the paranormal interface and bedroom visitor aspects of abduction. Linda Moulton Howe provides text and photos on cattle mutilations. The reviewer expresses reservations about the book's claims regarding the Gulf Breeze UFO case, advising caution.

• THE LATEST EVIDENCE Colin Andrews & Pat Delgado (Bloomsbury, £5.99, 1990): This slim book updates their 1989 work, focusing on crop circles with colour reproductions. It includes tidbits about weird noises and feelings at sites. The review critically examines the authors' account of a verbal confrontation with Dr. Meaden at an Oxford conference, deeming it an unfair version of the truth. The reviewer finds the book lacks an index, references, and general facts, with a limited geographical scope to Wessex. It is suggested that the book overemphasizes pictograms and doesn't adequately address the prevalence of simpler patterns or potential hoaxing.

• UFOS IN THE 1980's (Ed) Jerome Clark (Apogee Books, 234pp, 1990): This is the first volume of a projected three-volume set. The reviewer notes its 'home production' quality and lack of illustrations, which is considered a strange omission for a UFO encyclopedia, especially given its high price ($65 cover price, approximately £40 with postage). The text, marshalled by editor Jerry Clark, includes contributions from leading UFO researchers. It covers themes like abductions, earthlights, and fantasy-prone hypotheses. Clark's critique of the psycho-social theory is highlighted as particularly fascinating. However, the case data is deemed limited, featuring only a few well-known cases. The reviewer suggests the book might be too restrained for the US market and is likely to appeal primarily to libraries and wealthy UFOlogists.

Other Publications Reviewed

Several other publications are mentioned or briefly reviewed:

• GIT newsletter ('An H-Bomb in Reverse'): A 49-numbered copy tract on Jim Morrison, UFO encounters, and related myths.
• Rattler's Tales: A 32pp A5 magazine featuring short stories (horror, SF, crime) and paranormal snippets. It pays £5 for accepted pieces.
• UFO Brigantia Nov: A sister magazine described as irreverent and fearless, covering topics like 'Communion: The Movie', crop circles, and Gulf Breeze.
• SPI Enigmas Nov: A Scottish paranormal journal featuring reports on ghosts, witches, crop circles, and UFOs.
• J. Meteorology: A TORRO publication focusing on crop circles, including preliminary scientific enquiries and historical data on vortices.
• Folklore Frontiers: A publication described as a 'pouri' of tales in Fortean Times mode, but criticized for an obituary of Anthony Roberts.
• Fortean Times 55: Reviewed for its handling of crop circles and its general range of strange anecdotes.
• STRANGE 6: An American equivalent to Fortean Times, with Fortean items and articles, including contributions from John Keel.
• IUR Sep/Oct: Detailed analysis of Howard Blum's claims and abduction theories.
• MUFON Journal: Features abduction theories and a Soviet crop circle case.
• Orbiter Sep: A special piece re-evaluating the 'Incident at Exeter' case.
• NUFOC Oct: A special issue focusing on the Belgian wave of triangular UFOs.

Media Matters

This section discusses UFOs in the public eye, including a Channel 4 'Equinox' documentary on 'Superpowers' which featured a debate on MJ-12 with Philip Klass. The handling of UFO topics by Channel 4 is criticized. The section also notes the use of a crop circle pictogram on the new Led Zeppelin Remasters album cover, leading to speculation about hoaxes and copyright. It mentions a piece in 'The Face' featuring interviews with Andy Roberts and Budd Hopkins, and a surprisingly informative overview in 'The Times Colour Supplement', though it criticizes the description of the Alan Godfrey case.

Brief Cases and British Roundabout

• Bob Taylor's Trousers: The trousers worn by Bob Taylor during the famous Livingston landing in 1979 have been recovered and will be subject to psychometric analysis.
• Winston Churchill and Aliens: A report suggests Churchill met with aliens during WWII to enlist their help against the Nazis.
• BUFORA Lawsuit Speculation: A man changing his name and using BUFORA's copyrighted report forms leads to speculation about potential tabloid riches and a lawsuit against Elvis Presley.
• Scottish Light: A bright orange light in southern Scotland was initially thought to be a spaceship marker but was revealed to be a British Gas pipe monitoring operation.
• Kendal Light: A 'cigar shaped light' was observed near Kendal, described as 'fluffy' and like 'steam or mist', moving within a cloud. This is compared to the 'laser light' IFO trend.

Other Cases and Synchronicity

• Dudley Case: A woman recalls seeing a 'child's spinning top' phenomenon on a quarry pond.
• Pennine UFO Mystery: A case of lights under a reservoir surface, featured in a children's TV series.
• Cornish Synchronicity: A man reports a sighting in Cornwall in 1966 involving a deep red glow and a dark mass, which eerily coincides with the location of Daphne Du Maurier's novel 'The House on the Strand'.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the evolving nature of UFO sightings, the analysis of UFOlogy through media and publications, and the reporting of various unexplained phenomena from the UK and internationally. The editorial stance, particularly from Jenny Randles, is one of critical inquiry, questioning the current state of UFOlogy and emphasizing the need for caution when evaluating extraordinary claims, as seen in her review of the Gulf Breeze case and her general observations on the shift in reported UFO phenomena. There is a clear emphasis on reviewing and dissecting the available evidence and literature within the field.

Title: Northern UFO News
Issue: 11
Document Type: Magazine Issue
Cover Headline: OVERSEAS CONNECTIONS

This issue of Northern UFO News focuses on UFO sightings and related phenomena from various locations around the world, presented through 'Overseas Connections' and 'Case Histories' sections. It also includes a competition, upcoming events, and regional group information.

Overseas Connections

This section details several UFO encounters from different countries:

• (1) 1973 USA: Four young men, including airmen from England AFB, reported seeing an 'armada' of over a hundred UFOs flying in a high 'flock' formation in a 'V' shape near Alexandria, Louisiana. They initially feared reporting it due to ridicule, but this sighting occurred shortly before the great US wave of sightings began.
• (2) 1985 Zambia: A young boy and his older sister in Chisamba observed a dark grey object, described as a spinning bob with a yellow band, hovering in the sky. Their dog barked at it, and a cat ran away. The object vanished after a few minutes.
• (3) 1987 Portugal: At Vilamoura, a retired brother and sister relaxing by a pool witnessed a white mist appear in an irregular vertical oval shape. It remained for 20 minutes, causing one witness to feel 'odd'. The mist then dispersed upwards into the sky. Investigator Michael Lewis suggests it might have been a meteorological effect.
• (4) 1988 India: A girl and her boyfriend returning home in New Delhi saw two triangular or arrow-like objects with flashing red, green, and blue lights and a steady yellow glow at the rear. The objects moved in unison, turning 90 degrees together, and one rose to obscure the other. No sound was reported. The article notes that Indian UFO sightings are rarely documented.

Illustrations of the objects seen in the USA, Zambia, Portugal, and India are provided.

Case Histories

This section presents detailed accounts of UFO-related incidents, primarily from the UK:

• OZ FACTOR TIME LAPSE IN SKEM (1964): Colleen Innes reports on a spate of strange craft encounters near Skem, Lancashire, possibly linked to rumors of secret military craft. She describes a personal experience of observing a partially obscured 'thing' that caused her mind to go blank. She has since experienced 'memory lapses' prior to seeing lights in the sky, which she believes act as triggers. She also recounts a terrifying 'night of terror' involving an 'explosion' in her head and disturbing imagery.
• HOW TO MAKE A DINOSAUR FLY (1972): Mr H, from Totley, Derbyshire, recounts an experience at age 10 where he saw a blue, trident-shaped object with square particles rising slowly upwards. The object, described as 'glistening', was six feet high and three feet wide. He notes the area became oddly calm and quiet during the sighting.
• CASE 8843 (1977): Mr H, accompanied by a neighbour, observed a silvery yellow oval object moving in the sky above a grass fire. The object moved erratically before shooting upwards at great speed. He compared it to a computer or video game ball.
• CASE 7481 (1974): A young girl in Dundee, Scotland, saw a bright white light streak upwards from the ground. Years later, she had a dream about a spaceship landing and being taken aboard. She wonders about the connection between her experiences and UFO phenomena.
• CASE 77-349 (1977): Mr E, at age 5, saw a dark, airship-like object with a framework and tight material drifting very slowly and low over houses. He recalls a faint humming sound. He admits his memory is vague and may be influenced by later UFO literature. He describes a feeling of looking through a 'silver, transparent visor'. His mother reportedly told him to forget the event but claims no memory of it.
• CASE 8843 (1988): Mr C, a retired engineer, observed a light brown, beachball-shaped object with yellow vertical lines moving at high speed near Fleckney, Leics. It vanished rapidly south-west within 30 seconds, and he suggests it might have been a balloon.
• CASE 9018 (1990): Mrs G in Blackpool saw a group of bright lights without obvious shape, flying in formation with a 'leader' object. She was convinced they were 'going somewhere'. The article suggests this might be a flock of birds reflecting ground lighting.
• CASE 9020 (1990): Two reports of lights near Warrington, Cheshire, were received by local police. One described a white star with flashing lights, the other a boomerang shape. These were attributed to traffic from Manchester Airport.
• CASE 9021 (1990): A couple camping near Banbury, Oxfordshire, reported a close encounter with a black diamond-shaped object surrounded by flashing lights. It was wobbling, low down, hovered with a 'generator-like' noise, and then moved away slowly.
• CASE 9017 (1990): Mr Q, while asleep in his car in Stockport, Cheshire, saw a white light surrounded by red dots and flickering reddish. He watched it for an hour before it 'vanished', possibly into cloud, suggesting it might have been the planet Mars.

GENETIC BEEFSTEAK: A cattle mutilation in Ireland?

This case, reported by a Mr W, describes an extraordinary event on the banks of the River Bann near Derryvore in 1968. Mr W and a friend witnessed a dark rugby ball-shaped object on the ground with entities probing cattle. Upon seeing the men, the entities returned to the UFO, which glowed white and took off at a 45-degree angle, emitting thousands of crescent-shaped white particles that formed a mist. Mr W felt as if inside a 'forcefield' and believes he subsequently developed diabetes from the exposure. He reported the incident to the MoD and was debriefed by the RAF and Americans, being told not to speak to the press. He later claims to have witnessed a UFO land at a genetic research laboratory. In 1985, he and a farmer friend saw a light in woods near Lough Neagh, from which beams were shot. Mr W found an 'alien symbol' burnt into his anorak sleeve. The article notes that while Mr W appears sincere, his account is long on generalisations and short on facts, suggesting caution is advised. It mentions that researchers like Budd Hopkins might find the allegations about genetic experimentation of interest.

WORDS

This section announces a competition where readers must match five quotes about crop circles to the correct names from a provided list: Colin Andrews, Pat Delgado, Paul Fuller, Terence Meaden, John Michel, Ralph Noyes, Jenny Randles, and George Wingfield. The prize is a free subscription. The quotes touch upon media responsibility, scientific involvement, the genuine nature of pictogram patterns, the impact of 'Operation Blackbird', and gained credibility.

DIARY DATES:

• Upcoming BUFORA lectures are listed:
• 5 January: Lynn Picknett on 'paranormal agony aunt' at the London Business School.
• 2 February: Normal Oliver on 'conceptions and coincidences' at the London Business School.
• 19 January (1.30 pm): Ken Phillips on witness-led investigation at the Friends Meeting House, Wellington St, Northampton.

NUFON Regional Groups

A comprehensive list of NUFON (National UFO Reporting Network) regional groups is provided, including their names, locations (county/country), and contact details (addresses and sometimes phone numbers).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the global nature of UFO sightings, the challenges of documenting and reporting such phenomena, and the potential for misidentification (e.g., birds, balloons, aircraft). The magazine presents various cases with a degree of skepticism, often suggesting meteorological or conventional explanations where applicable, while also acknowledging the intriguing aspects of some reports. The editorial stance appears to be one of cautious investigation, encouraging readers to consider all possibilities but to exercise judgment, particularly in cases involving alleged government cover-ups or complex psychological elements. The inclusion of the crop circle competition and the diary of events suggests an active engagement with the UFO community and related research areas.