Northern UFO News - No 147

Magazine Overview

Title: NORTHERN UFO NEWS
Issue: 147
Date: February 1991
Cover Headline: All the news, views and up to date cases

This issue of Northern UFO News, edited by Jenny Randles, delves into various aspects of the UFO phenomenon, with a strong emphasis on the intersection of UFOlogy with psychic research, media coverage, and personal accounts. The magazine presents a mix of news, case histories, reviews, and commentary, aiming to provide readers with comprehensive coverage of the latest developments in the field.

Editorial Commentary: The Psychic Research Divide

The lead editorial by J.R. (Jenny Randles) critically examines the apparent disconnect between parapsychology and UFOlogy. She notes that while books on altered states of consciousness, like Brian Inglis's "Trance," are widely reviewed in mainstream media, the UFO mystery is often conspicuously absent. Randles argues that this ignorance is not accidental but a form of 'reverse taboo,' suggesting that some within the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) view UFOlogy with suspicion or contempt. She posits that this snobbishness is self-destructive, causing psychic researchers to miss vital evidence that could contribute to understanding consciousness. Randles contends that UFOs, regardless of their origin (alien, natural, or mental), function through altered states of consciousness, a fact that should be central to psychic research. She calls for psychic researchers to acknowledge the value of UFO evidence and to 'step out of the closet.'

Content Highlights

The issue features a wide array of content, including:

• Altered States Update: Discusses the connection between altered states and UFO phenomena.
• Crop Circle Update: Reports on the continued interest in crop circles, noting their presence in both the press and UFO media, and mentioning various theories and investigations, including those by Dr. Dennis Wheeler and Pat Delgado.
• International Cases: Brief cases from Idaho and Tennessee (USA), and Spain are presented.
• UK Cases: Sightings and incidents from Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Midlands, and West Yorkshire are covered, including references to the 'Oz Factor' and the 'Skelmersdale thing.'
• Case Histories: Includes "Return of the triangles (South Wales)" and "A Message from God (Eire)."
• News Round Up: A section covering various news items, such as correspondence with soldiers in the Middle East regarding UFO sightings, a TV series 'The Secret Cabaret,' and new booklists from publishers like Arcturus and Aardvark.
• Circular Motions: This section focuses heavily on crop circles, discussing their persistence through winter, media coverage, scientific explanations (like plasma vortex), and skeptical viewpoints. It also touches upon alleged UFO sightings and investigations, including a proposed plaque for the 1978 Livingston UFO landing.
• Media Matters: An analysis of how UFOs are portrayed in the public eye, discussing media coverage of events like the Livingston UFO landing, the 'UFO Capital of Scotland' designation for Blairgowrie, and explanations for sightings such as a Soviet satellite and sun spots.
• Brief Cases: Detailed accounts of specific UFO incidents, including a 1982 case in Spain involving Mrs. G, a 1979 case in Idaho involving a pilot and radar, and a 1989 case in the USA reported by Mr. B concerning a cylindrical object.
• Updates: A report on Case 8345 from Glasgow, involving a 'cattle truck' UFO, with details of witness testimony and investigator findings.

Publications and Resources

The magazine provides information on various publications and resources for enthusiasts:

• Brigantia: A sister publication to NUN, offering deeper dives into topical debates.
• Book Lists: Information on catalogues from Arcturus and Aardvark, featuring US and second-hand UFO titles.
• Spacelink: Offers crop circle titles and magazines.
• UFO Newsfile: A new venture by BUFORA that reproduces media coverage of UFOs.
• Other Journals: Reviews of publications like Fortean Times, Folklore Frontiers, The Skeptic, Just Cause, UFO Times, Magonia, and UFO Debate.
• J. Meteorology: A publication that includes articles on UFOs and crop circles.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

Northern UFO News consistently promotes a stance that UFOlogy is a serious field of study, often intertwined with broader questions of consciousness and the paranormal. The magazine champions the idea that UFO phenomena are significant and warrant thorough investigation, often criticizing mainstream media and academic institutions for their dismissive or superficial treatment of the subject. There is a clear editorial leaning towards integrating UFO research with other areas of paranormal study, particularly altered states of consciousness, and a frustration with those who compartmentalize these fields. The magazine also encourages reader participation through competitions and letters, fostering a sense of community among UFO enthusiasts. The overall tone is informative, critical of skepticism, and dedicated to exploring the unexplained.

Title: Northern UFO News
Issue: -11
Volume: 12
Date: July 1962 (cover date for first article, other articles span 1980-1991)
Publisher: MUFORA
Country: UK
Language: English

This issue of Northern UFO News presents a collection of UFO and UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) case histories, primarily from the UK, with one case from Dublin, Eire. The reports detail witness testimonies, object descriptions, and potential explanations, ranging from misidentifications to unexplained phenomena. The magazine also includes information on upcoming UFO events and a directory of regional UFO research groups.

Case Histories

CASE 6211: Hagg Hill, Sheffield, S. Yorks (July 1962)

Mr R, then 16, and his girlfriend observed an object above Hagg Hill on a warm summer evening. The object was described as oval or cigar-shaped, dull silver, with two oval windows from which lights shone. It was approximately 30 feet above ground level and travelled in silence. The witnesses reported a 'total silence' despite the normally busy road. The object hovered for an estimated 15 minutes, and they perceived movement and 'animate figures' inside. It then vanished at 'great speed into the sky'. Years later, Mr R and his wife reported seeing a white light travel along electricity pylons and vanish.

CASE 80-105: Hyde, Cheshire (November 1980)

A retired postman, while skygazing with binoculars, witnessed 'literally hundreds of lightish objects in convoy fashion passing overhead' from west to east. He described it as an 'awesome sight'. The objects were visible only through binoculars and appeared to take a long time to cross his view. The reporter suggests the witness might have been seeing the Milky Way, though the witness had discarded the idea of migrating birds.

CASE 8661: Keelby, Lincolnshire (Summer 1986)

Another postman reported seeing a 'black roundish solid object moving above the tops of trees'. The object moved from side to side before dropping down behind trees. After a brief period, it climbed up again, tilting slightly and appearing to catch sunlight, glowing orange on its underside. It then climbed into the sky and moved away. The witness likened the object's movement to a swarm of bees due to its semi-erratic nature, but noted it looked too solid.

CASE 8756: Skelmersdale, Lancs (12 August 1987)

Three witnesses, including Mr and Mrs D and their 11-year-old daughter, reported seeing lights they initially took for a plane. The object, described as not unusually bright, silent, and shimmery, was observed for 16 minutes. From the side, it resembled a bubble car with a flatter top, featuring two oval red lights and brilliant blue/white lights on the base. The object was described as being 'five on a die' formation. The report notes that similar craft have visited Lancashire, and suggests a possible connection to a secret aircraft project.

CASE 9019: Swadlincote, Derbyshire (13 July 1990)

A witness, who claims to have reported a dozen sightings in the past year, described a 'small egg shape' appearing in the south, followed by a larger disc. These merged 'through a greenish mist', likened to a scoutship returning to a mother ship. The witness reported seeing windows and 'aliens looking down towards the ground' via an open bedroom window. The sighting lasted 25 minutes.

CASE 9022: Swadlincote, Derbyshire (3 August 1990)

Mr B reported seeing an 'asterisk' shaped bright white light moving silently across the sky. The reporter notes this was presumed to be an aircraft, but the witness disagreed.

CASE 9023: Swadlincote, Derbyshire (7 October 1990)

Mr B reported a 'bluish' oval with red lights drifting across the sky. He explicitly rejected the suggestion of helicopters, stating they are white.

CASE 9024: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire (11 October 1990)

Police received two calls from motorists reporting three white lights rotating and a strange red beam described as 'like a laser on a gun sight'. A third call from a woman corroborated the sighting. The report notes that the details were similar enough to conclude they were genuine experiences. A patrol car was dispatched, and officers found two shaken motorists. Manchester Airport air traffic control confirmed they could not account for the events as aircraft. The reporter (JR) notes seeing three aircraft lined up on finals to Ringway airport around the same time, suggesting a possible explanation for the white lights as laser spotlights used in Manchester reflecting off cloud base, but the red beam remained unexplained.

CASE 9025: Chadwick End, West Midlands (16 October 1990)

A nurseryman saw a smooth, matt black rectangular object climbing north from near the ground. It initially wobbled but then straightened into a near-perfect climb. The object was described as being like a box kite but without string or operator, and it covered a significant portion of the sky in three minutes. No obvious explanation was found.

CASE HISTORIES: RETURN OF THE TRIANGLES

First Sighting (17 March 1986): Baglan, Port Talbot, South Wales

Mr H and his father observed two triangles of three white lights that did not flash or blink and remained silent. The formation was observed for 16 minutes, maintaining a tight formation and appearing very low down. Other witnesses in the region also reported similar sightings. The RAF explained these as an aircraft refuelling exercise involving DC-10s. However, Mr H, familiar with air activity, rejected this explanation, finding it unsatisfactory.

Second Sighting (5 December 1985): Ammanford, South Wales

Mr H (then 15) and his father experienced a bright white light flashing to the left of their car, then on the other side, and finally behind them. Mr H saw a globe of bluish-white light with fuzzy edges straddling three-quarters of the road, which rapidly faded. His father, who focused on the road, saw the flashes but not the globe, though he later revealed he saw three golf-ball sized white lights whiz past the car.

Mr H also reported dreams of a rugby ball-shaped mini-UFO and seeing figures in his room. His sister reported seeing 'little men dressed in black cloaks'. Other events included a bright white light filling his bedroom and his bed moving.

A MESSAGE FROM GOD! (10 November 1990)

Three teenage girls in Dublin, Eire, reported seeing a pink mass in the sky, described as a small cloud, fuzzy in outline, which descended out of sight and faded. One girl described it as 'a message from God'. Investigation revealed that the area was near Dublin airport, which often uses parachute flares for emergency exercises. These flares, red in color, can appear pink through atmospheric haze and descend on a parachute, potentially explaining the dark mass seen by one witness. The investigators found the witnesses sincere.

Final Words and Diary Dates

This section announces the formation of a new group, EMUFORA (East Midlands UFO Research Association), organized by Anthony James. It highlights upcoming UFO events, including TREAT III at the University of Kansas and the 1991 conference at Lyon, France. The 6th international congress at the central library in Sheffield (16-18 August 1991) is detailed, listing prominent speakers such as abductees Charlie Hickson, Betty Cash, and Vickie Landrum, as well as UFOlogists Budd Hopkins, Walt Andrus, and Dr Eddie Bullard. A Scottish UFO Day in Edinburgh is also mentioned.

The diary dates list upcoming BUFORA lectures at the London Business School, featuring talks on 'Thoughtography' by Maurice Grosse and 'Regression hypnosis' by Paul Bew.

A comprehensive directory of NUFON Regional Groups is provided, listing various groups across the UK with their contact details, including SPI, SRUFO, NLUFOIG, HSWL, FUF013, MUFORA, CONNECT, IUN, CUFOSC, SSPR, SKYSCAN, EMUFORA, PARASEARCH, LUFOIC, and NUFOR.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting of unexplained aerial phenomena, witness testimonies, and the ongoing effort to identify and explain these sightings. The magazine appears to maintain a neutral stance, presenting witness accounts and then offering potential explanations, often involving misidentification of conventional aircraft or natural phenomena, while also acknowledging cases that remain unexplained. The editorial stance seems to be one of diligent investigation and open reporting, encouraging further study and documentation of UFO cases. The inclusion of a wide range of regional groups and upcoming events suggests a commitment to fostering a community of UFO researchers and enthusiasts.