Northern UFO News - No 152

Magazine Overview

Title: NORTHERN UFO NEWS
Issue: 152
Date: December 1991
Cover Headline: Happy Christmas and 1992

This issue of Northern UFO News, dated December 1991, offers a blend of personal accounts, case studies, news updates, and commentary on UFO phenomena. The cover features an illustration of an alien in a bed, setting a festive yet mysterious tone for the Christmas and New Year period.

Editor's Comments and Personal Experiences

Jenny Randles, the editor, opens the issue with her 'J.R. Comments,' addressing reader feedback, some of which suggests mental breakdown. She explains her decision to elaborate on her own 'abduction' experiences to counter rumors. Randles recounts three mildly curious experiences that she believes are foundational to abduction narratives. The first is a childhood memory from August 1963 in Blackpool, where UFOs were reportedly seen over her grandparents' hotel. The second involves two incidents in August 1977: a sighting of a blue ball near Chester and a yellow/orange oval, possibly ball lightning, over her house in Irlam. The third and strangest incident occurred in July 1987 during an overnight train journey from northern New York state to New York City, where she had a vivid dream of a landed object and awoke to find a thin cut on her finger.

Randles discusses her attempt to explore these experiences through hypnosis with a clinical psychologist. She notes that while images emerged, she remained aware of reporting them distantly and could not definitively ascertain their source, suggesting they could be memories or subconscious fantasies. She also highlights that a significant portion of the 'facts' recalled under hypnosis were incorrect, leading her to question the validity of abduction evidence derived from such methods.

Content Highlights and Features

The magazine's content is outlined on the cover, including 'Usual features plus...', 'Renewals', and 'circles update'. Specific articles and reports mentioned cover cases from various UK locations such as Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Ireland, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, North and West Yorkshire, as well as a crash in the Potteries. It also features 'bedroom visions', a UFO on video film at a shopping mall, a Welsh abduction, and a 'Cheshire angel for Christmas'.

News Round-Up

This section provides updates on various UFO-related news. It mentions the USAF's potential deployment of the Northrop TR-3A 'Black Manta' aircraft, a highly classified single-seat triangular flying wing design. It also lists new book catalogues from Brigantia Books and Arcturus Books, featuring titles on UFOs and paranormal subjects, including Randles' own book on the Rendlesham case. The 'News Round-Up' also touches upon a discussion about UFOs and the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH) on radio and television, with the author clarifying his stance.

Circular Logic

This section critically examines the phenomenon of crop circles. It discusses the Channel 4 'Equinox' documentary on the subject, noting its fair presentation of different viewpoints. The article references opinions from figures like Arthur C. Clarke, who suspects a Cambridge University student may have hoaxed the 'Mandlebrot' symbol. It also highlights the views of Terence Meaden, who stated that most circles are hoaxes, with only a few simple formations potentially explained by wind effects. The section concludes by mentioning Professor Stephen Hawking's perspective that crop circles are either hoaxes or 'vortex movement of air'.

Media Matters

This segment reviews how UFOs are portrayed in the media. It notes a Times Educational Supplement article about a course on crop circles, publicity for Margaret Fry in Wales regarding alien sightings, and a report in Police Review about a 'werewolf' and a 'white shrouded wraith'. It also comments on a UK Press Gazette assessment of a Small Press Fair and a complaint about a magazine's placement. The section humorously recounts tabloid stories, including a theory that UFOs murdered Robert Maxwell and a claim that President George Bush was treated by a glowing 'bald surgeon' from a distant planet.

Brief Cases

This section presents summaries of current UFO investigations and sightings:

• CASE 77-350 (Summer 1977, Rugby, Warwickshire): A witness reported seeing a dark, star-shaped object travelling at high speed towards Birmingham Airport, which then became stationary and shot away. The witness alleged a book referred to similar sightings in the area.
• Tees Side Airport, Cleveland: A reader reported a large, conical, glowing object passing low over the airport in the late 1970s.
• A MIDWINTERS NIGHTS DREAM (November 1988, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire): Two teenage girls reportedly had similar dreams of a massive, bone-shaped spaceship with green lights landing nearby.

Night Sounds and Multi-Ratial Aliens

• NIGHT SOUNDS (July/August 1988, Ranelagh, Dublin): A shop assistant reported experiencing a loud, strange sound like 'a thousand voices on a jet engine' that caused extreme fright and physical pressure on his head and neck. This phenomenon has recurred.
• MULTI-RATIAL ALIENS (August 10, 1989, Hartshead Moor, West Yorkshire): A witness reported seeing a tall figure with 'white slanted eyes' and a black shape with a pointed head in the bushes, followed by a green entity. Later, on August 31, 1991, the same witness reported seeing a white rugby ball-shaped object moving at high speed.

Books of the Moment

This section reviews books relevant to UFO research and paranormal topics:

• THE MUNDRABILLA - NULLARBOR INCIDENT: Compiled by Keith Basterfield, this is a detailed case history of a famous Australian close encounter, praised for its thorough investigation and documentation.
• WITCHCRAFT: A STRANGE CONFLICT: By Peter Hough, this book investigates witchcraft and Satanism in Britain, drawing parallels between child abuse and UFO abduction fields.

For Your Perusal

This section lists and briefly reviews other UFO-related publications and magazines, including UFO Times, Awareness 4, MUFON Journal, The Skeptic, Enigmas, Just Cause, NUFOC, Wild Places, and GAIA News.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Northern UFO News include personal abduction experiences, the investigation of UFO sightings and alleged encounters, the phenomenon of crop circles, and the media's portrayal of UFOs. The magazine maintains a critical yet open stance, encouraging investigation while also acknowledging the potential for hoaxes and the challenges in verifying evidence, particularly concerning hypnosis and memory. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent reporting and analysis of UFO phenomena, aiming to provide readers with up-to-date information and diverse perspectives within the field.

Title: Northern UFO News
Issue: 11
Volume: 1980
Date: January 14, 1990
Publisher: MUFORA

This issue of Northern UFO News delves into various UFO sightings and experiences, primarily focusing on cases within the United Kingdom. It features reports from investigators and witnesses, offering insights into unexplained aerial phenomena and encounters.

Case 9038: Night Lights (Oldham, Lancashire)

The issue begins with a detailed account of a case involving a 30-year-old caretaker identified as 'F' from Oldham, Lancashire, reported on January 14, 1990. The witness, who had consumed a few glasses of wine but was not drunk, experienced a vivid dream of reaching for the ceiling, which instantly woke him to full alertness. He described a powerful, tingling, electric-like sensation that was soothing and comforting, not painful. He felt an urge not to wake his wife. The room was bathed in an intense light emanating from a fixed point above, which illuminated the entire room. As the glow faded, the room returned to normal perspective, leaving him feeling 'disappointed and abandoned'. This was followed by fear.

F reported shouting, 'My God, they're here,' a statement he now finds foolish, considering himself a rational man. His wife, woken by the commotion, told him to get back into bed. However, F could not sleep, experiencing stomach convulsions and chattering teeth. He recalled telling his wife that 'they' would not harm their son, whose first birthday was the following day, and that 'they' were looking after him. He had a vague feeling of 'communication' during the experience.

Eighteen months later, on October 3, 1991, F experienced a similar phenomenon after drinking beer. He became aware of his hands rising as if inflated, and by concentrating, he could make his arms and legs float upwards. A bright light filled the room again, which he concluded might be due to 'intense concentration' rather than a physical light. He experienced stomach cramps again after the incident.

The report notes that this case offers insight into close encounter situations, drawing parallels with the Shelley (Bolton) CE 4 case where a witness claimed to float. It also mentions similarities to the Jenny from Todmorden story, involving 'communion' and random thoughts, as well as the flimsy nature of dream recall and feelings of sadness at the end of the experience, similar to near-death and out-of-body experiences.

Case 9039: UFO Sighting (Nr Cray, North Yorkshire)

Reported on August 26, 1990, this case involves a witness named GH who was hiking near Cray, North Yorkshire. At approximately 16:00, in clear, sunny weather, GH observed a white object about three-quarters of a mile away. Using binoculars, he resolved it as a cigar shape, approximately 7 feet long and 18 inches wide, leaning at an angle. The bottom was obscured by the ground, and the object remained stationary. When GH looked away for a second, the object had vanished. He did not investigate the location further as he was following a different route. The area is described as desolate with no obvious causes. The report questions if it could have been a freak optical effect or a mirage of a roadside marker post. Notably, on September 9, 1990, GH reported seeing a light in the sky near Harrogate, which he traced to 'International Quest' and believes was a UFO.

A CRASH IN THE POTTERIES (Ipstones, Staffordshire)

This case, dated July 19, 1991, involves a police search in Ipstones, Staffordshire. The witness, ML from Cheadle, reported seeing an object described as '10 feet long, cigar shaped and very bright' fall rapidly from the sky into woodland. ML was adamant it was not a spaceship. He reported it to the police, describing the object as metallic and not glowing, falling at a near vertical angle. The crash site was in a remote, boggy marshland. A police search the next morning, including a helicopter, found an area of newly broken branches, suggesting an object had crashed through from above. However, nothing was found on the ground, and the search was abandoned. It was speculated that a heavy object might have sunk deep into the bog.

Case 9112: Light Sighting (Strensall, North Yorkshire)

On September 15, 1991, at 21:50, Mrs W, driving home west near Strensall, North Yorkshire, observed a bright white light in the south. The light was totally silent and did not flash. Her family also witnessed it.

CASE HISTORIES: YOU MUST BE AN ANGEL (MUFORA Report by Jenny Randles)

This section details an experience from the late 1950s involving a witness identified as 'T', an engineer now living on a remote Scottish Island, who was a teenager in Cheshire at the time. The incident occurred near the bridge at Rudheath, near Northwich. While resting under the bridge with a friend after poaching, T saw a blurred light signal. Suddenly, the light grew and blossomed into an 'angel' figure, described as about 20 feet high with long pale and yellow hair, white wings, and a bright central spot surrounded by translucent patches of light in yellow, blue, pink, and green. The figure reportedly poured down from the lamp and formed at its base. The lamp was detached from the figure, which then moved towards them. T and his friend fled, and later decided not to report their 'joint hallucination.' They had been warned of a 'lady of the lamp' in the area, which they believed was a story to deter people from the tracks.

Around this time, T also reported seeing a semi-circle of lights near Manchester Airport, which he initially thought was a crashing aircraft. He also described having psychic experiences, including an out-of-body vision and the sighting of a strange aircraft before such a craft was built. The report suggests that some individuals have vivid visual experiences, including entities and UFOs, and possess artistic talents.

GYPSIES OF A STRANGE AND DISTANT TIME (Conclusion) (Report by Margaret Fry)

This is a concluding report by Margaret Fry about a woman identified as 'G'. In 1953, aged 21, G and her then-boyfriend were driving in his new car and parked in fields by the sea on a clear night. Dark, rolling masses of mist rapidly engulfed the vehicle. The boyfriend insisted they stay, despite G's anxiety, talking about bright lights and 'ships' he could see. G's insistence eventually made him drive off, but upon reaching the main road, they found the time had advanced from 19:20 to 21:00, indicating a significant time loss.

The next day, G's boyfriend was upset to find his new car covered in small circular rings, a few inches across, placed in threes, covering the rear bodywork. They recalled vague flashbacks of being 'picked up' and taken somewhere for medical examination. G met someone named Khan who spoke of their original home world in Canis Major and of anti-matter copies of planets. G is reportedly angry that NASA has not revealed this information.

Later, G married and had a daughter. She and her husband underwent a full-blown abduction. Her husband recalls the event but refuses to discuss it and has told G not to talk about it. G offered no details about this experience, except that it would take a day to tell. G has little background in UFOs, having read only 'Above Top Secret' and Von Daniken. She was shocked by similarities between her abduction and the Betty and Barney Hill CE 4 case. She once attended a meeting discussing cattle mutilations, which she could not accept, and left with her husband.

Margaret Fry was impressed by G's story, seeing it as an indication of the wealth of hidden material within society.

THE BIRCHWOOD MALL CASE: MUFORA Investigation by Hough, Randles & Sandbach

This section introduces a detailed study of a case that MUFORA has been investigating throughout 1991. The investigation has received aid from scientists at Manchester, Salford, and Swansea Universities, and has involved the British and Irish Skeptics. The case involves extensive video evidence and has explored several avenues towards a possible solution, but the outcome remains uncertain.

On March 8, 1991, the centre manager of a large shopping complex at Birchwood, near Warrington, Cheshire, contacted Jenny Randles for assistance. His staff had a book by Randles, who had previously lived in Birchwood, and believed she might be able to help figure out what had occurred. The issue was a 'strange light form in the sky' captured on one of the shopping centre's CCTV cameras.

Jenny Randles, along with Peter Hough and Roy Sandbach, visited the site. Birchwood Mall is adjacent to the M6 motorway. Security staff operate remote cameras. On February 25, 1991, in the early hours of the morning, an object was picked up on a camera facing east in the open air. A security guard tracked the object for over 7 minutes, during which it appeared as a bright ball of light or a large, soap bubble-like object with a bright surrounding ring and a diffuse center. It moved independently of the camera, climbing a wall to near rooftop height before vanishing. The guard said he moved the camera because it disappeared. The anomaly was soon resolved.

The guard was in a room only a short walk from the camera location, with no windows. It was 01:23, and there were no people about, nor other security guards present. The raw camera feed ruled out several theories. A routine taped record of the event was captured. Nobody recognized what they saw, including long-term staff. The system had been in operation for 10 years, and nothing similar had been observed before.

Difficulties in analyzing the tape were noted due to its high speed recording and frame sampling from multiple cameras. The center manager, John Sanson, allowed the tape to be taken for analysis. The report states that exact times to the second accompanied the UFO on tape. The initial hypotheses included a luminous insect, an unknown optical effect, or ball lightning. The case was to become more puzzling as work progressed, with the promise of continuation in future issues.

Final Words...

This section offers concluding remarks and announcements. The editor expresses hope that readers enjoyed the Christmas issue's themes. Readers are reminded to resubscribe to NUN and UFO Brigantia, with a joint deal offered for both magazines. The UFOIN files are also available for sale, with prices ranging from £3 to £4 for up to 18 pages. A new joint production company is being set up by Stuart Smith and Rod Howarth for short-run books and booklets on UFOlogically worthy material, and potential authors are invited to submit their ideas.

There is a 'Mea Culpa' section acknowledging a 'minor' error in reprinting Victor Kean's competition entry, clarifying that a single word change made his piece appear as an insult. His original entry is provided for correction.

What's on where

This section lists upcoming events and regional group contacts. A BUFORA lecture is scheduled for January 4th in London, with L. Banks speaking on 'Pie in sky'. A BUFORA regional meeting is set for January 18th in Northampton. A comprehensive list of NUFON Regional Groups is provided with their respective locations and contact details.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include close encounters of various types, unexplained aerial phenomena, alleged abductions, and the physical traces left behind. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into UFO phenomena, presenting witness testimonies and investigative reports from organizations like MUFORA and ASSAP. There is an emphasis on detailed case analysis, including the use of CCTV footage and scientific input. The magazine also highlights the importance of historical cases and the potential for hidden material within society, as suggested by the 'Gypsies of a Strange and Distant Time' report. The inclusion of a 'Mea Culpa' and a list of upcoming events and regional groups indicates an effort to engage with the UFO community and maintain accuracy and transparency.