Northern UFO News - No 164

Magazine Overview

Title: NORTHERN UFO NEWS
Issue: 164
Date: New Year 1994 (published early 1994, covering December 1993 events)
Publisher: NUFON
Editor: Jenny Randles

This issue of Northern UFO News, despite acknowledging publication delays, assures readers of its continued operation and upcoming 20th anniversary. It aims to make up for lost time with a bumper issue and promises a new look for the publication. The magazine maintains its 1994 prices despite postal cost increases and will offer seven issues during the year.

Contents and Key Articles

J.R. Comments: Jim Schnabel's 'Dark White'

Editor Jenny Randles provides preliminary thoughts on Jim Schnabel's new book, 'Dark White,' which targets UFOlogists. Randles notes that Schnabel, a journalist, has a tenuous connection to UFOlogy and criticizes the book's portrayal of the field as filled with 'cranks, crackpots and deviants.' She suggests the book is aimed at the highbrow press and may be ignored by them, despite Schnabel's attempts to align himself with Fleet Street journalists. Randles also points out the book's lack of an index, which she deems inexcusable for a serious work, and criticizes its focus on American abduction research, largely omitting international contributions. She notes Schnabel's theory likening abductions to witch trials and MPD, promising a more thorough review later.

Bonnybridge Bites Back!

This section delves into the controversy surrounding the wave of UFO sightings in Bonnybridge, Scotland, which gained significant media attention in late 1992 and early 1993. The article presents a letter from Malcolm Robinson to Ron Halliday, questioning Halliday's public comments without reviewing the evidence. Robinson suggests a meeting for Scottish UFOlogists to examine the data. Ron Halliday's reply, 'Looking into Bonnybridge,' acknowledges the controversy and the media's role in amplifying the events. He expresses concern that the hype might obscure the reality and potentially harm Scottish UFOlogy. Halliday recounts his experience being interviewed by the media, where his caution about the hype was paraphrased as calling the events a 'circus.' He emphasizes that while witness testimony should be taken seriously, the way the Bonnybridge story unfolded may have led to a misrepresentation of the situation. The editor proposes a 'review commission' to examine the evidence.

Menwith Hill - Tracking UFOs?

Nigel Mortimer reports on concerns regarding the USAF/NSA base at Menwith Hill. He discusses how the 'Dispatches' program revealed the base's expansion rather than contraction post-Cold War, with sophisticated surveillance equipment. Mortimer notes that UFOs have been seen in the moorland around the base, and links a case from 'Abduction' to the MoD's interest. He recounts his own experiences with security at the base and mentions a source who indicated that the site is much larger than visible, potentially housing 'black projects.' Mortimer is in touch with the Otley Peace Womens Group (OPWG) and plans to report further on any UFO links.

News Round Up

• This section provides several brief news items:
• Declassified Satellite Evidence: Reports on US military satellites recording massive explosions in the upper atmosphere, potentially linked to natural events or even the Tunguska explosion.
• MoD UFO Reports: Nick Pope at the MoD has supplied data on 1993 UFO reports, indicating an average number of submissions and noting patterns like the Bristol wave and 'satellite reentry' events.
• Fortean Times: Plans for an 'Unconvention' focusing on spontaneous human combustion and alien abductions.
• Crop Circle Essay Competition: A prize essay competition sponsored by the Center for Frontier Sciences in the USA on the theme of crop circles.
• New Groups: Formation of a new group for Staffordshire researching UFOs and the paranormal, and plans for a broader conference by LAPIS in Blackpool.

For Your Perusal

• This section reviews various UFO and paranormal publications, including:
• Awareness 1993/94: Reports on March 1993 sightings, insisting they were UFOs, not satellite reentries, and covers 1993 crop circle formations.
• IUR: Features a report on the Roswell crash, UFO opinion polls, and the influx of camcorder UFO images in Britain.
• MUFON Journal: Links abductions, mind control, and experimental drugs, and provides guidance on writing UFO case reports.
• BAE: Praised for its digests from psychology and psychiatric journals, and Persinger's brain physiology work.
• GEM: Recommended for its content on UFOs and crop circles, with a 'real gem' rating.
• Anomaly 13: Covers lucid dreaming and altered states of mind.
• F. Times: Reviews the Sheffield conference and discusses sleep anomalies.
• Fate: Continues its paranormal record, featuring updates on the Walton case and the face on Mars saga, with John Keel's column.
• Strange: Discusses airship reports from Britain and UFOs.
• Folklore Frontiers: Offers snippets on the bizarre and unusual.
• J. Meteorology: Covers Terence Meaden's views on crop circles and reports on ball lightning.

The Sheffield Con and Fortean Time: Through the Looking Glass

Peter Brookesmith's comments on Jenny Randles' lecture about the Preston Brook/Daresbury window area are critically examined. Randles defends her research, refuting Brookesmith's claims that she took testimony at face value or that the window area was merely 'on her doorstep.' She argues that the consistent pattern of vehicle interference and CE4 experiences in the region suggests a genuine phenomenon, not just random occurrences. Randles contrasts her extensive case data from global witnesses with Brookesmith's apparent rejection of the 'window' concept, suggesting he missed the 'revolution' in UFOlogy.

Media Matters

This brief section notes the ongoing media interest in UFOs, referencing the ITV film about the Todmorden/Bacup window and a local report of a 'little green man' sighting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently covers a wide range of UFO-related topics, from specific sighting investigations and research group activities to critiques of books and media portrayals. There's a strong emphasis on international UFOlogy, with a particular focus on UK cases and researchers, though American abduction research is also a significant topic. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation while remaining critical of media hype and unsubstantiated claims. The magazine champions the work of its contributors and encourages reader engagement, as seen in the renewal notices and calls for information. There's a clear effort to provide a platform for diverse viewpoints within the UFO community, while also maintaining a critical eye on the field's development and public perception.

Title: Northern UFO News
Issue: 11
Volume: 11
Date: October 15, 1993 (raw date: 15 Oct)
Publisher: NUFON
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
ISSN: 0264-5706
Price: £1

This issue of Northern UFO News, dated October 15, 1993, covers a range of topics within the UFO and paranormal community. It features news on proposed European UFO investigations, reviews of new books, and detailed case histories of sightings from across the UK.

News and Commentary

The issue opens with a report on the Accrington Observer's coverage of how the Coal Clough wind farm was featured in a program about UFOs. The author expresses skepticism about the wind farm being a magnet for UFOs, attributing the filming location to the need for a visual backdrop rather than genuine alien interest.

A significant piece of news is the European Economic Community (EEC) plan to transform the old GEPAN in Toulouse (or SEPRA) into a Euro-funded UFO investigation unit. This plan, championed by Italian EEC MP and physicist Tullio Regge, was reported to have been accepted by the energy commission. However, the news was met with considerable media attention, including pieces in The Guardian and Daily Mail, some of which sarcastically questioned the use of funds. The article notes that the UK media reacted strongly, leading the EEC to postpone a decision. French UFOlogists also reportedly had reservations about SEPRA taking on all European cases.

The author mentions appearing on BBC-1 with Anne Diamond and Nick Owen to discuss the EEC proposal, emphasizing that the backing came from the ENERGY Commission and that other countries, like Japan, were researching UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) for potential energy sources, suggesting a need for the UK not to fall behind.

Book Update

This section provides updates on upcoming and recently released books:

• John Spencer's new abduction book is due soon.
• Albert Budden's UFO work (with Blandford) has been delayed to Spring 1995.
• The author's own book, 'The Unexplained' (a visual look at the 20th-century paranormal), was released in February in softback from Anaya.
• In June, the author and Peter Hough will release 'The Encyclopedia of the Unexplained' (published by Michael O'Mara).
• In July, Blandford will publish the author's book 'Time Travel'.
• In August, the author and Peter Hough will publish a history of UFOs via Piatkus.

Books of the Moment

Two book and software reviews are featured:

Ghosts, traditions and legends of old Lancashire by Ken Howarth

This 172-page softback contains folklore and mythology from Lancashire, with some ghostly experiences. While not strictly a UFO book, it is considered a lively read and may be useful for researching the anecdotal history of suspected north-west window areas.

UFO: The planets most complete guide to close encounters (PC Disk or CD-ROM)

This is reviewed as an interactive computer program, a potential breakthrough in UFOlogy. It requires a PC, ideally a 486 with a good graphics card, and a CD-ROM drive for full functionality. The CD-ROM version offers a database of over 500 cases with photos and stored video from 22 cases. The program allows users to select categories like 'abduction' and 'cattle mutilations' and includes a world map. However, the review notes that while the concept is cleverly implemented, the UFO cases themselves are predominantly American, with a notable lack of British cases. The video sequences include classics like Kaikoura and Tremonton, and the still photographs omit British cases except for recent crop circle photos attributed to the Doug and Dave hoaxes.

The text accompanying the crop circle pictures is described as claiming that Dr Colin Andrew's work showed them to be alien communication. The review criticizes the lack of significant UK cases in the database, mentioning omissions like Bentwaters and the Belgian wave. The reviewer hopes for a future database with a more representative sample of cases, but acknowledges that this product is the 'cutting edge of technology' and a 'sought after collectors item'. It is described as great fun and easy to use, providing an instant database, but users are cautioned not to take the information at face value.

Brief Cases: Some current investigations

On the night of the 31st...

This section details events around 1:10 am on March 31, 1993, when two bright lights crossed Ireland, South Wales, and South West England, with reports also from France and Portugal. The official explanation was a Soviet satellite reentry. However, some UFO groups suggest an alternative explanation. A witness, Mr R from Brownhills, West Midlands, reported seeing a bright light approach from the NW, followed by another. They passed the moon silently at high speed and then rotated like a Catherine Wheel before moving in parallel, described as 'playing games'. Smoke was observed as they slowed down. The next night, Mr R investigated the area and saw floodlights illuminating bushes through mist, which then went out. The following day, he found no evidence to account for the lights, only farmland.

Animal disturbance in rural Wales

Case 9231, November 13, 1992, Rhayader, Wales: Ms H, a student, and her friend witnessed a white light moving erratically to the north. They then encountered an amazing sight: a stationary object with a complex lighting system of red, green, and white lights flashing in a circular band, described as a flattened circular vessel. There was no sound. Cattle in a nearby field were milling about as if affected. The object glided away silently to the north-west. The students reported that the objects were 'not of our planet or our technology.'

Case 9312, October 18, 1993, Simmondley, Glossop, Derbyshire

Mrs H and her son observed three bright red lights in a long straight line passing overhead from the north-west towards the east-south-east over open moorland. The sighting lasted over two minutes, with no sound and very slow movement. Manchester Airport radar logs showed no air traffic in the area, leading to an assessment of an unknown form of atmospheric phenomenon.

Case 9401, January 16, 1994, Littleton, Chester, Cheshire

Mr B spotted a large light surrounded by multi-coloured bars moving up and down vertically. He watched for about 10 minutes. When he returned with a friend, the object was gone. Police contacted the MoD, who confirmed no objects were known to be in the air.

Case History: The lights of Louth Pt 1

This section, authored by Peter Gregory, Mike Morley, Mike Beadle, and Rosie Oakes, delves into the UFO wave of 1984 and a new case involving Donna Nook, an RAF practice air bombing range. The new case, occurring on Thursday, December 9, 1993, between 16:15 and 16:30, involved a sighting by dozens of people in villages east of Louth, Lincolnshire. The author, Mick Hill, gathered reports, and the magazine's readers were asked to investigate. The sighting involved a slow-moving, utterly silent triangle, similar to phenomena reported in Belgium in 1989 and 1990. Electrical interference was also reported on December 9. Peter Gregory, who had previously filmed two daytime lights, was involved in mounting skywatches. One skywatch on January 4, 1994, proved successful, with several witnesses seeing the triangle, and one man obtaining video film. Reports are being collated for future issues.

Final Words

This section highlights:

• HURG's new magazine, 'Dimensional Force', which features news, reviews, and articles on UFOs and circles, costing £1.
• John Lundberg, an artist, is collaborating with Rod Dickinson, Linda Moulton Howe, and Bill Ellis on a visual exhibition about circles, abductions, and cattle mutilations. This exhibition is at the Independent Art Space Gallery in Chelsea, London, running from February 4 to April 4. A limited edition book is also available.

Regional Groups

A list of regional UFO groups across the UK is provided, including their contact details (addresses and phone numbers).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on UFO sightings and investigations within the UK, with a particular emphasis on detailed case histories. There is a critical stance towards media sensationalism and official explanations when they seem inadequate. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, encouraging research and the sharing of information, while also cautioning against accepting all claims at face value. The recurring themes include the nature of UFOs (silent, triangular craft), potential government involvement or cover-ups, and the need for systematic investigation and data collection. The magazine also promotes books and resources for UFO enthusiasts.