Northern UFO News - No 174

Magazine Overview

Northern UFO News, Issue 174, July 1996, is a UK-based magazine focusing on UFOlogy. The issue features a 20-page special on the future of UFOlogy and a 'news round up'. The cover art depicts a landscape with large domed structures and a UFO in the sky.

Editorial and Personal Reflections

Editor Jenny Randles begins with an apology for delays, attributing them to personal circumstances, including her mother's serious illness and her involvement in a BBC documentary. She expresses frustration with the 'self-seeking and frankly odious way' some individuals in the UFO world prioritize ego over resolving key questions. Randles also shares insights from a British TV production company working on a four-hour UFO series, noting their clear perspective on the field's issues. She revisits her past critique of BUFORA, suggesting a need for a new direction in UFOlogy, which she believes 'New UFOlogist' magazine is beginning to fulfill. Randles recounts being forced out of the BUFORA council and her attempts with Paul Fuller to find new investigative approaches, suggesting this may have been perceived as a threat by established groups.

Randles also details her experience with BUFORA's World Wide Web site, where her initial contribution advocating for a new direction led to panic among council members, who viewed it as 'treason'. She reiterates her apology for the delay and assures readers that NUN will continue, with subscriptions covering six issues regardless of publication time.

A Brave New UFO World: The Future of UFOlogy

Randles outlines three categories of people involved in UFOlogy: those who enjoy organizing and running groups, those who are passively interested but not highly motivated, and a small group of truly dedicated UFOlogists. She argues that UFOlogy's attempt to cater to all three groups leads to wasted resources and stagnation. The first group, she contends, controls the direction to maintain their own status quo. The second group, while providing membership fees, is unlikely to drive progress. The truly dedicated are few, prioritizing truth above all else. Randles believes that the current structure of UFO groups, with their bureaucracy and focus on magazines, conferences, and speakers, detracts from actual research and investigation. She proposes a new direction for UFOlogy, emphasizing the need to focus on solving the mystery rather than just discussing it.

BUFORA Changes

This section reports on changes within BUFORA, noting that Philip Mantle has had to divest his role as Director of Investigations, a position he took over from Jenny Randles in December 1993. The reasons are attributed to 'personal pressure', and BUFORA is urged to explain the situation fully. Gloria Dixon is named as the new Director of Investigations, whom Randles respects and wishes well in what she describes as an 'ill-fated role'.

Televisual Nightmare: A BBC Documentary Experience

Randles recounts her invitation in the summer of 1995 to make a documentary for BBC television, which turned into a 'real nightmare'. The experience, which lasted for weeks after its April 11, 1996 transmission, contributed to the long gap between NUN issues. She aims to share the background story to help others learn and to explain problems within UFOlogy. Randles describes her initial grand plans for the documentary, which were scaled back by the BBC's interest in a 'video diaries' format. She had to fight for content beyond shots of herself lecturing or signing books. Her initial idea to focus on UFOlogy's reaction to the Roswell film footage was met with BBC concerns about lawsuits. She also mentions her critical stance on the MJ-12 documents, which led to a year-long lawsuit.

Randles contrasts her experience with media attacks on her BBC-2 program, noting that critics often lacked awareness of UFO reality. She details her attempt to make an objective film about what the British MoD knew about UFOs, acknowledging the difficulty given official secrets acts and her limited budget. She aimed for an objective presentation using official records, but admits it may have been overly ambitious.

Media Backlash and Government Secrecy

Randles details the production of her BBC program, which involved filming across the UK and interviewing witnesses. She states that while she had some editorial input, the BBC fleshed out her ideas with their chosen footage and script. She notes that some UFO press felt the program offered nothing new, but highlights her presentation of the process of gleaning Air Staff files from the PRO and the Jim Templeton photo case, linking it to MIBs. She explains that cases post-1965 could not be focused on due to the 30-year rule for data release in Britain, but new discoveries were made on the Templeton case, including a link to an Australian missile launch.

The Lakenheath/Bentwaters affair from 1956 was included to show MoD's major official reports from aircrew, and the program successfully found and featured the crews of the two RAF jets involved. Randles explains that she had to blend the history of MoD interest in UFOs, illustrate missing files, and indicate where other files might be located, keeping the presentation simple. She points out the existence of Air Staff 2A, acknowledged by the MoD, but reveals a 1987 file showing that UFO data also goes to the DSTI and DI 55, whose records are not released through the 30-year rule. She infers these may be secret repositories for important British UFO data.

Randles' program aimed to show that the British government has collated UFO data for years, caused key files to vanish, and that those involved consider UFOlogy to be more significant than officially admitted. She avoided speculating on what UFOs might be, focusing on documentation and government response rather than theories. The program argued for a cover-up of government ignorance rather than a massive guilty secret. Despite achieving 'pick of the day' in national newspapers, the program faced an enormous media backlash, with influential newspapers attacking it before it aired. Randles suggests this may have been an orchestrated campaign to discredit her work, possibly fearing that her documentary combined with Nick Pope's upcoming book could lead to pertinent questions about MoD's UFO policy.

Randles criticizes media outlets like The Guardian and the Independent for their negative reviews, accusing them of misrepresenting her work and using selective quotes. She recounts an experience with journalist Catherine Bennett, who had previously approached her for an interview for a TV series on the paranormal, but whose questions were accusatory. When Bennett's series aired, Randles' interview was cut, and she was attacked for her work on 'Strange but True?' and other paranormal shows.

News Round Up

This section highlights several developments in the UFO magazine world. 'The New UFOlogist' Issue 4 is praised for its quality, featuring research on UFOs and the Pineal gland, magnetic fields, and Spanish Air Force UFO files. The proliferation of UFO magazines on newsstands is noted, including 'Encounters', 'Nexus', 'Fortean Times', and 'UFO Reality'. Randles expresses doubt about the long-term survival of all these publications, but believes 'UFO' and 'Fortean Times' are strong due to their established background. A new monthly magazine, 'Sightings', edited by Mark Smith, is introduced as a promising, serious publication with full color and a focus on quality, receiving Randles' full backing. Andy Collins' newsletter is mentioned, expressing his frustration with the lack of enthusiasm for his Orgone research and his plans to turn his book 'Black Alchemist' into a TV series. Catalogues from Midnight Books and ABC Books are also noted for offering rare and out-of-print paranormal titles. The science fiction channel 'Earth Scan' is seeking first-hand UFO witness stories.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the future direction of UFOlogy, the critical role of media in shaping public perception, and the perceived secrecy and mishandling of information by government bodies like the MoD. Jenny Randles' editorial stance is one of advocating for a more rigorous, research-based approach to UFOlogy, free from personal agendas and bureaucratic inertia. She champions transparency and accountability from organizations like BUFORA and expresses skepticism towards media portrayals of UFO phenomena, particularly when they sensationalize or misrepresent evidence. The issue also highlights the challenges faced by independent researchers and publications in navigating both public interest and institutional resistance.

Title: Northern UFO News
Issue: 11
Volume: 11
Date: 1996
Publisher: Northern UFO News
Country: UK
Price: £6
Cover Headline: The Diddymen from Mars

This issue of Northern UFO News delves into a range of UFO-related topics, from personal accounts of alleged harassment and media misrepresentation to detailed case studies of sightings and investigations across the UK.

Personal Account of Smear Tactics

The issue opens with a lengthy personal account from a documentary filmmaker who claims to have been subjected to a campaign of 'dirty, underhand tricks' aimed at destroying their credibility. The filmmaker alleges that after their documentary on UFOs aired, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was misrepresented in the press, and they were personally targeted. This included a phone call to the BBC's finance department, falsely accusing the filmmaker of being a fugitive involved in a major fraud investigation concerning unpaid national insurance contributions. The source of this call used a false name and attempted to implicate two known UFOlogists with whom the filmmaker had a known disagreement. Subsequently, the same source allegedly provided the filmmaker's birth certificate and mother's marriage certificate to a tabloid newspaper, feeding them a story about the filmmaker's private life from 25 years ago, which the newspaper then published. The filmmaker expresses distress that this story, which was not exclusive, was published despite their pleas to wait until their seriously ill mother had returned home from the hospital, fearing it would harm her recovery. The filmmaker suspects an 'evil UFO maniac with a cash payout in mind' or a 'government plot' behind these actions and hopes the perpetrator will be exposed.

Case Notes: UFO Sightings and Encounters

The 'Case Notes' section presents a series of UFO sightings and encounters investigated by the magazine's contributors.

• Case 9447 Flying Triangle: On August 13, 1994, a well-lit triangular object was observed by seven witnesses in Denbigh, Clwyd, flying directly overhead without sound.
• Case 9448 The Phantom Plane: On October 25, 1994, a small silvery oval object, described as a 'phantom plane,' was seen moving quickly towards the east near Gresford, Clwyd. This case is linked to reports of a large, unmarked black Hercules-type troop transporter appearing and disappearing in the Cefn Mawr area.
• Case 9602: On January 12, 1996, a large sphere was observed accelerating diagonally upwards and disappearing through clouds at astonishing speed near Kirby, Knowsley, Merseyside.
• Case 9603: On February 20, 1996, two very bright lights, one red and one blue, were reported diving from the sky at great speed in Bolton, Lancashire. This was likely caused by meteor activity.
• Manchester mid-air encounter revisited? (Case 9605): On February 26, 1996, an Easyjet flight crew reported a bright green object, described as 'dripping fire,' passing them at 31,000 feet near Edinburgh. The object was not detected on radar and is speculated to be a meteor or space junk.
• Case 9606 The Diddymen from Mars: On March 6, 1996, an object described as a cigar with a dome and green light was seen moving slowly northwards, then east, near Wavertree, Liverpool. The investigation suggests it might be an airship.
• Case 9607: On May 5, 1996, an aircraft attracted attention to a 'star' high in the sky above Wallasey, Wirral, which reappeared stationary and seemed to flash. The explanation of a weather balloon is considered.

Welsh Mutilations

Margaret Fry reports on animal mutilation phenomena. On October 9, 1994, two pregnant sheep in Penryn Bay, Clwyd, were found with their heads cut off and forelegs missing, without any sign of blood. A week later, on October 16, a farmer in Llandillos found five Scottish blackface sheep attacked, with a neat hole in their heads and stomachs slit, again without blood. Fry notes the lack of serious attention given to such cases by UFOlogists and wonders if there could be a connection to the numerous crop circle reports in the Clwyd/Cheshire border region during the summer of 1994.

Book Reviews

The magazine features reviews of several UFO-related books:

• High Strangeness (Vol 3 of the UFO Encyclopedia Project) by Jerome Clark: This is the final part of a trilogy covering UFO phenomena from the 1960s and 70s. The reviewer praises its comprehensive research and extensive references, calling it an indispensable resource for serious researchers, though noting its high price.
• One Step Beyond by Elsie Oakensen: This book is described as a first-hand account by a close encounter witness and proto alien abductee. The reviewer finds it a straightforward retelling of a unique perspective, with some independent witnesses partially confirming the encounter.
• Past Lives, Future Lives by Jenny Cockell: This book is a sequel to 'Yesterday's Children,' where Jenny attempts to find her future selves. The reviewer expresses reservations about the evidence presented, finding it ultimately unsatisfying but noting potential UFOlogical comparisons with abductee experiences.
• Souvenir Press Reprints: The magazine notes the reprinting of Charles Berlitz's 'Mysteries from Forgotten Worlds' and 'The Bermuda Triangle,' acknowledging that while outmoded by recent research, they offer insight into the improvement of paranormal writings over the past quarter century.
• Coming Literary Attractions: Upcoming books are mentioned, including works by Peter Brookesmith on government UFO files and a history of UFOs, Peter Hough and Dr Moisha Kalman on alien abduction hypnosis experiments, and Nick Pope on his Florida abduction story.

Other Publications and Events

Brief mentions are made of other UFO publications such as 'Man in Black,' 'Dragonwatch,' 'UFO Times,' 'Awareness 21/1,' 'Naro Minded,' and 'OVNI.'

Summer Events: The issue lists several upcoming UFO events, including a 'Independence Day' movie launch with lectures, the annual UFO conference at the University of Leeds featuring Jerry Clark, and various local group meetings and conferences across the UK.

'From here to Alpha Centauri'

This section details an investigation into a witness's claims of encounters with beings from the Alpha Centauri star system. The witness described 'someone or something' entering their room and a small, child-sized being that could control a light bulb. The beings are said to fly craft using 'recycled electricity' and are from a 'triple star' system. The investigator notes the witness's reluctance to be fully investigated and the difficulty in verifying such accounts.

A Disturbing Sequel

A peculiar postscript to a case aired at a BUFORA conference involves an alleged letter from a 'secret government UFO investigation unit' demanding the witness destroy their film. The letter, signed by Anthony Eccles but with an unfamiliar phone number and not on official BUFORA paper, is suspected to be a hoax aimed at implicating the UFOlogist and causing mistrust.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the persistent reporting of UFO sightings across the UK, the challenges of investigating such phenomena, and the alleged attempts by external forces to discredit UFOlogists and their work. The magazine appears to maintain a stance of open investigation, encouraging readers to share their data and opinions, while also being critical of sensationalism and potential hoaxes within the UFO community. The editorial team expresses concern over the smear tactics described and the potential for deliberate misinformation. There is a clear emphasis on detailed case analysis and a desire to uncover the truth behind reported phenomena.