Northern UFO News - No 178

Magazine Overview

Title: NORTHERN UFO NEWS
Issue: 178
Volume: Winter 1998
Publisher: NUFON
Country: UK
Language: English
Cover Headline: 20 Page Special: Mildew and Scummy - the real secret agents...

This issue of Northern UFO News, dated Winter 1998, presents a comprehensive look at UFOlogy, featuring a 20-page special on 'secret agents,' various news reports, and updates on ongoing investigations. The cover art depicts two aliens and a human figure in front of a large, circular structure, setting a tone of mystery and intrigue.

Editor's Comments and State of UFOlogy

Editor Jenny Randles opens with a brief note on subscription renewals and then delves into the current state of UFOlogy. She discusses the "dramatic progress (some may well feel regress)" of the Rendlesham Forest case, hinting at negative revelations. Randles observes a growing pessimism among UFOlogists, attributing it partly to the "overkill media blitz" and the unrealistic expectations of new audiences drawn by shows like 'The X-Files.' She contrasts the perceived 'cosmic conspiracies' promoted by some with the more mundane reality of UFOlogy, likening it to "the exploits of Mildew and Scummy."

A significant portion of the editorial addresses the "sad obsession with power, money and ego-boosting" within the subject. Randles highlights how integrity is often unrewarded, while sensationalism garners attention and financial gain. She criticizes the "scumbags" willing to do and say anything to get their way, citing the "despicable smearing" campaign against UFOlogist Tim Matthews, who was allegedly targeted for his upcoming book on triangle sightings. Randles defends a conference organized by Matthews, refuting claims that she refused to attend due to the controversy. She also dismisses a "UFOlogy is Dead" diatribe making "scurrilous" accusations against various individuals, including herself, calling it "absurd trash."

Randles emphasizes the need for UFOlogy to "see through these attempts at subversion" and unite behind "rational folk" who pursue truth through "good research, sober investigation and realistic interpretation of evidence." She frames the current situation as a "war" between those seeking truth and those who "know the answer intuitively" and will manipulate information to fit their agenda. Northern UFO News pledges to present evidence objectively, whether it supports exotic or modest explanations.

News Round-Up and Specific Cases

The "News Round-Up" section includes a report on the "Howards End: Election cover-up alleged" incident. It discusses a UFO sighting near Hythe, Kent, on March 8, 1997, which occurred shortly before a general election. The article suggests that the government, particularly then Home Secretary Michael Howard, may have downplayed the sighting to avoid embarrassment and potential negative publicity linking a senior minister to aliens. However, the article notes that the local press actually gave the story significant coverage, questioning the extent of any actual cover-up.

Another section, "Surveying the Paranormal," reviews two surveys reported by the Mail. The first, from the University of West of England, found that believers in psychic events were no worse at judging odds than sceptics. A notable UFO-related finding was that over a third of the population reported having scar marks on their legs, supporting a previous prediction that such marks are common and not necessarily indicative of alien abduction. The second survey, by the Mail itself, asked about beliefs in extraterrestrial life visiting Earth, with findings generally aligning with expected trends but criticized for "pathetic, sloppy, loaded questions."

UFOlogy and Media Criticism

Page 5 contrasts beliefs and experiences across various paranormal phenomena. It highlights a significant discrepancy in UFO beliefs, where a much smaller percentage of believers report direct experience compared to those who believe in ghosts or God. This suggests that belief in alien visitation is often based on faith rather than firsthand evidence.

The "Man from the Ministry" section revisits the controversy surrounding Nick Pope. The author addresses questions about Pope's new book, 'The Uninvited,' and a case involving witnesses 'Peter and Jenny.' The author claims to have seen an earlier draft of Pope's book where the male witness was identified as Pope himself, recounting an experience in Florida. The article questions why this was omitted or altered in the published version and whether it influenced Pope's stance on UFOs before he joined the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The author calls for Pope to clarify the situation.

Magazine Reviews and Other Features

Several other publications are reviewed: 'Abduction Watch,' 'The Armchair UFOlogist,' 'UFO Times 45,' 'Magonia 61,' 'Awareness 22/7 Nov 1997,' and 'Naro Minded Oct 1997.' The reviews assess their content, editorial stance, and overall quality, with particular praise for 'Naro Minded' for its sensible approach and critique of UFOlogy.

Other features include "A day on the moors" detailing an "Ilkley Moor UFO Tour" offered by Connect, and "ET: The Musical!" a musical comedy about alien abduction set to debut in Blackpool. The magazine also reports on "UFO Science Foundation launched" in Spain, a new scientific body aiming to promote UFO research. A "touch of Irish" highlights the "Irish Case File Update" booklet from IUFOPRA.

Updates and Specific Sightings

The "UPDATES" section covers "Triangulation," discussing the ongoing debate about flying triangles and mentioning Tim Matthews' upcoming book. It details new triangle sightings, including one over the M56 near Warrington and intriguing reports from Blackpool in 1987 involving lights and a potential Navy connection. The launch of "Project Flying Triangle" is also announced.

"Droning On" discusses a case solved by a military engineer, identifying a large floating grid-like object seen in Suffolk as a drone used for military exercises, suggesting it was presented as a UFO to save face. The section "Dead of Night" reviews a Merseyside-based magazine featuring a variety of paranormal topics.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

Throughout the issue, recurring themes include the critical examination of media coverage of UFO phenomena, the challenges of maintaining scientific integrity within UFOlogy, and the need for honest, evidence-based research. The editorial stance is one of advocating for a rational, sober approach to the UFO mystery, while acknowledging the possibility of exotic explanations when supported by evidence. There is a strong critique of sensationalism, internal conflicts within the UFO community, and perceived attempts to subvert genuine research.

Title: Northern UFO News
Issue: 11
Volume: 11
Date: July 1997 (inferred from page numbers and content context)

This issue of Northern UFO News delves into various aspects of UFOlogy, featuring book reviews, discussions on crop circles, and detailed reports of alleged UFO sightings and encounters. The publication maintains a critical yet engaged stance on the subject, often questioning official explanations and highlighting inconsistencies in witness testimony and government reports.

Book Reviews

Beyond Roswell

The review of 'Beyond Roswell' by Michael Hessemann & Philip Mantle, published by Michael O'Mara, notes its visual appeal and good design, being a hardback released during the 50th anniversary of the Roswell case. The book is praised for its discussion of the Mogul balloon theory, which even persuaded the reviewer. However, the review becomes critical as the book delves into vindicating MJ-12, secret government studies, Dreamland, ancient texts, and the Roswell autopsy footage. The reviewer finds these sections increasingly difficult to take seriously. A particularly amazing claim highlighted is that the infamous Roswell autopsy footage might not be from the Roswell crash but from a different incident at Socorro a month earlier. Despite reservations about the authenticity of the footage and the crash itself, the reviewer concludes that the book has merit due to its colour autopsy film shots and is a better purchase than Mr. Santilli's video.

A Covert Agenda

Nick Redfern's book 'A Covert Agenda', a hardback from Simon & Schuster, is reviewed with a degree of disappointment. The reviewer acknowledges Redfern as a promising British UFOlogist and notes the book's extensive research into British government UFO investigations, particularly from the Public Record Office. However, the reviewer feels the book suffers from its publisher's desire to reach a lucrative market, leading to a sacrifice of careful documentation and rational solutions in favor of more sinister interpretations. The PRO files, while extensive, are described as not telling an exciting story, requiring inference to support the book's 'top UFO secrets exposed' claim. The reviewer points out that the book selectively presents cases, such as the Llandrillo crash, downplaying alternative explanations like an RAF plane mishap, while giving undue weight to dubious tales. Similarly, the Lakenheath encounter's refutation is given minimal attention compared to the claims of UFOs being filmed. The review also criticizes the book's handling of the Staffordshire sightings, linking them to military exercises rather than UFOs, and the Quantock Hills case, which is deemed seriously flawed due to unfamiliarity with BUFORA's investigation. Despite these criticisms, the reviewer acknowledges Redfern's potential and the book's impressive scope, but hopes he learns from these shortcomings.

UFOs and UFOlogy

This book by Paul Devereux & Peter Brookesmith is described as an unexpected collaboration, being a large format hardback with numerous illustrations. It is aimed at the 50th anniversary of UFO events and is considered one of the best books of its type issued recently. The authors, who do not believe in aliens, are noted for their critical approach to UFOlogy, attacking many within the field. The book is praised for its essays that pose straight questions and cut through clutter. However, criticisms are raised regarding its coverage of crop circles, crediting Montague Keen, who is seen as misunderstanding early data and ignoring historical evidence. The Quantock Hills case is also deemed seriously flawed. The reviewer suggests that the authors, particularly Brookesmith, exhibit a dislike for parts of UFOlogy and may be missing significant discussions by not reading publications like NUN. Despite these quibbles, the book is considered an impressive tour de force that probes important issues in the subject.

Crop Circles

An article discusses the enduring fascination with crop circles, noting that despite media disinterest since 1992, annual conferences and societies like the CCCS (Centre for Crop Circle Studies) continue to thrive. The quarterly publication 'The Circular' is described as glossy and filled with images of formations. While supporting the view that some circles are real, the CCCS takes a more restrained stance than in the past. The Summer 1997 issue is highlighted for an expose proving the infamous August 1996 'UFO creating a crop circle' video to be a hoax. The article also notes that 'The Crop Watcher', formerly an 'enemy' of the CCCS, is now showing signs of moving towards a similar middle ground under a new editor, Paul Fuller, who is concentrating on 'New UFOlogist'. The journal is set to become a pure circle magazine again, with the new editor promising to publish well-argued theories and to distance the magazine from being a supporter of Dr. Meaden.

UFO Sightings and Investigations

Sandyhurst Sightings: Ball Lightning Tales?

Two cases are presented as interesting examples of ball lightning, thanks to a physicist at Sandyhurst College. The first, from November 1891, describes a ball of light falling gently before speeding up, swelling in size, and disappearing instantly. The second case, from autumn 1940 or 1941, involves a sphere appearing after a lightning strike during a thunderstorm, bouncing across the ground like a rubber ball, emitting puffs of greyish smoke, and then vanishing.

UFOs over Antarctica

This section details several events uncovered by Dr. Peter Beck from declassified archives regarding survey missions to Antarctica. On June 7, 1962, a sighting at Hallett research station involved a brilliant light moving slowly, concluded by the US government to be a misperception of Jupiter. Fifteen days later, an object seen leaving a smoky vapour trail was identified as a bolide or fireball meteor. A more significant case occurred on July 7, 1962, where an observer saw a very intense light, the size of a basketball, with two smaller lights and a trail, heading towards the base. While the US government concluded it was likely a fireball meteor, the steady motion of the lights is noted as inconsistent with this explanation.

Mid Air Encounter over Ireland

This report, based on data from IUFOPRA, discusses a multiple witness sighting over south west England, South Wales, and Ireland on the night of March 30/31, 1993. While many reports were attributed to a Cosmos satellite burning up, some cases did not fit the known timeline. Nick Pope, then at the MoD, confirmed that some cases did not fit the satellite re-entry explanation. The report focuses on an official file released by IUFOPRA concerning a sighting by an Air Corps Dauphin aircraft captain, Commander H. O'Keeffe. The sighting occurred at 1500 feet, 10 miles east of Mullingar, where two white lights appeared and tracked across the sky, leaving vapour trails. Dublin Air Traffic Control and Shannon Radar confirmed no known aircraft were in the area. The report notes that the official report incorrectly dated the sighting as March 30th, when it occurred on March 31st. The issue also mentions a second sighting in the same file involving Captain D. Cotter of the Irish Naval Support Squadron, who also reported two bright white lights in formation, but dated his sighting as March 28th, three days before the Cosmos re-entry. The article questions how such mistakes could be made by trained witnesses and suggests that these cases, judged in isolation, would not be attributed to the Cosmos burn-up, raising the possibility of UFOs mimicking the event or witnesses being wildly inaccurate.

Fishermen see triangle off Scottish coast

This report details a flying triangle case from February 14, 1996, near Berwick. The crew of a fishing boat spotted a dark triangle with red lights, detected by ship's weather radar. The object was described as the size of a football field. While initially assumed to be an airship, this was rejected. A military solution was considered, but the MoD denied having aircraft in the area, despite the coastguard mentioning an RAF Nimrod. The case is questioned as potentially being an alleged secret aircraft named HALO.

Case 9619 Lancs

This report from summer 1996 describes a witness in Lancaster seeing a jet black triangle with a red light at each apex, turning in a circular motion. The object was visible against the dark sky and headed towards the Trough of Bowland. The area is noted as fitting for test flights from Warton, home of the Halo project.

Fairy Across the Mersey?

This case from July 8, 1996, in Wallasey, Wirral, involves a tradesman witnessing a matt black triangular object on the horizon. Initially dismissed as a boat or log, it later appeared as a dark oval and then climbed skyward. The object was not easily explained, and the witness considered it might have been further away than initially assumed, potentially over the Southport area where triangle sightings were common.

Llowarch sees the light

This section reports on Keith Stevenson, formerly known as the anonymous columnist 'Llowarch', who witnessed UFOs twice in September 1996 in west Wales. He saw a round yellow ball of light and later a similar light crossing the sky. Another report from Pencader corroborated these sightings. The area is noted for previous earthlight activity, and Paul Devereux believes it to be technically active.

Case 9622 Scarborough, Yorkshire

On September 19, 1996, a witness in Scarborough spotted a white oblong shape, followed by a second one that appeared connected. Both objects then vanished. The explanation suggested is a military aircraft with a target drone or two aircraft linked for refuelling, with the bright sunlight creating the illusion of a cigar shape.

Case 9701 Accrington, Lancs

Several residents reported a white circular object with rotating lights above cloud. This is suspected to be a laser-powered searchlight display.

Photographing UFOs over Scotland

This report from June 7, 1997, in Ullapool, Scotland, details sightings of a bright white light and an object filmed by grocers. The object emitted flashes of red and blue. The suspicion is that these were filming a bright planet, with a camcorder creating a larger, fuzzy image. Another witness's photographs of the same object failed to develop, suggesting the camera's settings were not suitable for capturing a star-like light.

Skimming UFO over Skem

This case from October 8, 1997, in Skelmersdale, Lancs, describes a row of white 'house lights' appearing and crossing the path of a car. The object was a dark V-shape with a red light at the front and white lights on the edge. It skimmed the roof of the car at low height and then disappeared. The witnesses looked for a green light to confirm it was a plane but found none.

Stop Press: The triangles still fly

A report of a flying triangle sighting on January 9, 1998, near Preston Brook, Cheshire, is mentioned as being under investigation.

Preston Brook, of course, noted for its association with the Wonderland window

This section describes two witnesses seeing two white lights over a sliproad, initially assumed to be an aircraft. Upon closer inspection, the object was revealed to be a large dark triangle with complex rotors, white lights at each apex, and a red glow from the base. It was silent.

Towards the Truth in Rendlesham

This section discusses Paul Redfern's book 'UFO Crash Landing?', which aims to document the Rendlesham Forest incident from the testimony of key witnesses, including military personnel. The author establishes a consistent account of the primary events and offers conclusions, including the significance of 'comets in the sky' seen on December 25th and the possibility of misperception for some events on the second night. The report emphasizes the importance of the first night's events. It also touches upon the incident on December 26th, noting that new, potentially devastating, testimony has emerged since the book's printing, which may challenge existing narratives and raise questions about the lighthouse being a primary UFO.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include critical reviews of UFO literature, an examination of the enduring phenomenon of crop circles, and detailed reporting of various UFO sightings from different time periods and locations. The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards sensationalism and official explanations, favoring a thorough, evidence-based approach. The publication is not afraid to challenge established narratives and authors within the UFO community, as seen in the reviews of 'A Covert Agenda' and 'UFOs and UFOlogy'. There is a clear emphasis on presenting diverse cases and encouraging readers to critically assess the information provided.