Northern UFO News - No 44

Magazine Overview

This issue of NORTHERN UFO NEWS, dated January 1978, is the 44th issue of the newsletter published by the NORTHERN UFO NETWORK (NUFON). It is edited by Jenny Randles and Paul Whetnall and provides updates on UFO activities, sightings, and related research in Northern Britain.

Editorial: 'On the Fourth Day of Christmas the Telly gave to me'

The editorial reflects on the Christmas television programming, noting the inclusion of two unusually good science-fiction movies that set the atmosphere for the upcoming release of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. The editor anticipates a surge of public and media interest in UFOs, suggesting that the cinema is finally waking up to the subject. The editorial also discusses Hugh Burnett's trilogy of documentaries on strange phenomena, including 'Out of this world' and a program on ghosts. The editor expresses a personal view that while evidence in ufology can be contradictory and tenuous, the field should embrace a broader interest in paranormal events, as there may be a unifying thread linking them.

A Grim Fairy Story by Ron Sargeant (MUFORA)

This article speculates on the possibility of an extraterrestrial race visiting Earth thousands of years ago. The author suggests that this race, having found Earth, became increasingly interested in our planet and initiated communication. The article posits that with humanity's technological advancement, particularly industrialization and atomic technology, the aliens may have decided to implement a 'safety valve' or control mechanism to prevent Earth from becoming undesirable. This plan, according to the author, involves seeding people with wrong ideas and creating confusion to facilitate an intelligence survey and eventual invasion, possibly through psychic faculties rather than direct military action. The article concludes by leaving the reader to ponder the nature of this potential invasion and its implications.

Magazine Round-up

• This section reviews several magazines received by NUFON as regular exchanges. Publications reviewed include:
• FLYING SAUCER REVIEW: Described as the most important reference source on worldwide UFO data and an outlet for detailed case studies.
• MUFOB: Essential for its standpoint on UFOs as human experience, offering the 'other side' of the UFO picture.
• FORTEAN TIMES: A miscellany of all paranormal phenomena, including UFOs.
• SPACEQUEST: Britain's only popular UFO magazine, bringing in space phenomena but mostly UFOs, described as readable and not sensationalised.
• COSMOLOGY NEWSLINK: Covers general news and articles of an international scope.
• UFO BOOK INDEX 1977: An excellent publication reviewing the year's books and listing UFO books in print.

NUFON Details

This section provides contact information for various NUFON branches and related organizations across the UK, including details for sighting data, newsletter material, group news, foreign data libraries, and lecture tape libraries. It lists contacts for North West, North East, West Lancs, South Lancs, Yorkshire, South Yorks, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Humberside, Lincs, Staffs, West Midlands, East Midlands, and Northern Ireland.

Group Biography: 3) Scunthorpe UFO Research Society (SUFORS)

Nigel Watson recounts the history of SUFORS, which was founded in May 1972. The group initially had regular meetings but eroded away when key members left. SUFORS officially dissolved at the end of 1976 but rose again in mid-1977 due to new UFO sightings in the area. Since May 1977, they have held monthly meetings and are planning the NUFON Spring '78 conference. Watson notes that the 'research' part of their name has been a misnomer, as members were more interested in social aspects. SUFORS was a founder member of NUFON (then UNO) in 1974 and passes on records of sightings to NUFON and UFOIN.

News: News! News!

• This section highlights upcoming events and releases:
• 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' is to be the Royal Film premiere in London on March 13, 1978, and is already breaking records in the USA.
• A sequel to 'Humanoids', titled 'Encounter Cases from Flying Saucer Review', has been released in America and is expected to be published in Britain shortly.
• The NUFON Meeting in Crewe on February 4th will feature talks by Jenny Randles on UFO abduction cases and Peter Warrington on UFO photographic cases.

It also includes a notice that no more issues of Northern UFO News will be sent to those who have not renewed subscriptions for 1978.

News Round-up: Paul Whetnall

Paul Whetnall reports on the public relations efforts of various UFO groups, emphasizing the need to prepare for increased interest due to the film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. FUFOR is noted for its excellent relations with the local press and talks given to the public. SUFORS is also active with meetings and guest speakers, including John Croft and Rex Dutta. MUFORA continues its monthly lecture program in Manchester. The report mentions the NUFON meeting in Crewe and encourages groups to send in their meeting information. WUFOS has a new address. A new group is being considered for the Clwyd/Gwynedd area in North Wales. The section concludes with a welcome back to Yvonne and Gary Lanham from Canada and best wishes for 1978, the 'year of the UFOs'.

Sighting Reports

• This section details numerous UFO sighting reports from various locations across the UK:
• 5305 Unknown (1953): Manchester, Gt Mer - A stationary red light observed through a telescope accelerated away.
• 6615 (1966-09-02): Crewe, Cheshire - A silver/white disc seen stationary, flipped onto its edge, and vanished.
• NOTES: Mentions a landing with traces seen by PC Bill White in Cumbria (Aug 77 NUN), with Ian Cresswell discovering more detail about an event on July 3, 1977, involving two flashing lights and traces.
• 77/204 (1977-10-02): Ormesby, Cleveland - A small, sharply defined disc with a red light and mechanical whirring noise appeared, hovered, and vanished.
• 77/205 (1977-09-28): Sheffield, Sth Yorks - A cigar-shaped object moving SE was observed.
• THE WARTON MYSTERY OBJECT AND SOUND (1977-10-12): Warton, Lancashire/Cumbria border - Multiple witnesses reported a grey oval shape with lights and a droning noise. Kevin Preston gained a clear impression of a blue/grey dish with a dome and flashing lights, and recorded a faint 'bumping' sound.
• 77/206 (1977-11-03): Betley, Cheshire - Four witnesses saw a vivid bright light with rainbow colours descending.
• 77/207 (1977-11-08): Winsford, Cheshire - An amateur astronomer saw a small point of orange light fluctuating.
• 77/208 (1977-11-16): Idle Moor, West Yorks - A white ball moved, turned brown, and disintegrated.

UFOIN PROGRESS REPORT

• This section details UFOIN's ongoing investigations into high strangeness cases. Three cases of interest to the NUFON region are highlighted:
• Case 7201 (U) (1972-09-09): Glasgow - A witness saw a spinning top-like object with lights and windows, and an entity inside. Investigation was hampered by the witness's nervous breakdown.
• Case 7302 (U) (1973-May/June): North Yorkshire - Two army personnel reported a rugby ball-shaped object with windows hovering, leaving a circle of burnt grass.
• NUFON case 77/200 (1977-11-18): Wawne Primary School, North Humberside - A group of children saw an upturned plate/dish object shining silver, which made erratic movements. Probative evidence in the form of plasticine models was obtained.

• Other UFOIN cases reported include:
• 77/201 (Late June 1977): Coppenhall, Cheshire - A fast-moving, diffuse light was observed.
• 77/202 (August 1977): Wawne, Nth Humberside - A fat silvery cigar-shaped object with bulges was seen.
• 77/203 (1977-09-23): Redcar, Cleveland - Five extremely bright flat discs were observed stationary.

Another Night of the UFOs: November 18 1977

• This section compiles several sightings from November 18, 1977:
• 77/209 (1977-11-18): Carnforth, Lancashire - Two women saw a conical object glinting in the sun, trailing pinky orange vapour, which floated sideways.
• 77/210 (1977-11-18): Middleton, Nth Humberside - A mother and son saw a brilliant cone of fluorescent blue light moving fast, elongating and growing in size.
• 77/211 (1977-11-18): Clotton, Cheshire - A report from Alan Pepper and his family describes seeing two and then three white lights in a triangle, followed by a tube of fluorescent blue light falling into a field.
• 77/212 (1977-11-21): Sheffield, Sth Yorks - A housewife saw a bright yellowish light moving horizontally.
• 77/213 (1977-11-26): Grasscroft, Gt Mer - Janet Bentley and her boyfriend saw a strange light that became brighter and moved east.
• 77/214 (1977-12-03): Diggle, Gtr Manchester - Mrs Brown and her son saw a purple rugby ball with a white light inside, which moved, hovered, and then accelerated away.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, investigations, and the growing public interest in the phenomenon, largely driven by the anticipation of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. The editorial stance, as expressed by Paul Whetnall, emphasizes the need for honesty about the contradictory and tenuous nature of UFO evidence. It advocates for a broader acceptance of paranormal interests, suggesting that a unifying thread may exist across different phenomena. The magazine also highlights the importance of organized groups like NUFON in co-ordinating research and information sharing across the UK.