Northern UFO News - No 96

Magazine Overview

Title: NORTHERN UFO NEWS
Issue: 96
Volume/Date: August 1982
Publisher: Northern UFO Network (NUFON)
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of NORTHERN UFO NEWS, published monthly by the Northern UFO Network (NUFON), focuses on the ethical considerations surrounding UFO investigations and presents a collection of recent sighting reports.

Editorial: What Should We Tell the Witness?

The editorial, penned by Jenny Randles, addresses a critical discussion with John Rimmer, editor of MAGONIA, regarding the potential consequences of a witness seeing comments that might be interpreted as personally critical. Rimmer questioned whether it was against the spirit of the 'Code of Practice' to allow witnesses to see such comments, fearing it might restrict researchers' ability to offer critical analysis in print without hurting feelings.

Randles shares her own experience writing 'ALIEN CONTACT,' where she had to balance psychological and sociological implications with fairness to the percipients. She emphasizes the need to guard against placing individuals in difficult positions when information is made public.

The core question posed is: How honest should we be, and what should we tell the witness about their experience? The 'Code of Practice' is presented as a guide, offering clauses on the mandatory use of pseudonyms or anonymity unless permission is otherwise obtained, and the requirement to inform witnesses of the consequences of using their real names. It also notes that in special circumstances, these measures might not be enough to protect identity, as seen in the Alan Godfrey case.

Randles stresses that the responsibility to ufology requires an honest and full discussion of all relevant material within a case. She expresses surprise at the apathy shown by many groups towards the Code and criticizes those who ignore its necessity, deeming them unfit to represent serious ufology.

MAGONIA's policy of using pseudonyms for all witnesses in published case histories is mentioned as a way to dilute embarrassment from analysis. However, Randles argues this does not excuse researchers from showing witnesses their analysis if they wish, unless it's detrimental to their welfare (e.g., if they are mentally unstable).

She asserts that witnesses usually expect an explanation for what they saw. If an explanation can be provided, it is the duty to do so. If not, the response should be 'no, we could not explain it...at present it is unidentified,' rather than a definitive statement about the nature of the object. The primary function is investigation.

The editorial concludes by emphasizing that witnesses are human beings and should not be treated as mere samples or statistics. Their experience is their own, and they have a right to analyze it.

A note at the end requests that checks and postal orders for renewals be made out to NUFON or Jenny Randles, not NORTHERN UFO NEWS.

Events and Organizational News

MUFORA Seminar: MUFORA, in conjunction with BUFORA, is organizing a one-day seminar on Saturday, October 9, 1982, at the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST). The theme is 'The UFO Investigator and the Witness,' featuring lectures, discussions, and practical exercises on perception, interviewing, and ethics. Admission is £2.00 (£1.50 for BUFORA or ASSAP members). Bookings and advice are available from Peter Warrington.

BUFORA Plans for the Eighties: BUFORA announces exciting developments, including the 1983 International Congress (August 27-29) at the Lorch Foundation in Buckinghamshire, with potential for a barbecue. A resource center is being established in Peterborough, housing BUFORA files, a large book library, and lecture tapes, available to bona-fide researchers. Publications are being revamped: JTAP will be issued twice yearly with a scientific outlook, and THE BULLETIN will be upgraded to come out four times a year. The subscription is rising to £11, but a deal with PROBE offers members all four issues of PROBE REPORT for an additional £1 (£12 total subscription). A new 'enrol a friend' scheme and a 50% reduction for Accredited Investigators are also being introduced. More out-of-town events and a postal investigator training scheme with ASSAP are planned.

• NEWS:
• UFO RESEARCH MIDLANDS: This new amalgamation of East Midlands societies will produce a 40-page magazine, MIDLANDS UFOLOG.
• ASSAP: Offers a new service for lecturers, providing loan or sale of 35mm slides from their extensive library.

In the Press

• Recent media coverage of UFOs is noted:
• The Humberside press featured a man who became an 'official UFO investigator' to sell his services, despite limited knowledge based on a single sighting.
• The DAILY MAIL (June 25) published a favorable column on the 35th anniversary of the Kenneth Arnold sighting, noting that the US government has taken UFOs very seriously despite public denials.
• London's EVENING STANDARD is looking for someone with good life insurance for an investigation. Punk singer Nina Hagen discusses UFOs on her new album, stating she has met God and makes music with Him.

Investigations

This section details several UFO/UAP sightings investigated by various individuals:

• December 31, 1979: Ranmoor, Sth Yorks. A family witnessed a bright point of light moving slowly, joining another object, and descending. Photographs were lost. Insufficient data to evaluate.
• January 14, 1981: Jarrow, Tyne & Wear. A railway worker saw a bright star-like object that flashed white to red and made a triangular jump before vanishing. Possibly a star covered by cloud.
• January 30, 1981: Rotherham, S Yorks. A schoolboy observed a large object with a green center and red/blue streaks, hovering for 20 minutes before moving off. His mother also saw it but did not believe it was a spaceship.
• July 2, 1981: Cliviger, Lancashire. A 61-year-old man observed a green, round object, the size of a golf ball, emitting white sparks, which passed silently and disappeared. Concluded as possibly a meteor or flare.
• September 12, 1981: Queensbury, West Yorks. A young woman and her sister's fiance observed an unusual object, dark and triangular with steady red lights, glide over a house and disappear. Described as the size of a tenpence piece at arm's length.
• September 13, 1981: Peterlee, Co Durham. Two brothers saw a bright, squashed rugby ball-shaped light moving at high speed, disappearing into a dark mass presumed to be a cloud. The object did not reappear.
• October 7, 1981: Hipperholme, W Yorks. A 49-year-old civil servant observed a bright yellowish star-like object that changed shape from disc to oval, with a dark center and russet brown flakes, appearing to 'lance' through powerline cables. Estimated diameter of the UFO was 3 feet.
• November 11, 1981: Keighley, W Yorks. A bright ball of white light descended over a park and was lost to view behind trees, possibly an aircraft with a front searchlight.
• February 27, 1982: Northampton, Northants. A man observed a doughnut-shaped object with a glowing dome and pulsating blue/white lights, which moved off at great speed. Investigator cannot explain.
• April 21, 1982: Oulton, Leeds, W Yorks. A man and his daughter saw a strange object resembling a wing or cigar, covered in flashing white lights, which stopped, reversed, and moved off at right angles. Estimated height 800-1000 ft, distance 3 miles.
• May 30, 1982: Cumbernauld, Scotland. Two independent reports describe a pinkish light hovering above a house, followed by a smoke trail and flare, or a reddish object giving off flashes of light that disappeared, leaving white spots. Possibly military activity.

To Come: A large report on activity in SE Scotland and a report on the DAN-AIR holiday jet incident involving a 'doughnut' shaped object seen by the flight crew.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ethical responsibilities of UFO investigators towards witnesses, the importance of maintaining objectivity in reporting, and the detailed documentation of UFO sightings. The editorial stance, as articulated by Jenny Randles, strongly advocates for a rigorous and ethical approach to ufology, emphasizing respect for witnesses as individuals and the necessity of adhering to established codes of practice. The magazine actively promotes ufology as a serious field of study by publishing detailed case reports and discussing organizational activities and events.