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Magazine Overview

This issue of the "OVNI" newsletter, published by the Phenomenon Research Association in June 1993, focuses on UFO-related events, conferences, and research. The cover features a yellow background with various UFO illustrations, including a classic saucer, circles, and a geometric design, alongside a landscape depiction.

The Mansfield Conference

The main event detailed is the first UFO Conference presented by the Mansfield UFO Group on May 29th at the Mansfield Arts Centre. After initial "teething problems," the conference opened with a presentation by Arthur Tomlinson, a UFO veteran speaker, who enthralled the audience with his revelations and slides. The editor stepped in at short notice to present a slide show with recorded witness testimonies. A notable incident shared was that of Alfred Burtoo, who claimed to have been invited aboard a UFO by two small beings while night fishing on August 12, 1983, and was told he was "too old and infirm for their purpose."

Frank Sharman, an experimental airship designer, discussed the feasibility of the "1896 Airship" sightings, though this topic reportedly led to a loss of audience attention due to its technical complexity. Jenny Randles, described as the "El Supremo" of British Ufology, gave a talk on UFOs, emphasizing the pitfalls of misidentification and questioning the claim that UFO craft are necessarily "spacecraft," suggesting the phenomenon is complex and our senses may only capture a part of it.

Mark Hayward and Karen Douglas presented research materials on Crop Circles, and the PRA and Mansfield UFO group had a small exhibition. BBC Radio Nottingham interviewed conference participants.

Photographs from the conference show attendees like Tony and Claire Upton listening to Garry Stapleton discuss a point with Jenny Randles during a break. Another photo shows Omar Fowler giving a talk on Surrey UFO cases, having replaced Andy Roberts of BUFORA. Omar Fowler's past role as National Co-ordinator for BUFORA in the late 1960s is noted.

West Bridgeford (Notts.) UFO?

This section reports a sighting by P. Scott of West Bridgeford on the night of April 21st. While driving on Trevor Road at 10:55 pm, he observed two bright, white lights, almost joined together and sharply defined, similar to floodlights, just above tree level. He stopped his car to observe them; they appeared stationary initially, then slowly moved southwest and were lost behind trees. The observation lasted about twenty seconds, with no sound heard. The lights were described as circular and unusually bright. The editors commented that while similar lights have been reported, they could be accounted for by approaching aircraft with landing lights on, though the lack of sound and low altitude in this case were noted. A sketch by Mr. Scott illustrates the sighting.

Crop Circle Sounds

This article by Mike Rowland details an investigation into sound recordings made at Wanborough (33m, clockwise) and Beckhampton (8m, anti-clockwise) crop circles in Surrey on August 21, 1992. Using a portable cassette recorder with a metal probe inserted 1m into the ground, electromagnetic activity was measured. Recordings revealed a 5KHz hiss with random spikes. The hiss varied in intensity at different locations within and outside the circles. A faint bleep occurred every four seconds in the first three recordings but not the fourth. The fifth recording at Beckhampton showed a louder, agitated 5KHz hiss with "white noise" and large spikes. The sixth recording was similar but less agitated with fewer spikes. The 5KHz hiss is suggested to be a natural function of the recorder's circuits. The four-second bleeps were not visible on the oscilloscope but were audible, suggesting they were at least 10dBs down on the hiss. Later recordings in the researcher's garden showed a different pattern, possibly from a household appliance.

The Editors Turkish Delight

Omar and Deana Fowler recount a strange experience during a holiday in Turkey. On May 25th, around 4 am (1 am GMT), while traveling by coach from Marmaris to Dalaman, they observed a group of lights in the distance. Initially thought to be the dome of a Mosque or an approaching aircraft, the lights lacked typical aircraft features like strobe or navigation lights and had greenish main beams. The coach was traveling at high speed on a dark, bumpy road near the Golgeli Daglari mountain range. The object, estimated to be a mile away and the size of a ten pence piece, slowly turned and weaved through the mountain tops, revealing smaller greenish lights along its side. Despite having a Panasonic M5 video camera ready, the case was difficult to open in the dark, and by the time the camera was retrieved, the road turned, and the lights were lost from sight. No other passengers witnessed the event. A sketch by Deana Fowler and a drawing by Omar Fowler depict the sighting, noting the lights were not reflections, disappeared behind trees, had a fluorescent glow, and lasted about five minutes.

Tale Enders

This section includes various short items. The editors received "Inforespace" magazines from the SOBEPS group in Belgium and are seeking assistance in translating them. Eileen Fletcher translated Scandinavian UFO/LITS cases for future publication. John Clamp reported numerous strange light sightings over Adelaide, Australia, including a past BBC report of a UFO interfering with Gemini spacecraft signals, which was not repeated in the national press. Members were queried about attending a one-day event in Nottingham featuring Geoff Freed. Pat Delgado added to his article on "Monopole Magnets," posing questions about sphere suspension and polarity. The latest issue of "EMUFORA" magazine mentioned sightings of a red pulsating "ball" over Derbyshire in January 1992, similar to Belgian "Flying Triangles."

Meetings and Programme Changes

Announcements for the next meeting on June 23rd at the Stanley Club, Stanley Common, near Ilkeston, featuring a video show and Australian UFO cases. A late programme change announced that Mike Newark, a dowser from Coventry, would speak on his crop circle work and show a video, with a revised admission price of £1.00.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, crop circle research, and UFO conferences. The publication appears to be a platform for reporting eyewitness accounts, sharing research findings, and discussing various aspects of the UFO phenomenon. The editorial stance seems to be one of open inquiry, presenting different perspectives and encouraging member participation, while also maintaining a critical eye, as seen in the editors' comments on the West Bridgeford sighting and Jenny Randles' caution about misidentification and the complexity of the phenomenon.