SUFOG Newsletter No 017

Magazine Overview

This document is the Southampton UFO Group Newsletter, Issue No. 17, dated September 1991. It serves as a compilation of UFO-related news, reports, and media mentions, primarily focusing on events and articles from 1991 but also including historical references. The newsletter is coordinated by Steve Gerrard and provides contact information for the group.

Contents and Articles

April 1991 Newspaper Reports

The newsletter begins by listing newspaper articles from April 1991 concerning UFOs. These include reports such as "CASH HOAX FOOLS UFO SPOTTERS" from the Barking & Dagenham Post, "WAS THIS A UFO?" from N.Western Evening Mail, and "ASTRONOMERS MEET" from the Belfast Telegraph. Other reports mention "SKY GAZERS MEETING GETS OFF THE GROUND," "FLYING TONIGHT," and a book review of "HOOKED ON UFO'S." Several articles touch upon hoaxers, including "HOAX FOOLS UFO SPIES." Sightings and encounters are also noted, such as "BUZZED BY A UFO IN THE DYFED TRIANGLE," "MYSTERY SIGHTINGS IN THE LAKES," and a "CLOSE ENCOUNTER FOR PENDLE NEWSAGENTS." A "SPACECRAFT CLAIM BY COUPLE" is also mentioned.

Crop Circles

A section dedicated to crop circles highlights a report from the Salisbury Journal titled "HELP ME SOLVE MYSTERY OF THE CORN CIRCLES." A Hampshire newspaper, the Portsmouth News, reported a "UFO SCARE."

Magazines

Two magazine articles are noted: "DAPHNE MOSS - UFO REPORT 1990" from Finesse magazine (April) and "THE UFO PHENOMENON" from Bella magazine (6th).

Historical Sighting: Voronezh, Russia

A significant section details a Soviet sighting from October 1989, reported by the Southern Evening Echo. It describes how millions of Soviet viewers saw a news report about aliens reportedly landing in Voronezh. The report featured a child's drawing of a glowing two-legged sphere with a smiling stick figure inside. The government's news agency TASS reported on an "unearthly craft" that had touched down, and described "towering, pin-headed aliens" emerging from a spaceship. This event was also covered by various national newspapers, including the Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Guardian, and The Independent, with headlines like "SPACE INVADERS LAND IN RUSSIA" and "PIN-HEADED ALIENS INVADE RUSSIA - OFFICIAL."

Newspaper Article: Dagenham Hoax

A newspaper article from the Barking & Dagenham Post (April 3, 1991) describes a hoax where UFO spotters were led to believe they could earn money by reporting sightings. A letter, purportedly from the Housing Department, announced a "SPECIAL WATCH" due to "unexplained happenings." Participants were asked to work night shifts and were promised a fee and bonus for photos. However, it turned out to be an "EARLY APRIL FOOL JOKE," with a council spokesperson confirming they had no involvement and someone had likely photocopied their letter paper.

Items for Sale

The newsletter includes a section listing items for sale. This includes approximately 60 audio tapes on UFOs and crop circles, with costs ranging from £3 to £5. A list of slides from other UFO groups, containing over 300 entries concerning UFOs, is also available. Additionally, a UFORIA catalogue offers UFO models, kits, entity figures, books, posters, badges, T-shirts, and memorabilia. Several books are listed for sale, including "OPERATION EARTH" by Brinsley Le Poer Trench, "THE FLYING SAUCER VISION" by John Michell, "MANKIND - CHILD OF THE STARS" by Max H. Flindt, "THE COSMIC CONNECTION" by Carl Sagan, "UFO - FLYING SAUCERS OVER BRITAIN" by Robert Chapman, and "FLYING SAUCERS ARE HOSTILE" by Brad Steiger. New books mentioned are "LIFE BEYOND PLANET EARTH?" by Janet & Colin Bord and "CROP CIRCLES - HARBINGERS OF THE WORLD CHANGE" edited by Alick Bartholomew.

UFO Brigantia Journal

Information is provided about "UFO Brigantia," a bi-monthly journal from the Independent UFO Network (IUN), described as essential for serious researchers. It features articles on various UFO aspects, archive cases, and reviews, with subscription rates for UK, Europe, and USA.

Useful Addresses and Services

Several addresses and services are listed. These include a book service at Midnight Books, the address for Rod Haworth who supplies UFO and crop circle videos (priced around £10 per video), and contact details for the COMPUTER UFO NETWORK and UFO REPORTING/INFORMATION SERVICE. The address for UFO Brigantia subscriptions is also provided.

Next Meeting

The next meeting for the Southampton UFO Group is scheduled for October 30, 1991, at 7:30 pm at 25 Weston Grove Road, Woolston, Southampton.

Editorial for September 1991: Crop Circles

The editorial reviews crop formations found worldwide in 1990-91. It lists numerous examples from Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Siberia, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, and Japan. The editorial highlights the significant story of two 60-year-old men admitting to hoaxing around 200 crop circles. The admission was widely reported on radio, television, and in the press. The editorial includes three comments heard on the radio regarding this admission: one stating Pat Delgado admitted crop circles were a hoax (later regretted), a second report about two men admitting to making formations with a plank, and a third comment from a Radio 4 letter section questioning how hoaxers could create large formations overnight across the country.

Other September Newspaper Articles

Additional newspaper articles from September are listed, including "ALIENS JOIN THE MAGIC CIRCLE" from Mail on Sunday and "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS : YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS BUT?" from a Woman's Magazine.

Future Events

Future events to look out for include a meeting on December 7-8 near Heaver Castle, Kent, focusing on "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, ABDUCTIONS & CROP CIRCLES," costing £20 per day. The 30th National Conference of BUFORA is announced for September 19, 1992, to be held at the London Business School.

Cartoons

Two cartoons are included. One depicts cows in a field with a sign "SEE THE CORN CIRCLES ONLY £1" and a UFO overhead, with a caption "All this talk of hoaxes - not a single customer all day!!" The second cartoon, by Gaskill, shows people at a bus stop looking at a newspaper headline "Today SECRETS BEHIND THE CORN CIRCLES HOAX," with a caption "One mystery is solved, another unfolds - mark my words!".

Media Acquisitions

New video and audio tapes acquired by the group are listed. These include videos on "U.S. UNDERGROUND ALIEN BASES," "WORLD UFO CONFERENCE : ARIZONA : 1980'S," and tapes from radio interviews with Timothy Good. Videos also include "BEAMSHIPS," "UFOLOGY AT THE TURNING POINT," "AN ALIEN HARVEST : CONCERNING CATTLE MUTILATIONS," "ALIEN LIFE FORMS : UFONAUTS / CATTLE MUTILATIONS," and "MYSTERIES OF THE GODS."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this newsletter are UFO sightings, crop circles, and the media's coverage of these phenomena. There is a clear focus on reporting news from various sources, including newspapers, magazines, and radio. The newsletter also addresses the issue of hoaxes, particularly concerning crop circles, and presents information on available resources such as books, videos, and audio tapes for researchers. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting and disseminating information related to UFO phenomena, while also acknowledging and investigating potential hoaxes and media sensationalism.