SUFOG Newsletter No 019

Magazine Overview

This document is the November/December 1991 issue of the Southampton UFO Group Newsletter, identified as Newsletter No. 19. It is primarily dedicated to a review of the 1991 crop circle season, detailing events and theories chronologically from January to December.

A Review of the 1991 Crop Circle Season

The newsletter presents a month-by-month account of crop circle activity and related commentary:

• January: The "French Theory" suggests plastic garden rollers are the cause of many formations.
• February: Dr. Terence Meaden proposes circles are formed by dust, not spaceships.
• March: A Hampshire couple videoed a mysterious 15-inch disc-shaped light that appeared from nowhere on July 26, 1990, with a letter in the Wiltshire Times on March 15, 1991, from Colin Andrews.
• April: A circle appeared at Yarnbury Castle, near Warminster.
• May: Three teenagers were arrested in Gious for trying to create a circle in a field.
• June: A formation was found at Pepperbox Hill, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. The first 'insectogram' appeared near Upham, Hants. The Sunday Mirror offered £10,000 to solve crop circles, and Germans flocked to Hampshire to see them. A 'dartboard' formation was found near Devizes, Wiltshire. Three circles were found near Pepperbox Hill. Dr. Terence Meaden and a Japanese team planned a secret 24-hour watch in a Wiltshire field. The Daily Star offered $10,000 reward for solving crop circles.
• July: Prof. Yoshihiko Ohtsuki claimed to have created circles under laboratory conditions, stating circles had been found on the London Underground. Two circles were found at Eastcott in Cornwall. David Eike stated, "Circles are a call for help from Mother Earth". The July cont. section mentions the Barbury Castle formation appearing, fake formations in a German field, and 'Greetings Earthlings' written in a field on the Isle of Wight. A formation near the A303 led Dr. Terence Meaden to suggest Ancient Britons were inspired by circles to build Stonehenge. A key shape circle was found near Marlborough, Wiltshire. Prof. Hiroshi Kikucki stated 15 circles in Stratford-upon-Avon were formed by high winds picking up dust particles in a vortex.
• August: A 'Mandelbrot' formation was found in a Cambridgeshire field. A 'legless ant' descended into a Hampshire field. Circles appeared in Alberta, Canada.
• September: The 'Doug & Dave' incident is questioned regarding whether they hoaxed many formations. The Glastonbury UK conference on crop circles was held.
• October: Channel 4's program 'Equinox' screened a crop circle investigation. Terence Meaden stated that all but the simplest circles are the work of hoaxers (Liverpool Post, October 28, 1991). For November and December, nothing was reported, with the question of crop circles put to rest until April 1992.

Items for Sale

The newsletter includes a section listing various items for sale:

• Audio Tapes: Around 70 tapes on UFOs and crop circles, costing £3 to £5 depending on length.
• Slides: A list from other UFO groups offering black and white or colour slides concerning UFOs, containing over 300 slides.
• UFO Models & Kits: New and rare items, UFO entity figures, second-hand UFO books, posters, badges, and T-shirts are available from UFORIA. A free catalogue is available by sending a large SAE.
• T-Shirts: Crop circle motif T-shirts are available in X-Large for £9.95 each from Earth Spirit Productions.
• Books: A list of books for sale includes 'Flying Saucers Are Hostile', 'Mankind - Child of the Stars', 'UFO', 'The Flying Saucer Vision', 'The Cosmic Question', 'Operation Earth', 'Mysteries of the Skies', and 'Life Beyond Planet Earth'. Prices range from £0.40p to £3.00. A bundle of all listed books is available for £6.00 (excluding postage).

UFO Hotlines and Services

Several UFO hotlines are listed, including BUFORA weekly news update, SKYLINE for astronomy and space exploration information, and IND UFO NETWORK for up-to-date UFO information. Computer UFO Network and Reporting/Information services are also detailed, with contact numbers and operating hours.

Useful Addresses

Addresses are provided for book services like Midnight Books and Excalibur, and for a newspaper clipping service in the USA. The Book Bus in Kent is also listed.

UFO Brigantia

'UFO Brigantia', the journal of the Independent UFO Network (IUN), is described as a bi-monthly publication featuring articles on various aspects of the UFO phenomenon, including cover-ups, earthlights, controversial material, archive cases, and investigations. Subscription rates for UK, Europe, and USA are provided.

UFO Video Material

UFO video material is available from Mr. Rod Haworth, with around 30 videos concerning UFOs, crop circles, and related phenomena, costing £10 per video including postage and packaging.

Meetings and Events

• The next meeting for the Southampton UFO Group is scheduled for 7:30 pm at 25 Weston Grove Road, Woolston, Southampton.
• BUFORA meetings (lectures) for 1992 are scheduled at London Business School, with dates for Esoteric UFO Study (Jan 2), Unpublished Cases (Mar 7), UFO Reality Shifts (May 2), and Psychic Questioning & The UFO Phenomenon (June 6). Visitors pay £3.

Editorial and Media Mentions

• A BBC Radio Solent program on UFOs/crop circles on December 5, 1991, is mentioned, with a request for blank cassettes and postal orders for copies.
• A video titled 'The Humorous Side of UFOs' was received but not impressive.
• Three new videos have been added to the collection: 'Cosmic Code or Natural Forces?', 'Crop Circle Communique' by John Macnish, and 'Undeniable Evidence' by Colin Andrews. These are available from Rod Haworth or potentially video shops.
• The magazine 'Kindred Spirit' (Winter 91) featured a ten-page article with photographs of 1991 crop circle events.
• 'Fortean Times' issue No. 60 contained three articles: 'Ducking & Diving with Doug & Dave' (about a newspaper swoop and the 'Thirteen Year Con'), a mystery missile encounter over Kent on April 21, 1991, and 'UFOs: Reporting to Form 9' by Nigel Watson.
• A TV program 'Black / Stephen (Dr): Flying Saucers & The People Who See Them' shown on BBC 1 on May 9, 1968, is mentioned, with a request for information.
• Two new books by Jenny Randles are highlighted for 1992: 'From Out of the Blue' (available in America) and 'Looking for the Aliens' (due February 1992).
• A letter from Bob Kingsley, editor of 'The Circular Magazine (Crop Circles)', indicated he was giving up the magazine due to personal reasons.
• Group meetings are changing to bi-monthly from February 1992 due to personal reasons and lack of apparent interest.

Crop Circle Gallery

The final page features a 'Crop Circle Gallery' with images of various formations, including 'C'Chilcombe Down', 'Le Cheesefoot Head', 'Hungerford (Detail)', 'Haywoodfordi Northant', 'Me Hungerford Berks', 'Tsutton, Cambs', and 'Rechequers, Bucks'.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes are crop circles, UFO sightings, and related research and theories. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on various claims, theories, and events within the UFO and crop circle communities, while also acknowledging potential hoaxes and the need for further investigation. The newsletter also serves as a hub for information exchange, offering items for sale and contact details for various UFO-related organizations and services. The tone is informative and community-oriented, with a clear focus on the 1991 crop circle season.