SUFOG Newsletter No 028

Magazine Overview

This document is a newsletter from the Southampton UFO Group, issue number 28, dated February 1993. The main focus of this issue is a compilation of media reports from January 1992, under the headline 'WHAT THE MEDIA HAD TO SAY IN : JAN 92.'. The newsletter also includes sections on crop circle articles, world newspapers, UK national newspapers, and American newspapers, detailing various reported sightings and phenomena.

Media Reports (January 1992)

The newsletter meticulously lists newspaper articles from January 1992, categorized by region and publication. These reports cover a wide range of UFO-related topics:

• Regional Newspapers: Reports include a 'MYSTERY LIGHT SPOTTED AT SEA' (Colchester Evening Gazette), 'DJ LIZ IN UFO TERROR' (Glasgow Sunday Mail), 'MYSTERY OF GREAT BALLS OF FIRE' (Aberdeen Evening Express), 'CROFTER'S TALES SET WORLD IN SPIN !' (Aberdeen Press & Journal), and 'MYSTERY OBJECT GOES ON A SPIN TO NE' (Aberdeen Press & Journal).
• Other regional reports mention 'MYSTERY FOR STAR GAZERS' (Borehamwood & Radlett Advertiser), 'NOW UFO IS OFFICIAL' (Edinburgh Evening News), 'WHITE LIGHTS PUZZLE A PC' (Bournemouth Evening Echo), and questions like 'DO UFO'S EXIST ?' (Jewish Gazette, Manchester).
• Encounters and sightings are detailed, such as 'CLOSE ENCOUNTERS AS 'SCOUT SHIP' FIRST FOOTS' (Turriff Advertiser, Scotland), and 'AMERICA'S $100M ALIEN HUNT BEGINS' (London Evening Standard).
• More sensational headlines include 'WELL, DO YOU BELIEVE IN FLYING SAUCERS ?' (Reddish Herald, Stockport), 'UFO SIGHTING BAFFLES EXPERTS' (Bridgend Recorder), and 'BALL OF FIRE' BAFFLES SCIENTISTS' (Jewish Telegraph, Manchester).
• A particularly personal account is 'GOLD UFO BUZZED MY HOUSE - MOTHER.' (Wiltshire & Gloucestershire Standard).

Crop Circle Articles

This section highlights articles related to crop circles:

• 'CIRCLE'S DON'T SQUARE WITH SCIENCE, SO LOUISVILLE FRIENDS LOOK ELSEWHERE' (Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colorado).
• 'FLYING SAUCER NESTS (LETTER)' (The Independent).
• 'SECRETS OF 'CROP CIRCLE' GRAIN ? (LETTER)' (Rochdale Observer).
• 'CROP PROBE CONTINUES' (Wiltshire West Advertiser).
• 'NEW £1M PROBE INTO CROP CIRCLES' (Wiltshire Times).

World and National Newspapers

• World Newspapers: 'UFO ZAPS CLOCK' (Australasian Post, Melbourne, Australia).
• UK National Newspapers: 'FRINGE' IMAGE IS DANGER TO SCIENCE' (Daily Telegraph).
• American Newspapers: Reports include 'BLUE LIGHTS IN SKY MAY BE REFLECTIONS' (Palm Beach Post, Florida), 'MUFON REPORTS MANY UFO SIGHTINGS IN N.C.' (Boone Watauga Democrat, North Carolina), 'MEMORIES OF UFOS STILL LINGER IN FYFFE' (Birmingham News, Alabama), and 'UFO'S, BIGFOOT REPORTED IN 27 COUNTIES IN 1991' (Irwin Standard Observer, Pennsylvania).
• Other American reports detail 'STRANGE LIGHTS IN ABINGTON SKIES' (Clarks Summit, Abington Journal, Pennsylvania), 'COWS, CATS & UFOS' (Connersville News Examiner, Indiana), and 'UFOS OF THE KICKAPOO II A WRONG TURN INTO DESTINY AT READSTOWN' (LaForge Epitaph News, Wisconsin).
• 'METEOR SHOWER SUSPECTED AS FIREBALLS ARE SEEN' (Los Angeles Times, California), 'A BIRD OR PLANE ? FIREBALL FUELS CURIOSITY IN SOUTH UTAH' (Salt Lake City Tribune, Utah), and 'SOMETHING IS OUT THERE' (Pensacola Islander, Florida).
• A follow-up report from Pensacola Islander, Florida, states 'PILOT SPOTS STRANGE CRAFT'.
• An unknown UK paper reported 'LIZ CLAIMS : I SAW UFO.'
• A UK Times Newspaper entry notes 'NO TITLE (REFS TO LIVINGSTONE PLAQUE)'.
• No relevant articles were found in UK Magazines, Southampton Evening Echo, or Local Hampshire Newspapers.

Press Cutting Collection Statistics

The editor maintains a monthly running total of newspaper/magazine articles collected. As of the newsletter's publication, the collection includes:

• Crop Circles: 681
• UK Nationals: 732
• UK Regionals: 2326
• Hampshire Locals: 78
• Newspaper Unknown: 419

Additional statistics are provided for other categories:

• Magazines: 175
• Rest of the World: 53
• Southampton Evening Echo: 387
• Times (The): 133
• American Newspapers: 465
• Bermuda Triangle: 2
• Big Foot: 4
• Philadelphia Experiment: 1
• Cattle Mutilations: 13
• Stealth Bomber/Fighter: 1
• Faces on Mars: 2
• Mystery Cats: 3
• Aurora: 3

Total: 5478

General Information

• Useful Address: Information is provided for UFO Brigantia (The Journal of the Independent UFO Network), edited by Andy Roberts, and for advertising and subscription inquiries handled by Stuart Smith.
• Slides: A list of around 300 slides available from Quest International is mentioned, though the list may not be up-to-date.
• Press/TV/Radio Matters (15.1.93 - 15.2.93): A television report on Meridian News on January 27, 1993, covered UFO sightings in Cocking, Midhurst, Sussex. Witnesses described a bright green object with three ridged structures below it, which moved fast. Three further sightings of the object were reported.

Magazine Review

Only two magazines were reviewed:

1. UFO Brigantia No. 52: Described as packed with news, views, and interesting articles, with the only minor flaw being lines caused by a photocopier. It is recommended for those seeking 'the truth'.
2. UFO Magazine (Vol. 11 No. 5): Produced by Quest International, it is considered very well produced with good articles and news, though some material was hard to swallow, requiring an open mind.

UFO Hot Lines

Contact information is provided for UFO reporting and information services, including charges for standard and 'peek' rates, a BUFORA weekly news update number, and computer network details for connecting to the UFON network.

Books for Sale

Currently, there are no books for sale, but details can be sent for potential future listings. There is no charge for advertising in the newsletter.

Two VHS Videos Still for Sale

• Tape 1 (3 Hours): Features BBC Scene Today with John Spencer, 'UFO' The Unsolved Mystery hosted by Mike Farrell, Unsolved Mysteries: Gulf Breeze UFO Sightings, American video material on a current affair program ('Inside Investigation') with interviews by Stanton Friedman & Budd Hopkins, an Irish TV programme & interview with Whitley Strieber, and Newsnight on 'UFO Lands in Russia', plus Philip Mantle on Motormouth.
• Tape 2 (3 Hours): Includes 'The Gamma Chronicles' (1½ hrs), Granada TV 'Up Front' discussion on UFOs, 'In Search Of: UFOs' (USA documentary), 'Stories in the Night' with an interview with Timothy Good, Hilary Evans & an abductee, Timothy Good on Pebble Mill, and Jenny Randles & Patrick Moore on Breakfast TV.

Both tapes are priced at £7.00 each plus postage/packaging, or both tapes for £12.00 including postage.

Subscription Details

The newsletter costs £5 per year and is monthly. It consists of at least 4 pages of double-sided A4 paper, including new cuttings. An extra page is included in summer months for crop circle news.

A Personal Sighting, or Was It?

The editor, Steve Gerrard, recounts an experience on February 20, 1993, while walking in Netley, Southampton. He observed four white oval UFOs chasing each other in a circle. One object shot a blue beam towards the ground. He watched them for about five minutes, noting their speed and spacing remained constant. Upon returning home, he found an article in the Southampton Evening Echo titled 'SPOOKY SIGHTS SPARK STATE OF ALARM IN CITY'. The article detailed public concern over lights in the sky, with some fearing alien invasion, comets, or a Jean-Michel Jarre concert. Tim Cooke described the lights as 'like war of the worlds', while Craig Harland thought they were 'the beginning of the end' and compared them to 'enormous glowing moths'. However, the article revealed the source of the 'power' was a laser machine hired by a new nightclub, 'STARS', for its opening celebrations. The editor concludes that his sighting was of these laser lights reflected on low clouds.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter reflects a strong interest in UFO phenomena, crop circles, and related media coverage. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent collection and dissemination of information, encouraging readers to be open-minded, especially when reviewing potentially sensational material. The editor's personal account highlights the importance of critical analysis, as a seemingly mysterious sighting was ultimately explained by mundane technology. The publication actively engages with its readership by soliciting details for its collection and offering resources like video tapes and subscriptions to related journals.