SUFOG Newsletter No 048

Magazine Overview

This document is the October 1994 issue (Number 48) of the Southampton UFO Group newsletter. It serves as a compilation of UFO-related news, media reports, and personal accounts, reflecting the group's ongoing interest in the subject.

Editorial

The editorial apologizes for the delay in receiving this edition, attributing it to a virus that affected the organizer. It notes a busy month with many magazines to review and mentions being contacted by a local research company and a college for a talk on the subject. The editor also highlights the media attention received by 'EXPERT' Reg Presley, who is reportedly buying a helicopter and writing a book, and mentions an end-of-year crop circle party. A significant piece of news is the retirement of Bob Oechsler from the UFO scene, who expresses his disillusionment with the ufology community's focus on novelty over evidence. The editor poses several speculative questions regarding Oechsler's departure.

Media Coverage - August 1993

The newsletter provides extensive lists of media articles from August 1993, categorized into 'Crop Circle Articles' and 'National Articles'. These lists detail numerous newspaper and magazine reports from various UK and international publications, covering topics such as aliens, crop circles, UFO sightings, and alleged abductions. Examples include "THE WORK OF ALIENS, OR JUST A PRANK" from the Syrgeuse Herald-Journal (USA), "GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES" from The Guardian, and "I WAS SNATCHED BY A UFO....THEN I HAD AN ALIENS BABY" from The People.

Regional Articles - August 1993

Further media reports from August 1993 are listed under 'Regional Articles', detailing sightings and stories from local newspapers across the UK. These include reports of 'ALIENS PLEASE' in Wales, 'FIGURES SPOTTED MOVING UNDER UFOs' in Western Evening Herald, and 'UFO ALERT OVER VIRGIN AIRSHIP MAIDEN FLIGHT' in Wolverhampton Express & Star.

Newspaper Unknown

A small section lists a few newspaper reports without specifying the publication: 'SKY LIGHT' (6.8.93), 'TWO CLAIM UFO VIDEO' (12.8.93), and 'UFO SPOTTED' (13.8.93).

Press Cutting Collection

The organizer details their monthly running total of press cuttings, which stands at 7216. The collection is categorized by source, with 'CROP CIRCLES' having the highest number of cuttings (788), followed by 'UK REGIONALS' (3196) and 'NEWSPAPER UNKNOWN' (653). The organizer offers to provide articles for research purposes.

Press Reports - September/October 1994

This section includes specific press reports from the period 15.9.94 - 15.10.94. A 'Daily Mail' report from 20.9.94 discusses 'The Beast Of Basingstoke', detailing sightings of a large animal resembling a lioness and the discovery of a mauled deer.

Southampton Evening Echo Reports - October 1994

Several reports from the 'Southampton Evening Echo' are featured:

• 8th October 1994: 'Granny Mary Sparks UFO Alert...' This report details a sighting by Mrs Mary Emmett and Wendy Collins of a long, slow-moving object with flashing lights over Waltham Chase. An UFO expert, Tony Dodd, confirmed that such activity is common in the area.
• 12th October 1994: 'Is There Anybody Up There Watching?' This article centers around 'EXPERT' singer Reg Presley and reports another UFO sighting of a winged craft moving erratically over Southampton water.
• 13th October 1994: 'Milkman Spots 'Puma' on the Prowl' A milkman reported seeing a 'Puma'-like animal, described as jet black, 36 inches long, and 18 inches high, on two occasions in the Romsey, Hampshire area.
• 14th October 1994: 'Big Cat Prowl Gives Tony Cause For Thought...' This article follows up on the 'Puma' sighting, with the witness stating that on the second encounter, the animal was clearly a big black cat.

Television and Radio Reports

• 6.10.94: 'The Magic & Mystery Show' This weekly show looked at Astrology and Predictions.
• 7.10.94: 'Out of This World' This edition explored the paranormal, including a woman from the 15th century, the Blue Bell-Hill Ghost, and a cursed family.
• 14.10.94: 'The Magic & Mystery Show' The second half of this edition featured Dr Richard Lawrence of the Aetherius Society and Andrew Colins.
• Radio 4: Sept/Oct This featured a daylight UFO sighting over Zimbabwe, described as being as big as three buses, allegedly filmed by a BBC crew and independent witnesses.

Magazine Review

The newsletter reviews several UFO and mystery-related magazines:

• Amateur Ufology News: Issue 29 (August 94) Updates on group activities and a look at a 'Blue Sphere with Red Aura' sighting in Missouri, USA, and a 1973 sighting involving a disc and luminous spheres.
• CENAP Report: No 217 (August/September 94) Described as the best UFO journal from Germany, featuring reviews, articles, sightings, and press reports.
• Crypto Chronicle: Issues 3 & 4 Covers mystery cat sightings, monsters, and the creation of the Loch Ness Monster photograph.
• DEGUFORUM: No.3 September 1994 Another German magazine with UFO reports, articles, and sightings.
• Northern Ufo News: No 167 (September 1994) Praised as the best UK magazine, featuring news round-ups, and investigations from the North of England.
• OVNI: September 1994 Looks at lights in the sky over the East Midlands, crop circle season, and mysterious lights over Matlock.
• OVNI: October 1994 A Leeds UFO Conference Special and a 'Triangle' Report over Derbyshire.
• PEGASUS: Issue 2 1995 Features items on Roswell, Men In Black, Rendlesham, and a man healed by Aliens.
• Strange Days: No 3 Sept/Oct 94 A new UFO magazine from Newcastle covering Gulf Breeze, North East Case Report, U.F.O Code words, and reviews.
• TEMS News: No 8 September 1994 The first edition, featuring cat reports, UFO articles, mystery beasts, and book reviews.
• UFO Monthly: No. 10 1994 Continues with articles on crop circle formations, Nato Met E.T, Roswell conspiracy, and lights and smoke in the sky.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, crop circles, and the media's portrayal of these phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of active investigation and information dissemination, with a critical eye towards the ufology community's internal dynamics, as evidenced by the commentary on Bob Oechsler's retirement. The extensive listing of media reports suggests an effort to document and analyze how UFO phenomena are presented to the public. The magazine reviews indicate a broad interest in various aspects of the paranormal and unexplained.

Title: UFO HOTLINE.
Issue Date: Tuesday, 27th September 1994
Content Type: Newsletter/Magazine Issue

Newsletter Subscription Details

The newsletter consists of no less than 5 double-sided A4 pages, with additional newscuttings of interest. During the summer months, around April, an extra page is included to cover crop circle news. The annual subscription cost is £5, which includes postage. The newsletter is published monthly.

Lecture Report: Busty Taylor at Cricklade Theatre, Andover

The author attended a lecture by Busty Taylor on Tuesday, 27th September 1994, at the Cricklade Theatre in Andover. The event was attended with friends Tom, Dave, and Julie. In the entrance hall, tables were set up, including one selling photographs of the 1994 crop circles by Steve Alexander. Malcolm Terry, President of the Unexplained Phenomena Investigation Network (UPIN), was also present, selling his group's magazine and other items. A book stall offered videos for around £20 and books for under £15, alongside the Australian magazine Nexus.

The lecture commenced at 7:30 pm. Malcolm Terry gave a brief talk about his group and the Global Unexplained Phenomena Research Network. After about 5-10 minutes, Busty Taylor began his lecture. The first hour of his presentation included a history of his involvement in the field and various pieces of information that the author found new. This part concluded with video footage of the 1994 crop circle formations.

The second half of the lecture focused on UFOs. Busty Taylor showed a clip of Bob Lazar and discussed the possibility of traveling through space and time. He also presented part of Richard Hoagland's lecture to the United Nations, which the author found very interesting. The lecture concluded with video footage of UFOs over Mexico in 1991 and a short segment from 'Roswell The Movie'.

During the presentation, the author noted the presence of Doug Bower, identified as a significant crop circle hoaxer, with his wife. A notable moment occurred during Richard Hoagland's footage when he stated, "I bet Bower and Chorley do not even know what a Tetrahedral is, let alone be able to spell the word." This remark elicited laughter from the audience. The author humorously warned Hoagland to watch out, suggesting Bower might sue him.

An audience member asked what was the strangest question of the night, to which another responded, "WHAT IS A CROP CIRCLE". The author left the answer to the reader's imagination.

The author expressed gratitude to Dave, Tom, and Julie for making the evening enjoyable.

Bill Cooper - Missing Person Alert

An urgent notice is published regarding Bill Cooper, who has reportedly not been seen for approximately six months. It is mentioned that someone with the same name has been receiving calls asking if he is 'THE BILL COOPER'. The notice appeals for anyone with information to contact the editorial address. The message ends with "BILL PHONE HOME".

Video and Audio Tape Material

The publication offers a catalogue of available video cassettes and audio tapes. The catalogue contains over 300 audio tapes and 125 videos covering subjects such as Crop Circles, UFOs, Mystery Cats, and The Bermuda Triangle. To obtain the video catalogue, send 3 first-class stamps. For the complete video/audio catalogue, send 6 first-class stamps.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, crop circles, and paranormal investigations. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on events and information within the UFO and unexplained phenomena community, including personal accounts of lectures and offerings of related media. There is a clear interest in crop circles, as evidenced by the mention of photographs and video footage, and a focus on investigation networks like UPIN.