SUFOG Newsletter No 051

Magazine Overview

This document is the January 1995 issue, Number 51, of the Southampton UFO Group Newsletter. It is a monthly publication that covers a wide array of topics related to ufology, including media reviews, UFO sightings, crop circles, and alleged government cover-ups. The newsletter is organized by Steve Gerrard, who also serves as the contact person for subscriptions and research inquiries.

Editorial

The editorial welcomes readers to the first newsletter of 1995, expressing hope that it will be a significant year for television coverage of UFO topics. It poses questions about whether governments will end their secrecy surrounding ufology and provide answers to public questions. The editor references a TV personality who claims to have seen film evidence of an alien autopsy from a crashed UFO. The editorial also touches upon the ongoing mystery of crop circles, questioning their origin and whether hoaxers will be identified. It notes that 1995 is expected to host several UFO conferences across the UK, including one in Portsmouth on April 22nd, and promises to provide updates on these events.

Media Coverage Analysis

The newsletter features extensive sections detailing media coverage of UFOs. This includes:

What the Media Had to Say in November 1993

• Local Press Articles: A single article from the Andover Advertiser on 12.11.93 titled 'LID STAYS ON'.
• Magazine Articles:
• 11.93: Candis (Mersyside) - 'Lost Weekend'.
• 6.11.93: New Scientist - 'UFO Spotters Get a Clean Bill of Health'.
• 29.11.93: Time - 'It Came From Outer Space'.

Regional Articles (November 1993)

This section lists numerous articles from various regional newspapers across the UK, covering a wide range of UFO-related headlines. Examples include:

• 'UFO-Spotters Not Nuts, Says Survey' (Wolverhampton Express & Star, 1.11.93)
• 'Spotters of UFOs Not Nuts' (Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 1.11.93)
• 'UFO Sighters 'Not Spaced Out'' (Lancashire Evening Post, 1.11.93)
• 'UFO Sighters Are Not Spaced Out, Say Boffins' (Oldham Evening Chronicle, 1.11.93)
• 'UFOs Land on Village' (Kent Today, 3.11.93)
• 'No Laughing Matter' (Poole Advertiser, 4.11.93)
• 'Other Wordly' (Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 4.11.93)
• 'Do Dolphins See Humans As UFO's?' (Huddersfield Examiner, 5.11.93)
• 'Show Us More Proof Over UFO Photo' (Keighly News, 5.11.93)
• 'UFO Sighting May Have Been Large Airship' (Bucks Free Press, 5.11.93)
• 'Aliens Over Rickmansworth' (Watford Observer, 5.11.93)
• 'Make Date For Closer Encounter' (Kent Messenger, 5.11.93)
• 'We Don't Laugh at These UFO's Any More' (Workshop Guardian, 5.11.93)
• 'Psychic Predicts Another UFO Visit' (Edinburgh Evening News, 10.11.93)
• 'UFO Meeting' (Nottingham Evening Post, 11.11.93)
• 'UFO Evidence Lost As Film Developes Blank' (Ashbourne News Telegraph, 11.11.93)
• 'UFOs Over Liskeard?' (Cornish Guardian, 11.11.93)
• 'Alien Scare' (Ipswich Evening Star, 11.11.93)
• 'But Did the Earth Move?' (Nottingham Evening Post, 12.11.93)
• 'It's a Fact' (Southend Evening Echo, 12.11.93)
• 'Did Earth Move?' (Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 12.11.93)
• 'Romp Interrupted by 'UFO'' (Burton Mail, 12.11.93)
• 'That Was No UFO!' (Reading Chronicle, 12.11.93)
• 'Alien Invasion Scare in Wilts' (Western Morning News, 12.11.93)
• 'Laser Starts UFO Scare' (Wiltshire Times, 12.11.93)
• 'Beam Us Up Scotty!' (Greenock Telegraph, 13.11.93)
• 'Sightings of UFOs Up in SW' (Western Morning News, 15.11.93)
• 'Un Take UFO's Seriously' (Dorset Evening Echo, 16.11.93)
• 'On This Day' (Bolton Evening News, 17.11.93)
• 'Close Encounters - Three Times' (Harborough Mail, 18.11.93)
• 'UFO Poser Sparks Host of Sightings' (Harborough Mail, 18.11.93)
• 'Was It a UFO?' (Streatham News, 18.11.93)
• 'Heavens Above! Is It a Plane? Is It a Bird?' (Somerset County Gazette, 19.11.93)
• 'Bright Lights in the Sky' (Watford Observer, 19.11.93)
• 'A Real Close Encounter' (Brentwood Recorder, 19.11.93)
• 'A UFO Zone?' (South London Press, 19.11.93)
• 'We're Seeing the Lights' (Biggleswade Chronicle, 19.11.93)
• 'Bright Lights in Sky' (West Herts & Watford Observer, 19.11.93)
• 'Dave Believes We've Been Visited by Aliens' (Bath & West Evening Chronicle, 20.11.93)
• 'Club Celebrates 40 Years of UFO Spotting' (Weekly News (London), 20.11.93)
• 'Did Anyone Spot UFO?' (Launceston & Bude Gazette, 20.11.93)
• 'I Couldn't Believe It - A UFO in Broadstairs' (Thanet Times, 23.11.93)
• 'Can You Solve UFO Mystery?' (Cornish & Devon Post, 23.11.93)
• 'UFO Sighting: Kidnap Theory' (Nottingham Evening Post, 25.11.93)
• 'UFO on Way' (Metro News (Birmingham), 25.11.93)
• 'Diamonds in Dales Sky' (Westmorland Gazette, 26.11.93)
• 'Evidence of 'Close Encounters'' (Somerset Guardian, 26.11.93)
• 'The Space Invaders From Outer Lapland?' (South Wales Argus, 26.11.93)
• 'Nick's Looking for Aliens' (Sutton Coldfield Observer, 26.11.93)
• 'UFO Reports Flooding In' (Launceston & Bude Gazette, 27.11.93)
• 'No Title' (Colchester Evening Gazette, 30.11.93)

Press Cutting Collection

The editor maintains a monthly running total of press cuttings. As of the newsletter's publication, the total stood at 7371. The collection includes specific categories such as Crop Circles (806), UK Nationals (989), UK Regionals (3299), Hampshire Articles (97), Newspaper Unknown (659), Magazine Articles (276), Rest of the World (59), Southampton Echo (395), The Times (142), American Articles (569), and various specific topics like Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, Philadelphia Experiment, Cattle Mutilations, Stealth Fighter/Bomber, Faces on Mars, Mystery Cats, Aurora Project, Search for ET, and Loch Ness Monster.

Press/TV/Radio Matters (15.12.94 - 15.1.95)

• Daily Mail (9.12.94): 'Best Mystery Programme.' Review of 'Strange But True?' on ITV, highlighting a well-corroborated UFO sighting at a U.S. Air Force base in East Anglia, suggesting a cover-up.
• Southampton Evening Echo (15.12.94): 'Mystery Over UFO Sightings.' Reports on baffled police and air traffic controllers regarding sightings of three UFOs over Southampton. A dog walker, Chris Kinsott, described a lit-up, blue, circular object moving at speed over West End. Sightings were also reported in Shirley and Bitterne Triangle.
• Southampton Evening Echo (16.12.94): 'Today in the South.' Reports on mystery lights spotted over Southampton, described as a cluster of eight or nine lights, some green, moving back and forth.
• Southampton Evening Echo (5.1.95): 'Today in the South.' Reports a mystery beast sighted in the grounds of a Lordshill school, described as a light tan animal, larger than an Alsatian, with strange markings.
• Southampton Evening Echo (7.1.95): 'Tuesday Network First.' Discusses UFO sightings worldwide and governments' reluctance to release information, with UFO striving to unravel mysteries and question why authorities ignore or debunk alien theories.
• Southampton Evening Echo (13.1.95): 'Puma Fears Refuelled.' Reports on fears of a puma in the Hampshire countryside following the discovery of a half-eaten deer carcass near Winchester. A retired doctor, Dr. Peter Lyndon Skeggs, believes a large animal, possibly a wild cat, was responsible. A Winchester resident, Ron Kirby, had previously reported seeing a puma.

Television Reviews

• What's On TV (7-13/1/95): Reviews the Network First programme 'UFO', quoting producer Lawrence Moore stating that governments know the answer to UFOs and are diverting the public. The review suggests the film makes one reconsider the subject.
• Daily Telegraph Radio & TV (7-13/1/95): 'Pie in the Sky or Extraterrestrial Reality?' Another review of the Network First 'UFO' program, questioning whether UFOs are a possibility or can be explained away.
• Network First: UFO (10.1.95 - 1 Hour): A detailed personal review of the television program. The reviewer found the introduction to ufology good but felt some explanations were too quick to 'solve' sightings. Specific footage, like the Catalina Island and Concord examples, are questioned for their explanations. The reviewer notes the absence of prominent ufologists like Timothy Good and Jenny Randles, despite their alleged involvement in production.

Radio Segments

• Good Morning: Busty Taylor & Reg Presley (13.1.95 - 6 Mins): This segment discusses Reg Presley's revelation about film footage he claims shows the autopsy of aliens recovered from the Roswell crash in July 1947. The footage is said to be over 150 minutes long and also includes debris from the UFO. The film producer, now in his seventies, allegedly found the canisters under his bed. The footage is claimed to be around 50 years old. The reviewer expresses skepticism, awaiting actual viewing of the footage.
• Sky News (15.1.95): A segment on Russian ufology, featuring film clips, photographs, and over 700 documents from Russia. However, the program cast doubt on the sightings' authenticity due to the existence of secret Russian nuclear bases and test sites.
• The Jamessons Show: Radio 2 (9th January 95 - 27 Mins): Jenny Randles appeared to publicize her new book 'Star Children'. Listeners reported that she had changed her views, suggesting aliens were here to stay. The interviewer felt she might be a 'Star Child' herself.

Magazine Reviews

1. Circle Hunter: No 9 1994: Described as a favourite monthly magazine focusing on crop circles. This edition features Scottish crop circle formations and a map of previous circles. Contact: Anthony Horn, 23 Sea View Drive, Scarborough, N. Yorks. YO11 3HY.
2. Northern UFO News: Christmas 94: Jenny Randles has changed the magazine's format, which the reviewer preferred in its old version. This edition includes New Round Ups, Crop Circle news, book and magazine reviews, media analysis, and Northern UFO reports. Contact: Jenny Randles, 11 Pike Court, Fleetwood, Lancashire. FY7 8QF.
3. E.M.U.F.O.R.A. Vol 1 No 4 Winter 94: This edition covers the Gulf Breeze incident, a lecture by Bob Dean, reports of triangular UFOs, and an article from 'The Voice'. Contact: Anthony James, 8 Roosa Close, Hempshill Vale, Bulwell, Nottingham. NG6 7BL.
4. UFOMEK: No 7 January 1995: Produced by Unidentified Flying Object Monitors East Kent, this newsletter mixes local and national news, events, and press reports. Contact: UFOMEK, 53 Cowper Road, River, Dover, Kent. CT17 OPL.
5. NEW UFOLOGIST: No 2 1994: A magazine that covers the Stonehenge UFO event, Sightings Update, UFO cover-up, reviews, and a skeptical view, including a case on Roswell. Contact: The New Ufologist, 71 Knight Avenue, Canterbury, Kent. CT2 8PY, England.
6. OVNI: January 1995: A monthly newsletter featuring Omar Fowler's look at the Horizon TV program, Derbyshire sightings, the death of Leonard H. Stringfield, and more. Contact: Omar Fowler, 12 Tilton Grove, Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire. DE7 4GR.

UFO HOTLINE

Details are provided for charges related to the UFO Hotline: 36p Standard Rate and 48p Peak Rate per minute. The Bufora Weekly News Update number is 0891 121 886.

Newsletter Subscription Details

The Southampton UFO Group Newsletter consists of no less than 5 double-sided A4 pages, plus newscuttings. An extra page is added in summer months (around April) for crop circle news. The subscription cost is £5 per year, including postage.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the pervasive media interest in UFO phenomena, the ongoing mystery surrounding crop circles, and the persistent question of government secrecy and potential cover-ups related to UFOs. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, encouraging readers to question official narratives and explore various aspects of the UFO phenomenon, while also maintaining a degree of skepticism towards sensational claims, as evidenced by the reviewer's cautious approach to the Roswell autopsy footage. The newsletter actively promotes engagement with UFO research through its press cutting collection and subscription services.

This issue, titled "GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT. (PART 2). G.HARROP.", dated September 26, 1994, is a magazine issue focusing on paranormal phenomena, specifically crop circles and UFOs. The primary author, G. Harrop, presents a critical perspective on the interpretation and handling of crop circle evidence.

The Crop Circle Enigma

G. Harrop begins by addressing the crop circle phenomenon, noting that in "this year" (presumably 1994, given the date), formations started earlier than usual. He mentions "Old Doug" announcing he missed his diet of cornflakes to the Daily Mirror on 26.9.94, and that "Doug and Dave" and the "Wessex Sceptics" are attempting to cloud the issue with hoaxes. Harrop firmly believes these are not land art but deliberate attempts to deceive, and that hoaxers are always behind the "real Creators."

He posits that the crop circle phenomenon has served a purpose by proving that "all is not what it appears" and that phenomena exist which do not involve human hands, such as "Gaia, U.F.O.s or Earth Spirits communicating with Man." Harrop asserts that neither science nor religion holds the answers to these questions. He recounts a discussion with a Jehovah Witness who believed "God said He would send signs that would distract Man from his true path during this dangerous time."

Harrop urges readers to engage in deep, independent thought, free from the dogma of science and religion, to understand the crop circles as part of a "cosmic puzzle." He criticizes individuals who, like "robots," cannot grasp this enigma. He also points out that some "experts" on circles may exaggerate or hide information for personal gain, similar to hoaxers. He expresses suspicion about the authorities' relaxed attitude towards catching hoaxers, given the damage caused, and suggests this might indicate more sinister behavior, possibly related to observing public perception of UFOs and crop circles.

UFO Sightings and Public Interest

The issue includes a report of a UFO sighting in Hampshire on January 19, 1995. The object was described as a high-speed, bright white or green light with a long tail of green smoke, reported from three separate areas and logged by Hampshire police.

Furthermore, the article "TELEVISION VIEWING FIGURES.." explores public interest in UFOs. It counters the notion that people are not interested in flying saucers by citing the significant viewership for UFO-related television programs. A Network First program on UFOs attracted around 6 million viewers, while a program about the December 1980 Rendlesham Forest incident drew approximately 12 million viewers. The author questions whether this indicates increased public awareness or a desire for answers to personal UFO experiences.

Swedish UFO Articles and Material Exchange

Another section details "SWEDISH UFO ARTICLES...TRANSLATED." The author was contacted by Eileen Fletcher from Sheffield, who offers translated Swedish material from a magazine called 'Aktuellts'. Details for contacting Eileen Fletcher are provided.

Additionally, the issue advertises a "Video & Audio Material" collection, described as possibly the largest in Southern England, containing 145 videos and over 300 audio tapes. Readers are invited to send for catalogues or to exchange material.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the nature of crop circles (genuine phenomenon vs. hoax), the role of UFOs in human understanding, and the public's perception and interest in these subjects. The editorial stance, as presented by G. Harrop, is one of encouraging critical, independent thinking, questioning official narratives, and acknowledging the possibility of phenomena beyond conventional scientific or religious explanations. There is a clear skepticism towards those who exploit or dismiss these events for personal gain and a concern about how these topics might be perceived by a "mind-controlled public."