WYUFORG News - No 5 - 1985

Magazine Overview

This issue of the West Yorkshire UFO Research Group (WYUFORG) newsletter, titled 'W.Y.U.F.O.R.G. NEWSLETTER NO.5, MARCH 1985,' is dedicated to exploring UFO phenomena, paranormal experiences, and related research within the West Yorkshire region. The cover features a striking illustration of a hybrid creature and a UFO, with the publication details prominently displayed. The newsletter aims to share findings from new members and ongoing investigations, with an increased pagination to accommodate more content.

Editorial

The editor, Paul Bennett, expresses gratitude to new members who responded to an advertisement and notes an 'onslaught of various types of UFO manifestations' that have not been previously recorded. He anticipates publishing some of these findings in future editions and hopes for a minimum of fifteen pages per month, contingent on member contributions. He welcomes new readers and wishes them a satisfying stay with the group.

Articles and Reports

A Close Encounter of the Third Kind in Bradford

This section delves into the definition of a CE3 encounter, referencing Ted Bloecher's categorization. The author discusses criticisms of Bloecher's types, particularly types D, E, and F, which Allan Hendry associates with schizophrenia. The article then presents a 'Type A CE3 report' from March 6, 1980, in Clayton, Bradford. The witness, Mrs. Lynn Harrison, awoke to a humming noise and observed a large, red, 'saucer-shaped' object hovering at rooftop level. She described seeing a glowing white rim and light emanating from the object, and through a 'window,' she perceived three humanoid figures with human-like faces and dark hair, who appeared friendly. The object then wobbled and disappeared.

Bedtime Gestures from JASON77

This section explains the term 'JASON77,' referring to a UFO flap that occurred in West Yorkshire during the summer of 1977, with 'JASON' being an acronym for the months July through November. The article recounts two incidents: On October 12, 1977, Mr. Jatinda Singh of Shipley reported seeing a male face floating and smiling in his room, which disappeared with a 'pop.' Four days later, on October 16, 1977, an anonymous man in Clayton, Bradford, reported seeing a 'small black pig, flying (anticlockwise) around the bedroom,' which also vanished with a 'pop.'

More WYUFORG Reading Material Compilation by Martin Daglass

This section lists various publications available from the WYUFORG library, including magazines from other UFO groups and general 'mystic' publications, as well as the group's own Case History reports. These reports document specific UFO sightings and encounters in the region, such as 'Return Sighting at Addingham' and 'Revolving UFO Over Bradford.'

"An Army of Lights" Near Harrogate in 1812

This article, sourced from the 'Yorkshire Folklore Journal,' recounts a 'spectacular UFO account' from June 28, 1812. Witnesses Anthony Jackson and Martin Turner observed a 'brilliant red and white procession of lights' resembling an 'army of men' performing aerial evolutions near Harrogate. The phenomenon, described as a 'meteoric phenomenon,' lasted about five minutes.

A Personal Paranormal Experience - by Stephen Hart

Stephen Hart recounts an unusual experience on January 19, 1985, in Leeds. While waiting for a friend, he saw an elderly woman descend cellar steps and then vanish, despite the house's layout making escape impossible. This led to a feeling of altered consciousness and speculation about a 'ghost' or a 'tape recording' of a past event.

Ley Lines Again!

This section critically examines the concept of 'ley lines,' referencing the work of Alfred Watkins and John Edwin Wood. It discusses the challenges in identifying and verifying ley line alignments and presents an example of a potential alignment near Brackenhall Stone Circle in Shipley Glen, Baildon, involving cup and ring stones and other archaeological remnants, suggesting a possible connection to ancient sites predating 1800BC.

What Wonders Lie at the End of the Rainbow? A UFO!?

This article details a sighting by Christopher Duckett on July 17, 1977. He observed a 'strange white light in the shape of a flattened oval' hovering near a rainbow, described as 'unstable' and 'flickering.' The object then disappeared as if 'switched itself off.' This sighting occurred during a massive UFO flap in the West Yorkshire region.

Faeries Still Live at the Bottom of the Garden, Cottingley

This piece revisits the Cottingley faerie photographs from the 1920s, acknowledging their eventual concession as fakes. However, it notes that Mrs. Elsie Hill maintained she had seen elemental beings. The article recounts a sighting by Forester Ronald Bennett in 1966 of a 'tiny man, dressed in red,' and mentions other alleged sightings of 'little people' in the Cottingley area, particularly during high UFO flap years. It also includes a report from Anne Freeman in August 1977, who saw two 'tiny people' in medieval dress in Cottingley Woods, and a sighting by Anne Dickinson of a 'cluster of red lights' above Cottingley Woods, possibly a UFO.

Recent Hauntings in Kirkstall

This brief report mentions that Iain Haggis Johnston and Stephen Trendy Hart have uncovered recent apparition and poltergeist phenomena in the Kirkstall area of Leeds, involving pubs, a brewery, and an abbey. More details are promised for the next newsletter.

The Cosmic Merriment of an Idle Saucerer!

Jon Tilleard and Robert Hopkins reported an encounter on September 12 or 13, 1983, on Idle Moor. They witnessed a 'very bright white object, spinning and spiralling' that maneuvered rapidly, emitted a beam of light, and then zoomed off. Jon described the object's movements as if it were 'laughing at us.'

Disembodied Voice or Able-Bodied Hoax? - Article by Stephen Hart

This article by Stephen Hart discusses the 'disembodied voice phenomenon.' It recounts an incident on February 6, 1985, where Andrew Riley, aged fifteen, recorded a voice on his tape recorder stating, 'This is...(muffle)...Julian, this is a bloody silly thing.' The voice is described as muffled and unlike Andrew's own.

UFO Report from Horton Bank, Bradford

On November 16, 1983, Mr. Malcolm Mattock of Queensbury reported seeing a 'bizarre-looking effigy moving silently eastwards' over Horton Bank Top. Described as 'very bright' and 'about as big as the Moon,' the object vanished suddenly. This sighting is noted for its proximity to areas where JASON81 manifestations were recorded.

Who was the Freak of Grafton Street...Springheel Jack...?

This section details the 'Springheel Jack' phenomenon in Bradford, which began in September 1926. A tall figure in a white uniform was seen 'banging on people's doors and bouncing down the cobbled roads.' The entity was described as making 'huge bounding leaps' and was reported to have shifted its environment to Bingley later. The article also mentions a vicar who warned against telepathy and other paranormal studies, deeming them related to 'Old Nick himself.'

Watch Out, Watch Out There's a Vicar About!

Brian Hughes and the author recount an encounter with a vicar who warned them against telepathy, ESP, ghosts, and other paranormal pursuits, suggesting they were becoming 'possessed by Old Nick himself.' They used religious symbols and holy water to ward off this perceived influence.

New Books for the WYUFORG Library

This section lists new books available to WYUFORG members, covering topics such as early settlements, mysteries, paranormal research, witchcraft, dowsing, and ancient civilizations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around UFO sightings, close encounters (particularly CE3 and 'bedroom encounters'), paranormal phenomena (ghosts, disembodied voices, faeries), and historical accounts of unexplained events. The newsletter also touches upon archaeoastronomy and ley lines. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation and documentation of these phenomena, encouraging member participation and sharing of experiences. There is a clear interest in local cases within West Yorkshire, with a commitment to exploring both contemporary and historical accounts. The group seems to adopt a skeptical yet open-minded approach, presenting various theories and witness testimonies for readers to consider.

This issue of CARTOONS magazine, dated September 1977, features a humorous cover illustration and an in-depth article by Iain Johnston exploring historical accounts of unexplained phenomena. The cover presents a "LOST PROPERTY OFFICE" where mythical and legendary locations such as Atlantis, Lemuria, Hyperborea, Lyonesse, Shambhalla, Caprona, Thule, and Avalon are depicted as lost items. A secondary cartoon on the cover shows two witches flying, one on a broomstick and the other on a broom-like object.

Some Weird Wild West Sightings by Iain Johnston

The main article by Iain Johnston delves into a collection of "Weird Wild West Sightings," suggesting that the era predating modern UFO terminology was already filled with reports of strange phenomena. The article presents a chronological list of incidents:

• 1873, Fort Riley, Kansas: Cavalry horses reportedly bolted when a shining object roared above the parade ground.
• 1873, Bonham, Texas: A shining object was witnessed zooming and counter-zooming over field workers, with one man reportedly killed in the ensuing panic.
• 1897, Benton, Texas: A searchlight beam was allegedly seen emanating from a saucer-shaped object.
• 1897, Kansas City, Kansas; and Missouri: Numerous people reported seeing a disc-shaped object with multi-coloured lights.
• 1899, El Paso, Texas: An illuminated disc was observed at a great height.
• 1899, Presscott, Arizona: Another bright, illuminated disc-shaped object was witnessed travelling at a great height.

The article then details more substantial creature reports:

• California: A gigantic creature, described as whale-like with three pairs of legs and membranous wings, was reportedly seen at sea, on land, and in the sky, inhabiting Lake Elizabeth from approximately 1830 until its disappearance in the 1880s.
• Pacific Seaboard: Giant ape-men, known as Sasquatch, were reported to be about 7 feet tall and weigh up to half a ton. A young male specimen, weighing 140 pounds, was allegedly captured around 1884 and put on display.
• Arizona (Spring 1890): Two individuals reported a monstrous flying reptile with a twenty-five foot wingspan, leathery skin, and elephant-like legs. The creature was shot by the witnesses but seemed unaffected. The sighting was reportedly featured in the Tombstone "Epitaph."
• Nevada: Reports of a massive marine creature have been noted in Lake Walker since the area was first explored for gold. The article speculates that this specimen might be under contract as a tourist attraction.

Further historical accounts include:

• California & Arizona: Remains of humans exceeding twelve feet in height were found in California in 1833, and a mummy of similar proportions was discovered in Arizona in 1891. Additionally, a human heel-print measuring over a foot across suggests a being whose foot would be four feet long if proportional to modern humans, with a body height estimated at over twenty-five feet.

The source of information for this section is cited as D. McLoughlin's "Encyclopaedia of the Old West," with other relevant works by Michael Grumley, John Keel, Jerome Clark, and Loren Coleman also mentioned.

More Local UFO Sightings

The article then shifts focus to more recent events, specifically a series of independent reports from the Bradford area on the evening of September 7, 1977. Despite not reaching the peak activity of a previous event on July 23, 1984, there were five separate reports:

• Approximately 7:15 pm: Ian Fielding and Michael Bennett, teenagers from Wyke, reported seeing a large white object hovering straight above the town centre. It remained stationary for about five minutes before rapidly dropping several hundred feet and disappearing below the horizon.
• 8:05 pm: Mrs Glanda Smith of Laisterdyke, Bradford, witnessed a bright white ball of light hovering over the town centre. It descended slowly, "like a leaf falls to the ground," for ten to fifteen seconds before stopping at a high altitude. After another minute, it wobbled and began to move slowly and silently towards the moorlands of Baildon and Ilkley, eventually fading from sight.
• 9:05 pm and approximately 11:55 pm: Two more sightings occurred, involving Mr and Mrs Chris Murray of Bradford. Mrs Murray first noticed a bright white ball of energy hovering above the city centre. The object rapidly fell below the horizon and then began a slow ascent towards Ilkley Moor. Chris Murray reported that the UFO dropped a "very bright spark from its underside," though his wife did not see this.
• 8:15 pm - 8:20 pm: Mr Frank Shuttlewood of Bradford reported a similar phenomenon: a bright "unnatural light" hovering over the city centre, which fell from a higher altitude to rest a few hundred feet down. It then moved across the moorland at Ilkley and vanished.
• Approximately 11:45 pm: Another independent report described an object hovering over Bradford before moving towards Ilkley Moor and out of sight.

The article notes that no seismic tremors were recorded in the area during this period. It also mentions that while other UFO reports were occurring across West Yorkshire around this time, the specific flight path of the objects might have been along a ley energy vein, though this is not definitively affirmed. No recorded ghost or poltergeist events were found to be relevant.

Daytime Sighting: Hirst Woods

Among the numerous lights reported during the "77JASON flap," a daytime sighting by Miss Jelica Gracilovic in July 1977 stands out. While walking near her home in Shipley, she observed three strange lights in the sky above Hirst Woods, positioned side-by-side a few hundred feet above the trees. These were described as elongated, cigar-shaped luminous objects hovering motionless. They then performed a curious action where the three lights amalgamated, appearing to merge into the background of the sky with blurred edges. The centre object was predominantly red with a brilliant green luminous outline, while the two smaller side objects were yellow. Gradually, all three objects merged into a spherical guise, white in colour. A "seperation" then occurred, with the outer edge of the ball of light displacing the central mass, forming a bright white ring around the central object. The edges of this spectacle also merged into the sky. The witness watched in amazement as the manifestation slowly faded and vanished.

Future Content

The magazine announces that the next edition will feature a spectacular CEZ report from 1984, another historical UFO account, more ley research, spook activity, a humanoid bedroom encounter, and other UFO accounts submitted by members.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores UFO sightings, anomalous creatures, and historical mysteries, often with a touch of humor as seen on the cover. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, encouraging reader submissions and presenting a variety of historical and contemporary accounts. There is a clear interest in connecting these phenomena to potential energy lines (ley veins) and exploring the possibility of ancient giants and lost civilizations. The tone is generally informative, though the cover suggests a lighthearted approach to some topics.