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"It was a clear night following a heavy snowfall and we had driven out to Stanage Moor to admire the landscape when we first spotted a light moving in the sl..'}'." Student Nicholas Glossop and his girlfriend Georgina Kamsika had a close encounter with a strange flying object on the Peak District moors one bitterly cold winter night in April 1989. The pair, both aged eighteen, had driven out in Nick's Mini to see the spectacular snowfall which blan keted the Derbyshire hills earlier that day and decided to return and admire it once more in the darkness. When they reached the highest point of the deserted moors overlooking the Derwent valley and the village of Hathersage, they parked their car. It was then that they noticed a peculiar red and white light spinning across the sky with amazing speed. This transformed itself into a 'top-shaped' still behind us. Then it disappeared The Peak District UFO window object which had a row of white and, all of a sudden, it was replaced lights around its centre and a red by two lights the same size as the one Do creatures from other worlds regu light above, the whole spinning rap we had seen. They were almost, but larly visit the skies of the Peak idly in a vertical motion. not quHe, like a car's headlights, but District to observe the comings and they glowed and it was too wide a goings of humans, or is there anoth "It disappeared into a red dot, then distance between them. When we er, more down-to-earth, explanation reappeared again closer to where we drove off again, these two lights fol for the many dozens of sightings were, which frightened us. No air lowed us, but as we got closer to the reported every year? craft could behave like that and we houses, they seemed to turn off and started to get worried," Nick told me. just disappeared in a flash." He Many parts of the world now have Georgina recalls urging Nick 'let's get added: "When we got home later, we their own 'hotspots' or 'window' out of here' and, wasting no time, the both felt very shaken. It was almost areas which have been haunted by pair leapt into the car, started the as though we had been involved in UFOs for generations and the engine and drove off at speed. The an accident." Pennine hills, including much of the UFO remained visible all the while in northern Peak District, has been the rearview mirror behind them. A day later, when the couple nerv identified as one of these. In 1958, a ously returned to the scene of their '£lying saucer' organisation called the "Looking behind at the hill where we brush with the unknown, they were Aetherius Society chose the summit had been, we could see the whole amazed to find a wide pathway melt of Kinder Scout -one of the highest place was lit up with a very bright, ed away across the snow where the hills in the Peak -as one of eighteen white light as if this thing had brilliant, flying object had briefly special mountains that were selected touched down," said Nick. "Then all appeared to 'touch down.' Said to be charged with 'spiritual energy.' of sudden, a large, white light Georgina: "Something very hot had This spiritual energy, they claimed, appeared behind us and seemed to melted a path through the snow, could be used to defend the Earth hover above the road at a level with scorching the grass and turning it against evil forces from outer space. the height of the car roof. .. it was yellow. We also noticed what looked The Aetherians are a religious group completely silent too." like footprints in the snow, but they who believe their leader, the late were not the same as footprints, George King, was in direct contact "It was like a big spotlight," added more of a long, diamond shape." with ascended 'masters' who live on Georgina. "We drove faster, but it Venus, Saturn and other planets in seemed to keep up with us as if it Musing afterwards on the encounter, the solar system. Today, long after was following us. I was scared but, if Nick recalled that the light in the sky his death, society members continue I'd had a camera, I would have want had initially hovered as if its occu to make their pilgrimage to the rock ed to stop and take its picture." pants were observing the lights of the on Kinder Scout which King charged city of Sheffield, which were visible in 1958. In the summer of 2006, I Nick took up the story from here: "As in the distance on that cold, clear attended one of these ceremonies we reached Ringinglow, on the out night. "We don't know what it was, and found that a number of the soci skirts of Sheffield, I decided to see if but it must bave had a perfect view ety members believed they had seen it was a vehicle and we slammed on of the city," he mused. UFOs and detected the presence of 4 other intelligence on the Peakland lights in the sky were always was all ablaze ,vith light.' From with hills. described in ways that were familiar in it came tl,e sound of music and to the popular culture ofthe day, for dancing and, although he knew it George King and the Aetherius example as will o'the wisps and fiery was haunted, curiosity got the better Society were just one example from dragons in the Middle Ages. At the of him and he walked in through the the post war period of individuals time of the Industrial Revolution, front door. Soon he was invited by and groups in the western world strange objects in the sk'Y became the revellers, who appeared to be claiming they had made telepathic fabulous airships invented by secret, ordinary men and women, to supper contact with benevolent aliens who Jules Verne-type inventors. For and sat down at the table, ready to wanted to warn mankind about the instance, in the folklore of the Peak eat. Before he began, however, he dangers of experimenting with atom District, there are many stories asked his host to say grace. The ic energy. The growing number of describing ghostly carriages lit up by guests refused. Realising his hosts 'flying saucer' sightings seemed to eerie lights, such as the 'Cromwell were really evil spirits, the stranger back up the claims that something Coach', which rides along the lane shut his eyes and prayed devoutly to was going on. It was at this time that from ilam to Throwley, above the himself along with the words 'devils, a blind musician called Phillip Manifold ravine. This can be heard fear and fly.' When he opened them Rodgers claimed to have recorded only during the day 'though at night all was still, the inmates and the disembodied voices and messages on one can see its lights.' Derbyshire strange house had melted away and a tape recorder both in and around folklorist, Clarence Daniel, wrote of a he was left alone and in pitch dark his home at Grindleford in the Peak strange, phantom house 'with illumi ness on the moors. Stories such as District. Rodgers believed the voices nated windows' reported by one of this usually feature a period of 'miss were those of the occupants of UFOs, his informants, a description which ing time', with the visitor to fairyland which he believed had already conjures up images of the fairy hills finding that what appeared to be sev arrived on Earth and had established and entrances to underground eral minutes spent in the Otl,erworld secret bases in certain areas. Many of worlds found elsewhere in folklore. were actually weeks or even years his friends claimed to have seen In these stories the 'little men' which when he or she finally returns home. lights and disc-shaped objects in the are so typical of modern UFO sky over the moors and foothills accounts become fairies, goblins and Bonsall - UFO capital of the UK? below Kinder Scout and to have evil spirits intent on enticing humans 'channelled' messages from the space into fairyland. Stories about 'seeing things' at night people, often by telepathic means. on the way home across the moors The category of experiences desc are no longer a laughing matter in Many UFO reports have just the ribed by UFO abductees has some the village of Bonsall, near Matlock, same eerie, elusive quality which is intriguing parallels in folklore where in the White Peak. This village of associated with the apparitions and there is a strong tradition of abduc 800 souls has a long tradition of supernatural lights that have been tion to fairyland by creatures who weird encounters. Villagers have recorded in the folklore of many peo behave suspiciously like today's been seeing lights in the sky around ples. These psychic and spiritual 'Greys'. A story from the Calver area the old lead workings on Bonsall links increase dramatically when the of Derbyshire, dating from the latter Moor for as long as anyone can 'cia e encounter' cases are examined. part of the nineteenth century, tells remember. Once upon a time, local They contain motifs highly sugges how one dark night, as a man was story-tellers entertained visitors ,vith tive of the mystic visions and travels l'iding homewards across the moors, stories about ghosts and boggarts. to the Otherworld, which are more he passed a large and mysterious Today, these have been replaced by familiar to students of folklore house 'which tales of flying saucers and aliens. than of astronomy. In earlier centuries, strange, five years have passed since Bonsall local geology, folklore and archaeolo- reported as saying: "It resembled a was proclaimed by a national news gy with stops at places of historical giant disc with a bite taken out of the paper as 'the UFO capital of Britain'. interest, which include the remains bottom. It had yellow, orange and The title of UFO mecca has been held of some the deepest underground blue lights -with intricate markings over the years by a motley collection lead workings in the Peak. As word and a dark circle in the centre. It of places. In the 1960s, UFOs and spread, A1an began to include UFO came really close at one stage and I 'crop circles' plagued the town of stories in his walks, pointing out thought it was going to land in the Warminster on Salisbury Plain. More locations where weird sights had field ... you can hear me on the video recently it was the turn of industrial been reported. To date, more than say'Wow!' It was huge and through Bonnybridge in Scotland. 3,000 visitors have enjoyed the Bank the lens it looked as if it was going to r" Holiday walks and • • Bonsall's UFO hotspot has since been there is no sign featured on TV and in April, 2001, that interest is on UFO walks organised by one local the wane. resident were featured on the BBC's Country File. As a result, the village But when did the has become the centre of pilgrimage idea of Bonsall as for UFO enthusiasts from across a hots pot for Britain and indeed the world. UFOs begin and is Enthusiasts from as far afield as the there any sub USA and Australia have dropped in stance to the sto to walk the moors and to scan the ries? It appears skies. On one occasion, the village that stories first hall has played host to a public meet began to circulate ing by the local branch of the shortly before the Millennium, witll Aetherius Society who were eager to 'spook]" visions of eerie fog, columns hit me. I can't explain it - it's like spread the message that kindly intel of cloud and rainbow-coloured lights nothing else I've ever seen." ligence from Venus were behind the on tl,e moors above Matlock. Over a Soon the story spread around the vil UFO flap. period of four months, there were 19 lage and the Rowlands invited neigh separate sightings reported from the bours to a see the footage. As a Landlord A1an Webster, who has had village and surrounding moors, all result, many who were sceptical several 'sightings' of his own, catered faithfully chronicled by the local for the interest by making his pub, weekly paper, The Matlock Mercury. The Barley Mow, a base for UFO Other strange sightings included a spotting expeditions. He encourages 'ball of fire' in the sk]' above Matlock, visitors to discuss their experiences a 'multi-coloured disc' over and adds them to a growing list of Carsington and 'a pink glow, vertical stories he can recite for visitors. ly-shaped like a shoebox' seen by a "We've had people arriving who have man walking his dog. heard about Bonsall and want to see for themselves where these tltings But it was a sighting near Bonsall have been seen," said A1an. "Once which propelled the local mystery they know you have seen something, into national -and international - they will open up and we've had headlines. This time there was con many people who have told their sto crete proof -six and a half minutes of ries for tl,e first time when they visit camcorder footage of a classic 'flying ed the pub. saucer.' It was just after 9pm on a about UFOs were converted. Word dark, October night in 2001 and reached journalist, Andy Darlington, "The first one I saw was years ago at Sharon and Hayden Rowlands were who became one of the first -and a football match in the village when watching TV in their cottage at last - to see what has been pro this object came over, like a silver Slaley, near Bonsall, when the drama claimed as 'the best UFO video ever coloured cigar and very low down. began. Sharon had spotted a bright taken'. Andy, who admits he is 'a Someone shouted that it was like an light in the dark sky through the cot believer', told me: "It is mind blow aeroplane without \vings, but the tage window which appeared to be ing. It could not have been an air game did not stop. That's how com above Middleton Woods. Rushing to craft because it makes no noise and it monplace these things have become." the window, the couple could see the is disc-shaped. I have never seen an light appeared to come from a disc aircraft which looked like that. A1an was quick to see the potential of shaped object around two miles During the filming it grows, getting UFOs as an added attraction to draw away. Despite its closeness, there was bigger and then smaller like she is tourists to the dale. For six years he no sound as one would expect if it zooming in and out witll the camera. has been taking groups of walkers on was an aeroplane. This goes on for four or five ntinutes short, guided strolls around Bonsall Luckily, the family camcorder was and then the UFO flips over and you Moor, Masson Hill and Ible. On the loaded with batteries and Sharon was can see two white lights. It faces way, A1an shares his knowledge of able to capture tl,e UFO. Sharon was sideways and goes from right to left 6 across the screen before it disap the statistics is what she describes as pears." 'the Pennine Window'. This upland area can be roughly defined by draw The story reached as far as Los ing a triangle between the cities of Angeles where it was seen by Bob Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, a Kiviat at Fox studios, which spe zone which covers much of the cialises in UFO documentaries. northern part of the Peak District Kiviat was reported to have negotiat National Park. This small region, ed an exclusive contract worth which encloses just one per cent of £20,000 for the rights to the film. the population of the UK, has gener He claimed he was interested ated ten per cent of all the reported because of its similarity to a UFO 'close encounters' and no fewer than allegedly filmed by the crew of the thirteen per cent of all the Close Space Shuttle Columbia in 1996. Encounters of ti,e Third and Fourth Despite these sensational claims, five Kind, which involve contact with years have passed, no documentary 'alien' crews. "This is clearly statisti has appeared and today, Sharon Since the 1960s the growing number cally the most active region in Rowlands will not, or cannot, com of sightings have led UFO Europe when sighting numbers are ment further. The footage -accord researchers to rank the hills of the matched against the generally low ing to local rumours - remains locked Peak as one ofthe UK's most active population density: Jenny said. "It x away in a bank vault and, in true 'window areas'. Huge, silent, trian is clear that here there is evidence of Files style, the most promising piece gular objects, ghostly, moving lights a very high level of UFO activity in a of evidence remains strangely elu and classic 'flying saucers' are just a generally quite sparsely populated sive. few of the visions reported from the location." region during the last twenty years of It was this UFO footage that pro the twentieth century. But what Jenny believes the puzzle can be pelled Bonsall into the media spot exactly is it about the Peak which accounted for by two factors. The light as the place for ET visitations makes ti,e region such a magnet for first is the simple fact that the north and, in the process, gave the tourist strange aerial phenomena? Veteran ern Peaks lie below a major interna industry a welcome, if most unusual, ufologist, Jenny Randles, who lived tional flight patIJ for commercial air boost. for time in the High Peak, has inves craft and is an occasional training tigated dozens of 'close encounters' ground for low-flying military planes. But many questions remain unan with UFOs in the Pennine region and Many people who have seen giant swered, not least of which is the believes the explanation for many UFOs gliding across the moortops obvious one - if extraterrestrial visi sightings could be more down-to have been shown to have sighted air tors are behind theses experiences, earth than otherworldly. Jenny has craft approaching Manchester air why would they be so interested in collected hundreds of UFO reports port. High up on the moors it is easy the Peak District? from all parts of ti,e UK, but she says to fall victim to an optical illusion the one region which stands out from whereby aircraft in the final stages of Manchester Airport with Peaks in the distance. landing appear too big and too low to nomena as a possible trigger for UFO such as police officers and airline be planes, especially if no noise is reports decades before the MoD pilots have reported close sightings heard. Jenny points out that both study was commissioned. As far back of apparently structured flying civilian and military aircraft use the as the late 1970S Jenny and Or machines which they claim could not area regularly. "Many people passing Hynek had defined UAPs as glowing possibly be accounted for as conven through on the A6 across the Peaks lights generated by natural but Iittle tional aircraft, bright planets or bal don't realise how close they are to understood electromagnetic forces loons. Manchester airport and can be such as the energy field produced by deceived," she says. "At night engines mini-earthquakes. This was the stance taken by an air are throttled back so they pass over liner crew who reported a 'close quietly, often being seen through the "I think there is a definite, physical encounter' with a UFO which passed low mist that commonly shrouds the phenomenon which is natural in ori alarmingly close to a Boeing 737 jet Peaks. This can leave just the sight of gin which people see as pulsating on its approach to landing at the lights - not the plane itself. balls of light in the night sI",," she Manchester Airport. One overcast Rescue helicopters and traffic spotter explained. "But because people are evening in January, 1995, this air planes are common in the area too." so turned onto the idea of aliens craft, carrying sixty passengers from from outer space through films and Milan, was descending to 4,000 feet The second is the theory that tile the media they see what tlley want to above the Peak District hills, in region is ideal territory for the cre see not what's really there." preparation for landing, when sud ation of what she calls UAPs or denly, a glowing, wedge-shaped Unidentified Atmospheric Although the tiny band of dedicated object appeared, apparently follow Phenomena. UAP is a phrase that UFO researchers who have tried to ing a course directly for the plane. was coined by Jenny and the late Or make sense of the mystery have been Captain Roger Wills told an Air Miss J. AlIen Hynek, former advisor to the able to demonstrate that more than Investigation that the 'UFO' was in USAF Project Blue Book, long before ninety per cent of sightings have sight for two seconds and created no it was appropriated by the Ministry down-to-earth explanations, puzzles apparent sound or air displacement of Defence for tlleir 'Project remain about the source of the 'unex as it moved. He said the UFO was lit Condign'. The author of the Condign plained' cases which appear to up with a number of small lights, study concluded in 2000 that the describe large, metallic, flying objects making it resemble a Christmas tree. small number of inexplicable UFO which could not possibly be plasm as The first officer, Mark Stuart, reports were likely to be sightings of or any other 'natural' or man-made instinctively 'ducked' as the UFO rare and little-understood natural phenomena such as aircraft or Black went past. He told investigators how phenomena such as atmospheric Projects. Sceptics claim even this he saw 'a dark object pass down the plasmas (although MoD defined UAP residue could be explained if enough right hand side of the aircraft at high as 'unidentified aerial phenomena'). information was available and speed; it was wedge-shaped with This is, of course, not a new idea as reports were investigated quickly what could have been a black stripe ufologists such as Paul Devereux and enough. Believers in extraterrestrial down the side ... he felt sure that Jenny Randles were writing about visitors point to tile numerous what he saw was a solid object - not a 'earthlights' and other natural phe- instances where reliable observers bird, balloon or kite' . • "11 (,. ..., ) -c/s we JUSt had somethrIg gos dtow_n th e RHS JUSt above us.,.., fast. !-__ - Well, there's ~ seen on radar. Was 11: er an-.1 -_, • had "". ., • _ down the sodo _ """,. 1'-_'" - And ...... you? -w, JUSt ...,..., ...... us, yeah. The year-long official Air Miss on radar tapes suggests this case may ......... Investigation conducted by the Civil have a natural explanation after all. Aviation Authority was unable to trace any civilian or military aircraft Indeed it has been demonstrated on which could have been in the vicinity countless occasions that eye-witness at the time of the incident. es, including 'reliable' observers such as police officers and airline pilots Manchester Airport took the incident have misidentified aircraft, bright very seriously, to the extent that, for stars and planets, satellites and the first time in recent years, they bright meteors as unidentified flying preserved radar tapes and tried to objects. As US scientist, Dr Richard reconstruct the event as part of the Haines, has observed, judging dis investigation. Despite much effort, tance at night when only lights and a nothing was spotted on the radar dark sk]' are visible 'is one of the tapes at the time the sighting was most difficult things for a human repot1ed. being to do'. Add to tllis total the fac tor played by mysterious and little The CAA concluded that reports such understood natural phenomena such as this 'are often the object of deri as ball lightning and atmospheric sion, but the Group hopes that this plasmas (Unidentified Atmospheric example will encourage pilots who Phenomena) and it becomes clear experience unusual sightings to the UFO mystery is far more complex report them without fear of ridicule'. than the simple 'aliens from space' It added that the sighting had been theOty promoted by ufologists and submitted by 'two responsible airline the media alike. pilots' and there was no doubt that both 'saw an object ... that was of suf Further reading: ficient significance to prompt an air miss report'. The conclusion read: David Clarke, Supernatural Peak "Unfortunately the nature and iden District, London: Robert Hale, 1999 tity of this object remains unknown. Paul Devereux (with David Clarke, To speculate about extraterrestrial Andy Roberts and Paul McCartney), activity, fascinating though it may be, Em·thlights Revelation, London: is not within the Group's remit and Cassell, 1989 must be left to those whose interest Jenny Randles, The Pennine UFO lies in this field." Mystery, London: Granada, 1983 ----Something in the Air, London: This was an impressive case which, Robert Hale, 1998 on the surface, seems to leave little doubt that an unknown, structured craft was indeed present above the Peak District. However, the CAA EDITOR: team did point out that almost all Graham Birdsall and I went to unusual sightings of this kind can be Bonsall to interview Sharon explained by a range of known natu Rowlands for UFO Magazine. ral phenomena. In this case, Jenny She was having none of it, almost Randles was able to suggest one pos running away from Gral1am and I. sible solution which had apparently We also returned to the village to be been overlooked by the inquiry: a taken on one of these 'UFO Walks'. bolide or fireball meteor. These are The landlord was entertaining but chunks of rock from outer space had little or no knowledge of the which create a spectacular display UFO subject, ad libbing with what to when they burn up in the earth's an enthusiast might have been atmosphere, creating vivid colours labelled 'bull****'. But the walk con and trails. Sometimes these can be vieniently ended back at the pub, just visible for several seconds, and it is in time for tiffin. possible for witnesses -even experi enced pilots -to fall victim to an In a recent conversation with Bob optical illusion, believing an object Kiviat, he told me he had never seen many thousands of miles away in the the Rowlands footage, but offered to upper atmosphere is actually very buy it on the word of a researcher. close by. In this instance the lack of In 2007 , he has yet to sign a cheque any air displacement in the wake of or see the footage ... the UFO and its failure to show up 9 Police and 'relevant authorities' were said to be investigating the crash on the 8th of January, but many are of the opinion that it was a US spy drone that came down. This was bol stered by reports that Iran shot down an American surveillance drone as it crossed the border between Iraq and 00 Iran 4. How a drone could traverse five hundred miles of Iranian air space to the Kerman province before being noticed is a question that has yet to be answered. SJ References: ,. http://english.(arsnews.com/newstcXl. php? nn =851 0 200361 . UFO Crash in Central Iran (Fars News Agency) 2 -http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/t86028.php - Nuclear Explosion in Iran (The Jawa Report) In mid-January reports began to Sepidar, in Western Iran, which cov http://www .americant hi nker .comfblog/2oo7/ 0 t/thi n&s_arcJcttin&-tcnsc_in_ir.html -Things are get come out of Iran that glowing UFOs ers the provinces of Khuzestan and ting tense in Iran (American Thinker Blog) had been sighted by numerous wit Kohkiluyeh/Buyer Ahmad. The 3' nesses. The first "eports appeared in object was observed for a whole hour http:// engl ish. farsnews.comj newstext. php ?nn :SSI 0 Iran's semi-official Fa/'s News as it moved in a southerly direction 260591 -UFO Observed in Western Iran (Fars News Agency) Agency bulletins on Wednesday 10th on Monday evening (15th January). January, 2007 '. The object appeared again at about http://english.farsllews.com/newstcxt . php?nn =851 0 the same time on Wednesday 17th 280150 -UFO Observed in Western Iran (Fars News Agency) A 'radiant UFO' was said to have January. crashed in the Barez Mountains in 4- http://WW\'' .digitaljou mal.cont/ article/93282/1r an_ the Kerman province of Iran on Eyewitnesses described the object as Shoots_Down_US_Spy_Drone -Iran Shoots Down Monday 8th January, 2007. The being 'as big as a ball, with a yellow US Spy Drone (Digital Journal) Deputy Governor General of Kerman ray and a bright reddish colour in the http://english.farsnews.com/newstext . php?nn ",851 0 province, Abulghassem Nasrollahi, centre' and that it was flying at low 260294. Iran Shoots Down US Spy Plane (Fars stated that the crash was followed by altitude. Officials have declined to News Agency) an explosion and a 'thick spiral of comment. 3 smoke'. He said that there were no casualties 01' property damage. Nasrollahi denied reports that an air craft had gone down, claiming that all planes and helicopters in the area were accounted for. He did not rule out the possibility that it was a mete QI'ite, but eyewitnesses appeared to refute this explanation, claiming that the object was 'on fire and smoking' before it hit the ground. The next day, rumours began to spread about the intern et that the explosion was nuclear in nature 2, There is no indication, however, that what hit the ground in Kerman province was a weapon, nuclear or otherwise, but we will come to the alternatives later. On Tuesday 16th January, 2007, Fal's News reported that a UFO had been spotted in the sky over central