Those newly released UFO files...

Tanky · 15 May, 2008, 08:27:26 AM

... are a bit of a giggle. See what you think...

Link: http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Here they are

Tanky · 15 May, 2008, 08:54:42 AM

Like this one, for example...

Date, time: 21/2/82 21.30 -22.15
Description: Red and green flashing lights but stationary
Position of observer: Standing outside public house
Direction in which object was seen: In the direction of Gatwick
Other witnesses: The landlord, the barmaid, all his customers

Wonder what that was then? :D
They're all pretty big pdf files, but do have a look- some of the House of Lords transcripts could have been written by Douglas Adams. Crackin good read! x

paulvonscott · 15 May, 2008, 01:20:31 PM

Hi Tanky, I've been downloading these for a bit of research and just out of curiosity really.

satchmo · 15 May, 2008, 01:31:36 PM

I'm very pleased these are being released. The raw data itself is invaluable for future researchers unhindered by the cultural bias of today.
I mean, I saw a news report about this the other day that could have been from ten years ago. The X-Files theme, Are We Alone?, Nick "buy my books" Pope, it was embarrassing.
If there is such a thing as a vast conspiracy to hide the truth about UFOs, (which there almost certainly isn't) you can either deny it, cover it up, or as Chris Carter discovered, sell it until nobody gives a shit about it anymore.
As someone with Fortean urges I can't entirely rule out the back engineering of UFOs at Area 51 etc., but I would much rather see some proper scientific study of where all this stuff comes from. Personally I think most UFOs come from Inner Space. Well most of the time I do :)
I hope this leads to a resurgence in serious UFO research!

LARF · 15 May, 2008, 01:41:22 PM

'fortean urges'

you dirty little bastard :-)

satchmo · 15 May, 2008, 01:46:09 PM

I can't help myself :)

SamuelAWilkinson · 15 May, 2008, 01:53:41 PM

I gave the first PDF a browse over lunch yesterday, and have come to the conclusion that Lord Clancarty was a raving mentalist.

Also good in there is the report from RAF Staxton Wold - reading between the lines, it looks clear that some loony who kept bugging the Scarborough Mercury about his sightings managed to get the number of the Engineering Officer at Staxton and bug him, too.

Peter Wolf · 15 May, 2008, 04:16:51 PM

The Truth is out there ........ somewhere.

I am somewhat sceptical about Nick Pope.

UFOs are not my thing in particular even though i have seen them.

Crop circles are very interesting and i dont believe the majority of them are fakes.Its not even that i believe more like fact.I am sort of the mind that they are from out there or man made in origin with a small amount made by various individuals having a go themselves using conventional methods.

Its obvious that only select information would ever be released to the public anyway.

Also Area 51 is a bit old hat as there is not much activity there anymore as it has all moved elsewhere to places less well known as Area 51 is just a tourist trap.

WoD · 15 May, 2008, 04:26:07 PM

Arrgghhh...All crop circles are fake deliberate or not...seriously.

Richmond Clements · 15 May, 2008, 04:38:55 PM

Agggh!
They're not fake either. They are art, nothing more or less. Anything else is in the addled mind of the observer.

satchmo · 15 May, 2008, 04:45:56 PM

They aren't fake cos they're real! I've stood in the middle of one. Like Rac says it's all in the mind of the observer, although some of the people who make crop circles do it cos they get off on people thinking it was aliens.

Nick Pope is a charlatan.

Dunk! · 15 May, 2008, 05:08:58 PM

Love this statement.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44652000/jpg/_44652704_report_.jpg">

Richmond Clements · 15 May, 2008, 05:09:30 PM

He is indeed.
And I can't say what I think about Whitley Shrieber because he'll probably sue.

Peter Wolf · 15 May, 2008, 05:50:11 PM

I have been in quite a few crop circles but i am no authority on them.

I am not clinging to a belief system either but i would like to know what causes them to appear as i dont believe its guys actually physically making them although it has happened lots of times.

Not often on demand though.

I always thought that with the genuine patterns there was the the presence of gamma? radiation for one thing.

I have been in "fake" crop circles as well.

My theory is that they are man made but not using the trampling down method rather something else i am unaware of and they might be one big wind up.

Nick Pope is always trotted out as the "ex government MOD investigator" of UFOs etc when its inconceivable that if there was anything going on within government you would know nothing about it and secondly an ex MOD investigator would be silenced so Nick Pope is there to sell his books and spread disinformation or just go over old ground without revealing anything of any consequence.

WoD · 15 May, 2008, 08:03:37 PM

I...