~THERN Uf} New Year 1999 NEWS
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Northern UFO News Page 2 J R Comments: But the first TV series off the mark three weeks before BallyK was the ITV show 'Heartbeat' Such has become the level of interest in - based on the real life stories of a country UFOs of late that it pops up in the most unexpected policeman in the North Pennines during the 1960's. places these days. Within a few weeks during The 'Constable' books by Nick Rhea that spawned November 1998 British Television illustrated the this show are published by Robert Hale, the same highs and lows of popular interpretation of the company for whom I have written UFO books UFO mystery. This came about through two of the during the past 20 years - including my most recent nations best loved TV drama series that wrote the ('Something in the Air'). subject into then-story lines in a big way. In 1995 'Heartbeat' featured an episode in The more typical of the two was the which one of the cast was abducted from his police otherwise quirky BBC drama ' Ballykissangel' set patrol car. This was based upon the real life case of in a fictional Irish village. Here a Ufologist arrived Yorkshire policeman Alan Godfrey (see 'The at the expected point of a coming close encounter Pennine UFO Mystery'). The story was treated having predicted the next landing site from various well and, I understand, the writer did actually daft calculations. He was, of course, dismissed as contact Godfrey for advice. an idiot with some wonderfully witty lines. In the recent episode that story line was Explaining that the electricity in the air meant that referred back to, but it was not integral to the plot. 'meteorologically we are go' he was greeted with Instead a series of UFO sightings occurred in the the retort 'psychologically you've been gone for a Pennines where a swooping object silently crossed while'. the sky terrifying farmers and the like. Then a body The Ufologist was deliberately portrayed of a missing cyclist was found on the moors as a first class loony - although he got the last laugh complete with a strange bum mark. Needless to say when the UFO turned up -unfortunately when only aliens were soon the subject of local discussion. he was left to see it. But why does TV always have The body with the strange burn is, of course, to view UFO enthusiasts as anorak wearing, another feature of 'The Pennine UFO Mystery' - in mentally challenged trainspotters. There are sober, which the tragic death of Zigmund Adamski intelligent Ufologists out mere - somewhere! features strongly. That real life case was unresolved There is an amusing coincidence but in 'Heartbeat' it was somewhat different - no connected with BallyK. Here's where I enter name UFOs or aliens, it was all caused by an electric fire! drop overdrive, so do forgive me. A few years ago I Of course, the Adamski and Godfrey was in Ireland making a TV chat show. A fellow stories are publicly well known and much press guest was the actor Brian Blessed. We got on so coverage has followed. But the other main feature well and he was so interested in the paranormal that of the new 'Heartbeat' show was what made me pay we agreed to share a car and drive across country to close attention. For the series of sightings recreated where he had another engagement. As we drove on screen seemed very familiar. Then, when the through the mountain countryside seen on TV we crusty ex sergeant decided to mount his own chatted about UFOs and the hours flew by. investigation into the case and set up a skywatch on The conversation turned to James Ellis, an a hilltop at the expected time of the next sighting I actor friend that Brian had worked with for years suddenly realised what was about to happen! on the TV series 'Z Cars'. As I told him James had I was right. The sergeant explained to his more recently appeared in the series 'One by One' bemused colleagues (and no doubt to the based on the real life exploits of the zoo vet at bafflement of most viewers) what this UFO really Belle Vue near my home in Manchester in the era it was. It was a cargo plane coming from Scotland was set (the 60's). I delivered newspapers around that was 'gliding' over the moors. Naturally, the there at the time. So - no prizes for guessing which reaction 'planes don't glide' was issued by actor has just played the nutty Ufologist chasing dumbfounded coppers and the plot line was rather lights in the Irish countryside around rapidly dismissed as the episode came to a close. 'Ballykissangel'. Yes, the very same James Ellis. But I was smiling profoundly, knowing that there . was only one possible source for this plot line. It was yet again the basis of a chapter in 'The Pennine UFO Mystery' Readers of that book may recall the Air Cargo 101 saga that I outline in detail. There were Northern UFO News Page 3 repeated sightings over the Pennines of a swooping, silent object that frightened fanners. The origin was solved by a very clever skywatch exercise that we NEWS set up at NARO. This included a police sergeant acting as a UFO investigator and a monitor we were granted at a local airport radar tower. The East Midlands group disbands culprit was conclusively identified as a cargo flight from Scotland across the Pennines by a still well Shortly after announcing that they were known airline whom I chose not to identify because back in action, EMUFORA - the East Midlands they were breaking aviation regulations. UFO Research Association - decided just before I had not discussed this case elsewhere Christmas to close for good Tony James explained (although by coincidence I do mention it in my that 'I have not lost interest in the subject' but introduction to Tim Matthews just about to be disbanding EMUFORA will give him more time to published book). This remarkable resolution to a do his own research. Tony promises any interesting set of sightings was unique to the superb research reports from the Nottingham area that come his by NARO. The similarities written into 'Heartbeat' way will be sent to NUN. I wish him well with his were hard to view as coincidence. There was no research. reasonable doubt that the NARO investigation was being dramatised. So, I wrote to Yorkshire TV to ask why no Project FT seeks data credit was offered for this clear use of real life work and the producer confirmed two important NUN reader Victor Kean reports on things. Firstly that the writer of this episode and the Project FT - a computer data base he is operating abduction story in 1995 came from the very place into sightings of the flying triangles. He already has where these Pennine cases happened. Secondly, 7000 cases and hopes to add more in a quest to that he had indeed based his story on real events 'track the black triangular shaped UFO across but could not recall where he learnt about them - Europe'. What he is seeking is the possibility of FT but did not think it was 'Pennine UFO Mystery'. In entrance and exit windows. other words, go away. Wherever this story has appeared it must have referred to the NARO case study because Hill Norton on the offensive nobody else did the work. The two 'Heartbeat' episodes feature three specific stories on UFOs all Thanks to Nick Redfem for news of the from the Pennine book with very unusual features - offensive by Lord Peter Hill Norton, ex chief of especially in regard to the gliding cargo plane from staff of the MoD and pal to the UFO movement. Scotland This YTV excuse seems a 'cop out' (if you On 19 November he asked the Ministry how many pardon the pun). UFO files they have, as opposed to files stored by Of course, there is little NARO can do. the PRO (Public Record Office) for release in Justice is such that BUFORA were once sued by a batches (30 years late) each January. Lord Gilbert UFOlogist over an article written by a Manchester responded for the MoD that there were 76 files Evening News reporter even though the group did dating from 1985 to 1998. These came from the not see his piece until after it was in print and familiar source of Air Staff 2A (Nick Pope's old complained immediately about its satirical tone. office). But Hill Norton was gunning for news of That writer was not even censured and still writes other data - for example files appertaining to those for the paper. In contrast here the excellent work of covert departments known to also become involved NARO is not only turned into a TV drama out of in UFO study (e.g. DI 55 and DSTT). Gilbert which large sums of money will be made but not a admitted there were 'some files' held by 'other jot of credit is offered.