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From: Max Burns <AlienHype@aol.com> Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 04:41:32 EST Fwd Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 08:56:11 -0500 Subject: SPI News From England February 1999 SPI NEWS FROM ENGLAND FEBRUARY 1999 COMPILED BY MALCOLM ROBINSON. (Beware, Malcolm is in a philosophical and deliberating mood this month !) THE TIM MATTHEWS/IUN SOUTHPORT UFO CONFERENCE. The IUN (Independent UFO Network) was a big force in British UFOlogy a few years back, and their magazine UFO BRIGANTIA was a very good read. The IUN at that time had a number of good researchers within it, Philip Mantle and Dave Clark, to name but two. The main force behind the IUN at that time was researcher and author Andy Roberts. The IUN folded some years ago, and it was a big loss I feel to British UFOlogy at that time. However Andy Roberts is now once more the driving force behind the new and revamped IUN and they had their launch day on Saturday the 26th of February at Tim Matthews Southport UFO Conference. Both Judy and I braved the atrocious weather conditions as we drove up to Southport. The rain was so bad that it was sometimes hard to see where you were going. The windscreen wipers couldn't get rid of the rain quick enough and it was in part, 'very scary' (especially driving past those heavy-laden articulated lorries). Thankfully we got to Southport O.K., settled down in our hotel, and the following day, with our friend and UFO colleague Gloria Dixon, (BUFORA's Director of Investigations), headed off to the venue for the conference. A large blackboard with the words 'UFO CONFERENCE' met our gaze as we neared the venue, whereupon a large and smiling Tim Matthews thrust his hand into ours and welcomed us inside. Inside, we found a large sized hall with smaller ante-room nearby which was filled with the usual UFO paraphernalia, i.e. UFO books, magazines, posters and pendants, keyrings, you name it, you could find it here. They were even selling cartoon posters taking the mickey out of UFO researchers such as Jenny Randles, Tony Dodd, and Harry Harris, (sad) ! The hall was by now filling up, and the surprise factor was, that looking around, I could see more UFO researchers from different parts of the country and from different societies than there were members of the public. Researchers I saw were, Tony Eccles, John Heptonstall, Dave Sankey, Mike Wooten, Andy Roberts, Dave Clarke, Eric Morris, to name but a few. The first speaker of the day was Jerry Anderson of UFO Kent. I had heard much about Jerry but I had never met the man nor heard any of his lectures. Jerry presented a number of cases from his files, each one proving to be more interesting than the last. I found Jerry to be a very good speaker, and someone whom I could have listened to all day, indeed, it was sad that he had to finish as some of the cases, peppered with his use of audio tape, acid tape and video, were cases that I had never heard of before. Following on from Jerry was seasoned researcher and author, Jenny Randles. Jenny spoke about the infamous Peter Day film. As most UFOlogists should know, that was the piece of film which depicts an orange ball of light moving from left to right above a range of trees. Peter Day swears blind that it was a UFO, but research by Jenny and others proved it to be dumped aviation fuel set alight and burning as it fell to Earth. The reason which, of course, was that the aircraft that deposited the fuel was in trouble, and would shortly crash in an area which is now known as Milton Keynes, (thankfully Milton Keynes wasn't built/around at that time or we would have had a major catastrophe on our hands.) Peter even today won't accept Jenny's theory, and still maintains that it was a UFO that he saw. Jenny respects his view but of course doesn't agree with it. During the break, Tim Matthews gave a presentation in regards to his findings concerning triangular-shaped aircraft, which he firmly believes are our own technology, that these triangular shaped 'UFOs' are not alien space-craft but are new, sophisticated aircraft currently being flown throughout the skies of the world. I didn't manage to catch all of Tim's lecture, as myself, Judith, Gloria Dixon and Tony Eccles held a brief impromptu BUFORA meeting between ourselves out in the foyer. (What a place to hold a BUFORA meeting, in the camp of the IUN !!!). After another break (and meeting up with London Weekend Television researcher David Donnelly who came up to see me and others), it was the turn of the charismatic Andy Roberts, that bastion of UFOlogy whom you either love or loathe ! Andy spoke about the famous Berwyn Mountain case, that of an alleged UFO crash in the Berywn Mountains of Wales. Andy presented his findings that a UFO was not the cause of the event, that it was just a mixture of ordinary mundane events that only served to confuse and confound other researchers into believing that a UFO was behind it. It was good to see Andy not get heckled this time, for the last time I saw Andy present this case (at the Lapis UFO Conference in Lytham St Anne's a few months ago) he was given a hard time of it by the audience !! Following on from Andy was Dr. David Clarke. Dave was presenting his findings into what's now know as 'The Sheffield Incident'. This is a case which some feel to be the result of a crash caused by a UFO, however Dave will have none of it. He feels that this case falls into the category of an IFO, and that like the Berywn Mountain case, there were a number of elements, all coming together, which only confounded people into believing that a UFO shot down a Tornado Jet. It's a major case, and is too much to go into here, and Dave certainly presented interesting findings which did look impressive. Of course, this was only one side of the coin. Another researcher, Max Burns, would have us believe differently, that a UFO was seen that night and was chased by a number of Tornado jets. Max and David don't see eye to eye on this one, and there has been an extreme wealth of tit-for-tat tirades on the web sites, not only between Dave and Max, but between others as well. Even I am coming in for some stick for having Max Burns as my first speaker for the BUFORA London lectures. Some people believe that Max shouldn't have his say, that he is talking nonsense, but I am of the opinion that I live here in the U.K., that everyone has the right to their opinion, this isn't Russia, we don't stop people talking here, and it will need to be a very brave man who will tell me not to put Max Burns on a BUFORA platform in June. Max will have his say in regards to this case, that is a fact. The public have a right to hear both sides of a story, not just one side. And although I found Dr David Clarke's lecture ,which served up many facts, very interesting, I wish to hear Max's version of events also in order to make up my mind. Since when does any UFO researcher believe one version of events without trying to find out what someone else is saying about it. ? Hasn't the public a right to make up their own mind !!! Please note that Max Burns is presenting his side of the story of the Sheffield Incident at the BUFORA London Lecture. Please note this date and be there. THE SHEFFIELD UFO INCIDENT MAX BURNS, June 5th, at the University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London, NW1, (opposite Madame Tussauds). Time 2:00pm. Please try and be there, bring a friend, mention it on your web site and E-mails. UFOlogy needs debate, but ultimately UFOlogy needs honesty and a desire to get to the truth and not try and confuse the issue. Something undoubtedly happened that night, and we need to know everything before we can decide who is right, and who it wrong. It would be wrong of me just to put Max Burns on a BUFORA platform about this case, so let me make it clear that Dr. David Clarke has accepted my invitation to present to BUFORA his version of events in regards to this incident. The date for Dr. David Clarke's lecture will be given in our next month's web site placements, so look out for that one. BUFORA LONDON LECTURES. As you may know from last month's web news, I have taken over the BUFORA London Lectures. I wrote to over 70 people asking them if they would like to give a lecture to BUFORA. It's early days yet, but the response so far has been good. I have lined up speakers for not only this year, but also the year 2000 and 2001. I shall be presenting the full package of speakers in a future web site placement, so look out for that one. E-mail Malcolm at spi_spi@hotmail.com =A9 SPI ENGLAND 1999.
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