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URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

AUGUST 9, 1977, EAST HULL, YORKSHIRE, U-K., DAVID SWIFT:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

On August 9, or 10, 1977, at 01:30 a.m., local police constable David Swift was on duty and made his usual round and decided to investigate some smoke or unusual fog on playgrounds near Stonebridge Avenue, East Hull, U-K. Thinking it might be smoke, probably suspecting a fire, he walked towards the smoke and made out three dancing people, each with an arm raised as though around an invisible Maypole.

One was a man in a sleeveless jerkin and tight-fitting trousers, the others were two women with bonnets, shawls and white dresses. The policeman was puzzled because, as he later allegedly told his Sergeant: "When I got about 50 feet away from them, everything went, no-one was there."

It is said that he was not believed, even ridiculed, and decided not to talk about it anymore. The case was apparently publicized by the local press at the time, then appeared in a mystery book, on ghost and fairies websites, and also in a UFO entities catalogue and UFO website, with the dancing people interpreted as nearly everything but people: humanoids, fairies, ghosts, paranormal phenomenon. There is no trace of any investigation.

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. ft1:] FORTEAN TIMES:

The magazine included in an "On this day" section that on August 9, 1977, at 01:30 a.m., police constable David Swift saw a peculiar bank of fog on playing fields near Stonebridge Avenue, East Hull. Thinking it might be smoke, he went to investigate and as he walked across the field towards the smoke, he made out three dancing figures, each with an arm raised as though around an invisible Maypole.

One was a man in a sleeveless jerkin and tight-fitting trousers, the others were two women with bonnets, shawls and white dresses. The policeman said: "When I got about 50 feet away from them, everything went, no-one was there."

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in East Hull Yorkshire, England, on August 9 1977, at 01:30 a.m., Police Constable David Swift was investigating a peculiar fog in a nearby field; as he crossed the field he saw three figures, which seemed to be dancing around a non-existent Maypole; each had an arm raised. "One figure was a man in a sleeveless jerkin and tight fitting trousers... the other two were women in bonnets, shawls and white colored dresses." Thinking they were drunks, he approached; at about 50 feet the entire scene vanished; "no one was there." He drove about in his car, but saw nothing more; he then reported it to his sergeant.

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is Robert J. Rickard, Fortean Times #23, and Humcat 1977-44.

[Ref. st1:] SEAN TUDOR:

Sean Tudo indicates that at 01:30 a.m. on August 9, 1977, Hull police officer David Swift investigated a strange bank of fog or vapor on a playing field in Stonebridge Avenue. There, he found three figures dancing, hands high, in the mist; which vanished as he approached them.

The source is indicated as Jenny Randles, Mind Monsters: Invaders from Inner Space?, The Aquarian Press, 1990, pp 146-147.

[Ref. mf1:] "IL MAGICO MONDO DEI FOLLETTI":

The website ("The magic world of Fairies") indicates that an encounter with dancing fairies took place on August 10, 1977, and that the witness was a police officer of Hull, agent David Swift. He was patrolling in his round area, a few hours after midnight, when he fell on a portion of terrain where the fog of the summer nights formed a great number of small swirls on some playgrounds. While approaching, he managed to see three characters who danced in this fog, and by habit, he imagined that they was drunkards.

One was a man "who had a waistcoat without sleeves, with trousers seemingly very tight", while both others were women "dressed in white helmets, shawls and white clothes."

All three had a raised arm, as if they danced around a Maypole, he thought. As soon as it thought that he was going to reach them, the three characters disappeared and, when the agent reported the incident to the duty sergeant, he realized that he was not believed. When the incident was reported in the local press, agent Swift was exposed to such ridicule that he then refused to discuss the case.

Points to consider:

I do net see the connection between this poorly documented affair, apparently not investigated, of low strangeness, and the question of UFOs occupants.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

People danced in disguises, fled into fog. Non-CE3.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [---] ? "HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports" - case 1977-44, by David F. Webb and Ted Bloecher, CUFOS, USA, circa 1978.
• [---] ? "Mind Monsters: Invaders from Inner Space?", book by Jenny Randles, The Aquarian Press publishers, U-K., pp 146-147, 1990.
• [---] ? Robert J. Rickard, in the magazine Fortean Times, U-K., #23.
• [ft1] * "On This Day - August 9", compiled by www.forteantimes.com, the website of the Fortean Times magazine, U-K., undated.
• [ar1] * "1977 Humanoid Reports", compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2001, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1977.shtml
• [st1] * Summary on the Roadghost website, "a web-companion to the case-centred study of Phantom Hitch-Hikers and Phantom Road Accident cases in Folklore and Fact", by Sean Tudor, U-K., circa 2007, at www.roadghosts.com/CasesUKaccounts.htm
• [mf1] * "Il Magico Mondo Dei Folletti", web page, Italy, undated, at www.theseventhpapyrus.it/speciale_folletti,%20fatine%20e%20storielle%20varie.htm

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This page was last updated on January 26, 2008