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URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

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:

Case number: URECAT-000457
Date of event: August 9, 1977
Earliest report of event: 1977?
Delay of report: Days?
Witness reported via: Reported to his Chief.
First alleged record by: Local newspapers.
First certain record by: Mystery magazine Fortean Times.
First alleged record type: Local newspapers.
First certain record type: Mystery magazine.
This file created on: January 26, 2008
This file last updated on: January 26, 2008
Country of event: U-K.
State/Department: Yorkshire
Type of location: Playground.
Lighting conditions: Night
UFO observed: No
UFO arrival observed: No
UFO departure observed: No
UFO/Entity Relation: None
Witnesses numbers: 1
Witnesses ages: Not reported, adult.
Witnesses types: Not reported. Local police constable on duty.
Photograph(s): No.
Witnesses drawing: No.
Witnesses-approved drawing: No.
Number of entities: 3
Type of entities: Human
Entities height: Not reported or normal.
Entities outfit type: Human possibly old-fashioned, sleeveless leather jacket, tight-fitting pants, shawls, bonnets, white dresses.
Entities outfit color: Various, white dresses.
Entities skin color: Not reported or normal.
Entities body: People, 1 man, 2 woman.
Entities head: Not reported or normal, bonnets.
Entities eyes: Not reported or not seen.
Entities mouth: Not reported or not seen.
Entities nose: Not reported or not seen.
Entities feet: Not reported or not seen.
Entities arms: Normal, one raised.
Entities fingers: Not reported or normal or not seen.
Entities fingers number: Not reported or normal or not seen.
Entities hair: Not reported.
Entities voice: Not reported.
Entities actions: Are there, dancing round with one hand raised, disappear.
Entities/witness interactions: None.
Witness(es) reactions: Observed, approached.
Witness(es) feelings: Puzzled.
Witness(es) interpretation: Not reported.
Explanation category: People danced in disguises, fled into fog. Non-CE3.
Explanation certainty: Medium.

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:

Id: Topic: Severity: Date noted: Raised by: Noted by: Description: Proposal: Status:
1 Data Severe January 26, 2008 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross No primary sources available, no primary sources indicated. Apparently not more solid than urban legend. Help needed. Opened.
2 Data Severe January 26, 2008 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross There is not one shred of reason why the story should have entered the ufology literature. Help needed. Opened.
3 Ufology Severe January 26, 2008 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross No sign of investigation. Help needed. Opened.
4 Ufology Severe January 26, 2008 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross Poor visibility, night, fog. Help needed. Opened.

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.

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author: Patrick Gross
Contributors: None
Reviewers: None
Editor: Patrick Gross

Changes history

Version: Created/Changed By: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross January 26, 2008 Creation, [ft1], [ar1], [st1], [mf1].
1.0 Patrick Gross January 26, 2008 First published.

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This page was last updated on January 26, 2008