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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.

OCTOBER 31, 1978, LOOSE VALLEY, KENT, U-K., YOUNGSTERS:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

On the web forum of the "Fortean Times" magazine, within a discussion on alleged appartitions of what is called there the "Black Stick Man", an anonymous member posted, in 2003, an account which he said tells his own encounter, as written then in his personal diary for October 31, 1978:

"I will record a rather unpleasant experience which took place tonight. A group of about ten of us were sitting chatting in the Loose Valley at about midnight. After about 45 minutes Will leapt to his feet slapping his head saying there was a bee in his hair; he looked absolutely terrified. Both Dorothy and I saw the outline of a tall, thin figure wearing a hat dancing behind him. Will said later it was if a terrifically loud buzzing was coming-up through the top of his head. However only Rachel heard any buzzing."

"We partially satisfied ourselves that it must have been a bees' nest, and so we moved a little distance away. As we moved away Dorothy and I saw a ring outlined in the grass which enclosed where we had been sitting. Eventually it started raining so we headed for Rachel's house. As we left I turned around and saw the same thin black figure walk across the opening between the trees to where we had been sitting."

"We had been sitting in Rachel's bedroom for a while, when I looked at Will who was reading and saw an amorphous black blob drop out of his hair onto the bed. I was the only one who saw this. A few seconds later a black shape started whizzing around. The main movement was from bottom left to top right as I was sitting, getting larger during the movement and inducing a great fright. About four people altogether saw this."

"Later the girls slept in a room together. Apparently Rachel and Molly saw the black blob in the curtains during the night. I, however, had an excellent night's sleep. On first awakening I saw the thin black figure silhouetted against the wardrobe doors. I must admit I lost my calm last night and was bloody terrified by the whole thing."

"I have now moved away from the South East, but I occasionally meet Will. Even twenty years later he has been extremely unwilling to discuss the events of that night in any detail as he still found the memory disturbing. During our last meeting I gained a little more of his account. He was not aware of the thin figure which I saw behind him during the initially buzzing. Unprompted by me he did recall the black blob falling out of his hair, which I thought I alone witnessed. However, he recalls it dropping onto the pages of the book he was reading rather than onto the bed as I recalled. Will also recalls more of the girls' account of their night after retiring. Apparently the blob had several times appeared near the curtains and moved them, while silhouetted against a bright light which appeared to come from outside but did not correspond to any street lamp or likely car lights."

"This has been the only 'supernatural' experience of my life."

Basic information table:

Case number: URECAT-001115
Date of event: October 31, 1978
Earliest report of event: January 14, 2003
Delay of report: 24 years.
Witness reported via: Post on Fortean Times web forum.
First alleged record by: Alleged witness post on Fortean Times web forum.
First certain record by: Ufology catalogue Rosales.
First alleged record type: Alleged witness post on Fortean web forum.
First certain record type: Ufology catalogue.
This file created on: April 28, 2012
This file last updated on: April 28, 2012
Country of event: U-K.
State/Department: Kent
Type of location: Outside in grass then inside in rooms.
Lighting conditions: Night, full moon, then inside.
UFO observed: No
UFO arrival observed: N/A
UFO departure observed: N/A
UFO/Entity Relation: None
Witnesses numbers: 0 to 5
Witnesses ages: 15, 17
Witnesses types: Not reported. Teenagers, girls and boys, friends.
Photograph(s): No.
Witnesses drawing: No.
Witnesses-approved drawing: No.
Number of entities: 1
Type of entities: Humanoid or human
Entities height: Tall
Entities outfit type: Not reported. Hat.
Entities outfit color: Not reported.
Entities skin color: Not reported.
Entities body: Not reported. Thin.
Entities head: Not reported.
Entities eyes: Two, large, black.
Entities mouth: Not reported.
Entities nose: Not reported.
Entities feet: Not reported.
Entities arms: Not reported.
Entities fingers: Not reported.
Entities fingers number: Not reported.
Entities hair: Not reported.
Entities voice: None heard.
Entities actions: Danced in grass behind one of the witnesses outdoors, appeared in silhouette indoors.
Entities/witness interactions: None certain.
Witness(es) reactions: Observed, went.
Witness(es) feelings: Frightened.
Witness(es) interpretation: Not reported. "Supernatural" experience.
Explanation category: Unexplaned. Possible invention.
Explanation certainty: Low.

Narratives:

[Ref. an1:] "ANONYMOUS":

Anonymous Posted: 14-01-2003 13:22 Post subject: Black Stick Man

Simon
The following account is slightly shortened but otherwise unchanged and comes from my diary record for Tuesday, 31st October 1978. Only the names have been changed. We were all aged between 15 and 17 at the time. The Loose Valley referred to is near Maidstone in Kent. My diary record also indicates that there was a new moon on that night.

"I will record a rather unpleasant experience which took place tonight. A group of about ten of us were sitting chatting in the Loose Valley at about midnight. After about 45 minutes Will leapt to his feet slapping his head saying there was a bee in his hair; he looked absolutely terrified. Both Dorothy and I saw the outline of a tall, thin figure wearing a hat dancing behind him. Will said later it was if a terrifically loud buzzing was coming-up through the top of his head. However only Rachel heard any buzzing.

We partially satisfied ourselves that it must have been a bees' nest, and so we moved a little distance away. As we moved away Dorothy and I saw a ring outlined in the grass which enclosed where we had been sitting. Eventually it started raining so we headed for Rachel's house. As we left I turned around and saw the same thin black figure walk across the opening between the trees to where we had been sitting.

We had been sitting in Rachel's bedroom for a while, when I looked at Will who was reading and saw an amorphous black blob drop out of his hair onto the bed. I was the only one who saw this. A few seconds later a black shape started whizzing around. The main movement was from bottom left to top right as I was sitting, getting larger during the movement and inducing a great fright. About four people altogether saw this.

Later the girls slept in a room together. Apparently Rachel and Molly saw the black blob in the curtains during the night. I, however, had an excellent night's sleep. On first awakening I saw the thin black figure silhouetted against the wardrobe doors. I must admit I lost my calm last night and was bloody terrified by the whole thing."

I have now moved away from the South East, but I occasionally meet Will. Even twenty years later he has been extremely unwilling to discuss the events of that night in any detail as he still found the memory disturbing. During our last meeting I gained a little more of his account. He was not aware of the thin figure which I saw behind him during the initially buzzing. Unprompted by me he did recall the black blob falling out of his hair, which I thought I alone witnessed. However, he recalls it dropping onto the pages of the book he was reading rather than onto the bed as I recalled. Will also recalls more of the girls' account of their night after retiring. Apparently the blob had several times appeared near the curtains and moved them, while silhouetted against a bright light which appeared to come from outside but did not correspond to any street lamp or likely car lights.

This has been the only 'supernatural' experience of my life.

redundant link removed - stu

Last edited by Guest on 21-01-2003 17:28; edited 1 time in total

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in Loose Valley, near Maidstone, Kent, England, on October 31, 1978, at midnight, a group of about 10 youngsters were sitting around chatting in a field. After about 45 minutes Will leapt to his feet slapping his head saying that there was a bee in his hair; he looked absolutely terrified. A girl named Dorothy and another witness then saw a tall, thin figure wearing a hat "dancing" behind him. Will said later that it was as if a terrifically loud buzzing was coming up through the top of his head. However only Rachel heard any buzzing. Partially satisfied that they had stumbled near a bee's nest they moved a short distance away. As they moved, Dorothy and the same witness saw a ring outlined in the grass, which enclosed where they had been sitting. Eventually it started raining sow the group headed for Rachel's house. As they left one of the men turned around and saw the same thin black figure walk across the opening between the trees to where they had been sitting. Later while sitting in Rachel's bedroom one of the men looked at Will, who was reading and saw an amorphous black blob drop out of his hair onto the bed. He was the only one who saw this. A few seconds later a black shape started whizzing around the room. The main movement was from bottom left to top right and getting larger during the movement and inducing a great fright among those present. About four people altogether saw this. Later the girls slept in a room together. Apparently Rachel and Dorothy saw the black blob in the curtains during the night. One of the men upon awakening saw the thin black figure silhouetted against the wardrobe doors.

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is "Fortean Times Magazine On-line."

Points to consider:

To tell the truth I do not really see a "commonplace" explanation here, but of course the account could obviously be a pure fabrication. There is neither investigation nor checking, it is only an anonymous text posted tardily on a web forum.

List of issues:

Id: Topic: Severity: Date noted: Raised by: Noted by: Description: Proposal: Status:
1 Ufology Severe April 28, 2012 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross Anonymous report on the web only. Help needed. Opened.
2 Ufology Severe April 28, 2012 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross Case not investigated. Help needed. Opened.

Evaluation:

Unexplaned. Possible invention.

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 April 28, 2012 Creation, [an1], [ar1].
1.0 Patrick Gross April 28, 2012 First published.

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This page was last updated on April 28, 2012