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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:

Narratives:

[Ref. an1:] "ANONYMOUS":

[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:

Evaluation:

Unexplaned. Possible invention.

Sources references:

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

• [an1] * Post by "anonymous" on Fortean Times forum, January 21, 2003, at www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7411
• [ar1] * "1978 Humanoid Reports", compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2007, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1978.shtml

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This page was last updated on April 28, 2012