Kirstielou D’Raven

…According to Nick Pope, Ex Ministry Of Defence official and UFO hysterical journalists darling, by all accounts.

Made me giggle a bit, actually..

well no it didnt, it made me squirm.

Just to get you up to spec, yesterdays Sunday Life programme featured a brief article about the current UFO flap – well, why not? even This Morning did a bit didnt they? everybody seems to be jumping on the bandwagon.. or saucer..

Firstly, Id like to point out that I do know a little about UFOlogy – Not like you’d call me a Trekkie or anything, but I have studied the subject, seen a few cases and its also a major part of the Paranormal Investigators course I hold a qualification in. I also know personally quite a few full blown, hatwearing UFOlogists, one of whom predicted the UFO flap ages before its advent, and even went as far as to submit his predictions to the media, sadly to no avail because the media still seem to favour the barmpots view..

So, since I was up and I do have to at least show a little interest in the subject, and since it was Sunday Life, which surely meant an above average, unbiased report I dutifully blew the dust from the remote control, and got my daughter to show me how to turn the TV on.

The first thing that struck me was the fact that the editor had decided to add background music to the article. Why do the media always do this? No one deemed it neccessary to read the recent story of the couple in court for faking the fellas death to the haunting theme of ’I am sailing’, so why feel the need to accompany anything paranormal related with ‘appropriate’ spooky music? 

So, as I whistled along to the theme from ‘The X Files’, I began to wonder why I had bothered at all. Firstly, we were treated to some spectacular footage of.. well, two stars actually while the witness, a lady from Leeds who recorded the footage on her mobile phone wittered excitedly in the background about how ‘They’ kept visiting her. Cut to the ladies sister, who said ‘ We thought she was drunk’ (??) ‘I told her to get herself a coffee and go to bed’.. Oh, I love a credible witness..

Next, a UFOlogist from Yorkshire, who spoke in detail about a case on Ilkley Moor which involved the actual photo of an alien!! Really famous case – you must’ve heard of it? NO? me neither – and I live a stones throw from Ilkley Moor AND have an interest in local UFOlogy.

Next up, Mr Nick Pope, dragged from his very busy schedule of having his say on everything from Channel 5s ‘Britains Closest Encounters’ to absolutely any newsaper or television report he can possibly stick his  opinion on – this guy would turn up if you dropped a Jaffa Cake, and would have it classified and be calling for a government investigation before it hit the ground, he really is a top man in his field. So Mr Pope discussed various topics of UFOlogical interest, dont know what they were because I had to go and let the dog back in so I missed most of his contribution, but he did say he believed there were other life forms out there.

Reading through this, you may have noticed a common theme – all these so called experts and witnesses are self confessed believers in extraterrestrial intelligence. Do we not think this could be interprated as a little biased?

The last person to be interviewed was David Clarke, a lecturer from Hallam Uni in Sheffield, author and avid UFOlogist. Dr Clarke put a completely unbiased view out there, commenting that the only thing that would make him believe in UFO’s would be recovered wreckage that had been studied by the Worlds top scientists and found to be without a doubt not of this Earth. He also pointed out the tendency of the press to sensationalise paranormal reports in the papers – a fact that really irks all serious researchers and investigators.

The report wound up by cutting back to the other three interviewees. The lady from Leeds informing us all that she would be ready when ‘They’ came back, the Ufologist – who incidentally was Bahr’t ‘At at Ilkley Moor – who stressed that visitors from other worlds were very real.

I cant remember all Nick Popes exact words, but they were somethin along the lines of ‘ Yes, I believe theres something out there, there is far too much evidence to say there isnt, but no real proof..’

Heres a direct quote from the Queens English English Dictionary:

Evidence n an outward sign; proof, testimony, esp matter submitted in court to determine the truth of alleged facts. *vt to demonstrate clearly; to give proof of or evidence for.

So, what exactly does this mean? Do we believe the ex MOD official with a long background of UFOlogy who doesnt know his evidence from proof, or that they are actually the same thing? Do I need to call directory Enquiries for Will Smiths number, just in case?

Ive got to say, the programme left me cold, much in the same way as pictures of ‘orbs’ make me sneeze, or Most Haunted makes me gag.

Surely, there are more investigators and UFOlogists out there who could give an unbiased view? Or at least have a fair balance of witness/believer/ sceptic.

Needless to say the D’Raven TV set will remain untouched until such a time as the editors, producers.. whoever it is that ‘does the do’ at least attempt to portray Ufology, Paranormal Investigation and all its associated subjects with less sensationalism, more dignity and a little more respect.