Nick Redfern's Blog, page 128

Willow Creek - Don't Miss It!

Last night, me, Lyle Blackburn (author of The Beast of Boggy Creek ), Craig Woolheater ( Cryptomundo ) Sean Whitley ( Southern Fried Bigfoot ), and various other friends interested in Bigfoot headed down to the Texas Theater (where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested after - allegedly! - shooting and killing JFK).

The reason: to watch the Dallas premiere of the new movie from Bobcat Goldthwait. Its title: Willow Creek .

I don't exaggerate when I say this is one of the best Bigfoot films - ever!

I'll be doing a full review in the next couple of days at Cryptomundo .

In the meantime, above is a shot of (left to right) me, Bobcat, and Lyle.

UFOs: Do "They" Know?

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe , which you can find at this link , and which starts as follows...

"Just a few days ago, I was interviewed for a radio show that allowed time at the end for listeners to phone in and ask questions regarding various aspects of the UFO phenomenon. One of the questions was along the lines of: 'Will the government, one day, tell us the truth about UFOs, and if not, why not?' It is, of course, a perfectly valid question. As we know – thanks to the Freedom of Information Act and witness testimony – agencies of numerous, worldwide governments most assuredly have taken an interest in UFO activity. And for decades, too.

"There is, however, one important issue to take into consideration regarding the above-question. Namely, there is the assumption that just because government agencies have secretly investigated UFO encounters for years, this must mean they have all the answers regarding what is afoot in our skies. But, here’s a thought to keep in mind: what if those same agencies actually  don’t have all the answers? In fact, what if they don’t have any answers?"

A Sign of the Times

The latest addition to my apartment...

The Shape-Shifting Kelpie

"According to Scottish legend, the Kelpie – or the water-horse – is a wholly supernatural creature that haunts the rivers, bridges and lochs of ancient Scotland and that has the uncanny ability to shape-shift. The most common form that the Kelpie takes is that of a horse – hence the name. It stands by the water’s edge, tempting any passing and weary traveller that might consider continuing on his or her journey to mount it. That, however, is always the fatal downfall of the traveller, as invariably the beast is then said to rear violently and charge head-long into the depths of the river or loch, and thus drowning its terrified rider in the process."

Those are the opening words to my latest Mysterious Universe article on the weird connection between the British Bigfoot and water...

The Orford Wild Man in Pictures

In my 2012 book, Wildman! The Monstrous and Mysterious Saga of the British Bigfoot, I tell the strange story of the bizarre beast of Orford, Suffolk.

In telling the tale, I include the weird text of a monk and an abbot at Coggeshall, Essex (first name Ralph, last name long lost to the fog of time). Recorded in the year 1200 in Chronicon Anglicanum, Ralph's words describe the capture in the area of a wild man of the woods-style creature.

According to Ralph:

"In the time of King Henry II, when Bartholomew de Glanville was in charge of the castle at Orford, it happened that some fishermen fishing in the sea there caught in their nets a Wildman. He was naked and was like a man in all his members, covered with hair and with a long shaggy beard. He eagerly ate whatever was brought to him, but if it was raw he pressed it between his hands until all the juice was expelled. He would not talk, even when tortured and hung up by his feet, Brought into church, he showed no sign of reverence or belief. He sought his bed at sunset and always remained there until sunrise. He was allowed to go into the sea, strongly guarded with three lines of nets, but he dived under the nets and came up again and again. Eventually he came back of his own free will. But later on he escaped and was never seen again."

And there ends the 800-year-old-plus extract.

But there's a reason why I am mentioning this now:. Some time ago, Charlotte Perez Smith visited the old castle at Orford where the wild man was said to have been held all those centuries ago.

Charlotte also took a number of pictures while she was there, which she has sent to me, and kindly let me reproduce for you here.

And here they are...







 

Monster Files: Review & Interview

Over at The Examiner , there's a a new Q&A with me about my new  Monster Files book, which you can find at this link.  And Lee Brickley reviews the book at The Conspiracy Review .

The Return of Operation Trojan Horse

"Way back in 1970, one of the most important UFO-themed books ever published was unleashed upon the world. Its title: Operation Trojan Horse . Its author was John Keel, perhaps most noted for his later classic, The Mothman Prophecies . Like all of Keel’s book’s, Operation Trojan Horse polarized (and continues to polarize) readers into two definitive camps: (a) those who believed that Keel was onto something that got very close to what lies at the heart of the UFO puzzle; and (b) those who believed that the words Keel wrote bordered upon ufological heresy."



"The latter group was comprised of those souls whose mindset was wholly dominated by the theory (and, yes, a theory is all it is) that UFOs have extraterrestrial origins. For many of them, Keel’s attempts to rewrite ufological history and lore were downright outrageous and dangerous. Those with far more refreshingly open minds, and ones not tainted by the “I want to believe” factor, gave the man the fair hearing he deserved. So, why am I mentioning all this – and a 43-year-old book – today?"

The quotes above are taken from my new Mysterious Universe article , which focuses on a brand new edition of Keel's book, and which is now available. If you haven't read OTH , you have no excuse now!

PS: That's Keel, above, pictured with good mate, Greg Bishop.

Contactees in China

For those who might be interested, a Chinese edition of my Contactees book has just been published. Don't ask me to read the words though - I haven't got a clue!

The Cats of Cannock

"In 2009 the Express and Star newspaper reported that an expert, who had been advising the police about the existence of big cats in England’s woodland's, said that he believed Puma's have been breeding on Cannock Chase since the 1940's, and again dubbed the area a hotspot. The article went on to state that, only a few weeks previously a deer had been found dead, after having been dragged into a ditch, with two puncture holes to the neck – trademark signs of a big cat attack. Also, another man from the village of Norton Canes had stumbled upon, and subsequently taken photographs of, a huge paw-print within a week or two of the incident, which measured at an astonishing 5 by 6 inches." The above-quote is taken from the latest article by Lee Brickley, who has a great blog: Paranormal Cannock Chase . 
Sightings of large cats on the Chase have been reported for decades, and here's where you can find Lee's complete post...

Miss Richards' UFO

My latest Mysterious Universe article ( which you can find right here ) takes a close look at just one of many intriguing UFO reports that have surfaced via the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. In the case in question, it's fair to say it was a very close encounter - barely a few feet above the vehicle in which the witnesses were driving! That one of the two witnesses was in the employ of officialdom, and that the entire affair provoked an official inquiry, makes it all the more intriguing...