In 1981, the journal of the Northern Earth Mysteries Group (now known simply as “Northern Earth,”) published an article by Frank E. Earp where he described a fairly indescribable “close encounter” he and some friends had years before. It is a notable story, as it is one that blurs the lines between standard UFO sightings and traditional fairy lore.
In the mid 1960’s Britain was in the grip of UFO fever. Up and down the country there were reports of lights in the sky and other unidentified objects. For several weeks the media reported strange goings-on in the town of Warminster, in Wiltshire. Nottingham too had its fair share of UFO activity. This was a fascination to a boy in his early teens and together with a group of around 10 school friends, we started a UFO Club. Well, at least it kept us out of mischief--but it led to many a strange adventure. The adventure related here happened with two of my fellow club members--whom I will call W. and M.
On a fine autumn afternoon my friend W. and I walked the mile or so up Chalbury Road to meet with fellow club member M. It was our intention to carry out what is known as a "sky watch"--looking for UFOs. From M’s house, the three of us crossed Woodyard Lane walk along the north bank of the disused Wollaton canal to the site of the Wollaton Colliery. Here the old “slag-heaps” line the canal bank and we thought it would be a good vantage point for our activity.
We spent the next couple of hours scaling and sliding down the heaps and swinging out over the canal on a rope tied to the branch of a tree--always with an eye on the sky. At about 4 o’clock as daylight gave way to twilight, we decided--as we had seen no “flying saucers”--to head back to M’s house and perhaps play some records.
At this site, the canal opens into a wide oval basin--a former passing place for the coal barges. Although the canal had been drained the old bed was still marshy with a small channel of water running down the centre. As we crossed the basin to the opposite south bank, we were aware of a slight ground mist starting to rise within the basin.
Climbing up the wall and bank onto the tow-path, we stood watching the mist as it began to thicken. As we watched a “cloud” of mist--doughnut shaped, around the size of a fair ground dodgem car--formed and rose above the bed to the height of around 4 feet. The remaining body of mist, which now covered most of the basin, stayed within inches of the ground.
The cloud began to sparkle with a myriad of tiny pearl coloured lights which blinked on and off with an incandescent glow. At this point I suggested this was the natural phenomenon known as “corpse candles” or “will o’ the wisp”--the spontaneous combustion of methane gas.
Suddenly, the cloud began to slowly move towards the bank and two balls of light--the size of water melons and around two and 3 feet apart--formed at its centre. In a controlled way, the cloud came to a halt on the tow-path around 30 feet away.
All around, afternoon was giving-way to evening. In the growing darkness the spheres became more obvious, seeming to “bob” up and down like corks on water. No malevolence appeared to emanate from the cloud, just curiosity. It seemed that we, as observers, were in-turn being observed. However, discretion got the better of valour and turning in unison we walked away. After a few paces curiosity got the better of us and we stopped to look back. To our horror, the cloud had followed us and was now just 20 feet away. Panic now set in and we retreated, this time at a jogging pace.
The canal now took a gentle turn and then a straight course to a point where Old Coach Road once crossed via a stone bridge. The bridge had long since disappeared and the road was now carried over the canal on a high bank, which the tow-path climbed over on either side.
I had the sudden feeling that the “thing” would not follow us across the road and voiced this fact to my friends. Frequent glances over our shoulders told us that the cloud was keeping pace behind--in fact it was gaining with every step.
Reaching the bank, we turned to see our pursuer was now just a few feet behind us. Seconds later, we mounted the bank and found ourselves looking down on the cloud, which had moved to the foot of the bank.
It seemed that the cloud would not follow us further. With relief, we crossed the road and descended onto the path. Now, with the bank between us, we felt safe to stand and look back. For a few seconds the road above was clear and then slowly the cloud came into view. Now hovering over the road at the top of the bank, “it” was looking down at us!
We took-off in full retreat, running in terror, the cloud still gliding effortlessly behind. At the pace we were travelling, it was not long before we reached Wood Yard Lane and the end of this part of the canal.
Here we turned to face our pursuer—now only 6 feet away—safe in the knowledge that just across the lane was M’s house. With me in the middle, we stood in silence, like gunfighters waiting for the next move. I broke the spell, as tacking a step forward I said, “If you are a friend come forward”.
A few seconds silence followed as I paused for a response. With my eyes fixed on the swaying orbs I began to say “If you are an enemy ….”My words were cut short as B. tapped me on the shoulder and saying in my ear, “When I say run, run!!” My eyes followed his pointing finger to the hedge on my left.
There only feet in front of M.—silhouetted by the light from the orbs—was the black shape of a hairy figure. Around 6ft. tall, its head appeared to be directly on its shoulders, whilst its arms—which seemed to be long—tapered to a single finger. Each of these “fingers” curved inward around a glowing red rod the size of a pencil. The legs seemed to disappear from around the mid calve and something of the mist from the cloud swirled around where the feet should have been.
I had absorbed all of this information in seconds, for in an instant B. had shouted the word “run” and like an Olympic athlete taken off. I followed with the same turn of speed, leaving M. alone calling out repeatedly, “Can you see it lads? Can you see it?”
M. must have quickly realised he was alone and soon caught us up. The other two began to blurt-out their experience. I silenced them saying that we should independently draw what we had seen. It turned out that the three of us drew identical pictures of the cloud, whilst B. and I drew almost identical pictures of the figure. Because his attention had been entirely on the cloud M. hadn’t seen the figure.
Years later I was to discover that our encounter had not been with some alien being. The "hairy creature” fitted the classic description of a class of “fairy” known as a “Boggart.”
Pro tip: Never go looking for The Weird. You just might find it.
I wonder if the boggart is mentioned in other sources as having been accompanied by a cloud and orbs.
ReplyDeleteI've been following this blog religiously for eight years now. I've never commented before, but today I want to share an experience of my own that feels very close to the one described in this article.
ReplyDeleteI was about six years old, back in November 1995. As is common in Tuscany, much like in England, fog often settles in the evening. It’s a pretty normal occurrence. Well, that evening, like many others, as night was falling, my friends and I were still outside playing. We were hanging around near a large oak tree that we used as a sort of fort. Just outside this oak tree, there was a well.
At a certain point, a fog started rising from this well, much thicker than the usual evening mist. It was different because, first of all, it was rising from the well upward rather than falling from above, and it was truly much denser than normal. We walked over to look inside the well, but nothing happened. I remember putting our hands into this mist and watching them practically disappear inside it.
After watching this strange phenomenon for a while, we heard noises coming from behind the oak tree. It was a massive oak; I remember it took three or four of us kids holding hands to hug it. Just like it had risen from the well, the fog began appearing from behind the tree too, only this time there seemed to be an animal inside it. We thought it was a weasel. We backed away because, instinctively, it frightened us a little.
Night was beginning to fall, but it wasn't pitch-black yet, so there was still enough light to see our surroundings. As we started pulling back, the shape inside the cloud gradually took form. Here in Italy—and in Tuscany generally, as in the rest of the world—there are many tales of fairies and gnomes, though fewer about elves, which are more typical of Northern Europe. But we do have our own little woodland and field creatures. However, this was something we had never heard of before.
Suddenly, jumping right out of the fog like an animal pouncing, out came a sort of hairy goblin holding a watermelon in its hands. It wasn't even watermelon season, which made the sight utterly mind-boggling. Then, landing right back into the same fog it had emerged from, it vanished. The creature, the watermelon, and the fog all disappeared.
I remember this story vividly despite all the years that have passed, and the other two kids who were with me remember it perfectly too. Terrified, we ran all the way home, screaming and constantly looking back to see if something was following us. Even today, whenever we reminisce about this shared experience or retell it to our friends, I still get chills.
That may be an even wilder story than the one I published. Thanks for sharing it!
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