Strange Central

 

I don't think I've ever been to Conway Hall and had a bad time. This London venue, tucked into a corner of an urban garden, seems to attract really interesting events; see the links at the bottom for other examples. This latest offering was no exception. Strange Days was a one-day conference organized by the London Fortean Society, of whose previous meetings I've often attended, for example see: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-skeptics-guide-to-aliens.html. I was accompanied by my good friends, comrades and space brothers Colin Woolford and Miles Johnston, although Miles was fashionably late as usual, like a bride before a wedding. The conference was held in the main hall and most of the seats were full. A friendly lady called Chandra came up and introduced herself. She is a HPANWO-reader whom I had never met before and it was really good to do. We had some great discussions. The list of speakers was very interesting and opened with Dr David Clarke. He told the story of his investigation into the Calvine UFO photo. I have covered the details myself here: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2024/06/would-real-kevin-russell-please-stand-up.html and: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2023/04/ufo-disclosure-2023-senate-debrief-and.html and: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2022/08/programme-474-podcast-another-typical.html. 

Later on I got the chance to talk to Dr Clarke face-to-face and raised the points I do in my own coverage. Surely if the object really did levitate silently into the air then that is one of the five observables; the implication being that maybe this is something of extraterrestrial manufacture. Dr Clarke replied that we don't know if it really manoeuvred like that because we heard it second hand from Craig Lindsay. Did the two cooks actually say that? Also the engine noise of the Harriers would have drowned out any noise the object made, so maybe it was not really silent. It might have been an endopter drone with internal rotors that are invisible from the angle it was photographed from. This is speculation on his part, in fact he is bordering on the clown's day off fallacy; but then it is also speculation by me. Until we get more information there's no way to tell. Clearly Dr Clarke is biased by his general disbelief in aliens; and I am biased by my opposite belief. The next speaker, Dominic Chorney, talked about treasures of the occult. He is an antiquarian who has a collection of old coins and some of them are strange in design with no obvious issuing bank. Could they be tokens used by occultists? He displayed one very interesting specimen from Japan that depicts some strange and scary creature that looks like a werewolf or ogre. It is in fact probably a snow macaque, a species of monkey from Hokkaido, one of the Japanese islands. The rim of the coin has the island's name on it. What stuck me is that snow macaques were the species studied by Lyall Watson when he came up with his "hundredth monkey" theory, see: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2011/08/lyall-watson.html. 

There was another coin from fifteenth century Germany with a Bigfoot like creature on it, a "woodwose". It is possible coins like this were used as a talisman by the superstitious rather than for financial exchange. In one case, its owner had driven a hole through it, probably so they could hang it round their neck on a string. It makes me wonder where they got the idea for the creature depicted, long before mass media. Darren Naish is a pop scientist who researches the fossil record and ancient extinct animals. He gave an interesting talk about aquatic reptiles and archaeocetes, ancient creatures from the whale family. Unlike most of his peers, Darren has an open mind about cryptozoology. He often associates with the CFZ. There is a rumour that he is one of the witnesses of the Cornish Owlman, although if this is true he has never admitted it. In the definitive book on the subject, Jonathan Downes' The Owlman and Others, this witness is anonymous and nicknamed "Gavin". Jamie Lewis and Andrew Bartlett are social scientists who did a dialogue about what they call "bigfooters", people who believe in Bigfoot and try to find it in the wild. They say they have no public opinions about whether Bigfoot exists or not, but in the course of their address they came across as very skeptical. They made a lot of the points disbelievers do: Where are the bones? Where is the DNA? etc. There are comprehensive rebuttals to these points that I have previously detailed, see below. They mention the Minnesota Iceman and repeat the standard explanation that is it a hoax. Not so in my view. See here for my position on these points and many other similar ones: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2022/11/cryptozoology-portal.html. 

Lewis and Bartlett's central study is about the people who are enthusiastic about Bigfoot and their psychology. I don't have a problem with such scholarship, but it does tend to come in a package with the foundational tacit subtext that what their subjects believe in is a cultural phenomenon based on a falsehood, see here for another example: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2018/09/prof-karen-douglas-at-greenwich-sitp.html. Next up was Mark Pilkington, somebody I'm very familiar with and I got to speak to him briefly. I've researched his work closely and look forward to his new book. He has adapted the thesis he applied in Mirage Men to the modern post-2017 world. How is today's Trumpian political class using "UFOria" for its own nefarious psychological warfare strategy? Good question, but I don't see any reason, from what Mark presented, to discount my suspicion that maybe we're being subjected to some kind of elaborate double-bluff. Has Mark considered this possibility?, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2023/05/mark-pilkington-at-bases-2023.html. Finally there was a three-person panel on ghost hunting with Alice Vernon, Ben Machell and Sarah Sparkes. Alice and Ben are authors whose books look really interesting. There was a merch stall at the back of the room, as I expected, but I really shouldn't buy any more books until I've read the hundred or so I've bought so far and not yet picked up. The three talk about their own favourite investigators from the golden age of psychical research, the late 19th century to the 1950's. Sarah loves Harry Price, a classic character who has come to my attention too, mostly through my research into Helen Duncan. Alice's favourite is Molly Goldney. I was familiar with that name because she was Price's assistant in the famous 1930 backstreet experiments with Helen. I learned a lot from Alice's information because she has read Molly's private letters. It turns out Molly had a very low opinion of Price and was far closer to one of his main rivals than Harry would have liked. Alice said that Price forced Molly to do the internal body search on Helen against her will and Helen's. From what I gather, from talking to Maggie Hahn and other sources, Helen wanted and demanded this precaution. She even did it at her private performances. Helen was desperate to prove herself to be a real manifestation medium and was far more transparent than most of her peers, see: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2020/02/helen-duncan-portal.html. 

Ben's chosen expert was Tony Cornell, a very cautious and rational figure who was often featured in the media. Unfortunately I was hampered by my usual drowsiness. This seems inescapable when I'm sitting in a warm and comfortable auditorium, especially if I had to get up early to be there; which I did. I had to catch the coach to get to London on time. I tried to doze quietly and unobtrusively, keeping one ear alert so I could hear the speakers' words in my stupor. There were about two hundred people there and I looked for others that I knew. I recognized a few by sight rather than name; but somebody I identified easily was Deborah Hyde, also known as "Jourdemayne" the "skeptic witch". She has come up before on HPANWO several times, for example see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2013/11/consciousness-beyond-individual.html. During the lunch break and afterwards we went to the Penderel's Oak pub on nearby High Holborn. I'm pleased to say it is now a Wetherspoons. It was a trip down Memory Lane for me because London Skeptics in the Pub used to meet in the basement bar there, for examples see: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2021/08/skeptics-portal.html. I wondered if Deborah would join us for the same nostalgic reasons, but she did not. Source: https://forteanlondon.blogspot.com/2026/02/strange-central-2026-mysteries-monsters.html. Colin, Miles, Chandra and another woman we met called Beersheba, had a great time sharing a few drinks and dinner. Another friend, Rhiannon, was watching at home on the live coverage, and the two of us shared our running thoughts during the proceedings. I finally headed home at about 8 PM. As I've often said, the social side of the conference scene is really the best part. In a way, the speakers are just an excuse for us to get together. Times spent at conferences are very precious to me and I look forward to the next one. I truly enjoyed the day. Many thanks to all the speakers, organizers and delegates for Strange Days. Hope there will be another one soon.

See here for more information: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2024/06/conspiracy-theory-and-culture.html.
And: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2011/09/british-humanist-association-conspiracy.html.

Digital ID MP Reply

 

I have had a reply to a letter I sent to my Member of Parliament about my concerns over Digital ID:
 
Dear Ben,
Thank you for taking the time to share your views on digital ID. I take the points you raise very seriously. I am sorry for the delay in responding to you.
It is important that any system of digital ID takes people's legitimate concerns on board. For example, it must ensure that the highest data security standards are followed, because I agree with you about the importance of respecting privacy. The Government has given a commitment that privacy will be put first at every step. This will be achieved through encryption and authentication, and by decentralising data storage.
I am pleased the Government has confirmed use of the proposed new digital ID will not be compulsory. People will be able to use alternative forms of ID such as a biometric passport to prove they have the right to work in the UK if they have reservations about the new system. I think this is the right approach. I believe it is also possible to pursue digital ID in a manner which empowers citizens, as shown by the vibrant democracies where people embraced it, such as in Estonia and Finland. I note those countries have placed their citizens' consent at the centre of the system, and that is what I want to see happen here in the UK.
Technology has changed the way we interact with each other and with public services. The new digital ID is intended to give people the option of a modern way to prove who they are, and to help them access services online more easily. In this sense, a digital ID will be no different to having a passport or driving licence. Additionally, it concerns me that too many people are currently unable to prove their identity and face exclusion from services, such as the 1 in 10 British citizens who do not have a photo ID. Digital ID could help to address such exclusion.
A public consultation on the proposed digital ID scheme is now open and will close on 5 May 2026. I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with me and strongly encourage you to submit your views. It is important to me that the new digital ID is inclusive, secure, and empowering, and I will continue to carefully consider all constituents' views as the programme develops.
Kind regards,
Anneliese Dodds MP
 
I am dismayed by this response, but hardly surprised. Mzzzzzzzzz Dodds is after all a former member of the EU parliament and was also Shadow women and equalities minister, or should I say "Women!" and "Equalities!" minister? She is virtually the textbook perfection of what a modern centre left Starmerista politician should be. No wonder she was put in one of the safest Labour seats in England. Despite her rigmarole of stately diplomacy and olive branch reaching out, it is pretty clear she has a positive opinion of the proposed digital ID system and explains her reasons. I comprehensively discredit each and every one of them in the background links below. Anneliese shares my approval that digital ID shall not be compulsory without addressing the point that once the infrastructure is in place the rules can then be easily changed. We must stop the entire scheme altogether to be safe. I do feel positive about this, because of the MP's debate, see link below. Starmer's power is clearly waning and this is just the latest in a series of climb-downs he's been forced into. They will lose the original bill in the Commons. This doesn't mean they'll give up. We must not let our guard down! Do continue to resist in whatever way you can.
See here for background: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2025/10/id-petition-response-omissions-and.html.
And: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2025/12/mp-digital-id-debate.html.

Ben Emlyn-Jones at Vancouver UFO

 

I will be speaking at an online event hosted by the Canadian group Vancouver UFO & Preparing for Contact. My talk is entitled "UFO Disclosure: What They're Not Telling You". This will be an original discussion that will address the UFO subject and its connection to state operations as well as other strange phenomena. To take part you will need to join Meetup and make sure you can use Zoom. Follow the instructions on the event's page. It will take place on Saturday the 9th of May at 6 PM BST. It will be a public video afterwards. There is no charge, see: https://www.meetup.com/preparing-for-et-contact/events/314207932/. (Illustration by Brian Ruhe)

See here for background: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2020/02/ufo-disclosure-portal.html.

Ben Emlyn-Jones with Julia AnchorHaven

 

See here for the programme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8I3-UJIZ8.
I have been featured on Julia AnchorHaven's channel. Topics discussed include: underground bases in the UK, is AI conscious?, the life and works of Nick Pope and much much more. (Illustration by Julia)

Ben Emlyn-Jones on the Last Revolution Podcast

                         
See here for the programme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgUVds4TSLA.
I have been featured on the Last Revolution Podcast with Nathan Lucius. Topics discussed include: fingerprinting schoolchildren, psychology as a weapon, the trauma of the red pill and much much more.

Nick Pope Dies

 

I'm sorry to report that Nick Pope has died; and I am genuinely sorry. As regulars know, Nick and I didn't see eye-to-eye on much, to put it mildly; but I am still dismayed at the news of his passing. Nick joined the Ministry of Defence in 1985 and did several jobs, but he is best known for running "Secretariat (Air Staff) 2a", known as the UFO desk. This led to a prolific media career where he became known as "Britain's (or "the real") Fox Mulder", "the man from the Ministry" and many other nicknames. He took part in too many TV programmes and movies to mention, and he wrote a number of books. He was as absolute staple on the conference circuit. He's even had a song written about him by Mark Christopher Lee's band, The Pocket Gods, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab-v2xZHQdw. Despite this, he was always very cautious and used catchphrases like "I can neither confirm nor deny that" and "we can't rule it out" over and over again. His death was not unexpected, in fact he posted a few weeks ago that he was very ill and effectively in palliative care. He passed away peacefully at his home yesterday with his wife Elizabeth by his side. He was sixty years old. I used to get on well with Nick. We even had dinner together once in London with Tabitha, his partner at the time. We fell out because I resented what I believe was false information and disinformation he was spreading, especially about the Rendlesham Forest incident. I met up with him again briefly last year at Contact in the Desert and exchanged greetings. As I said at the time, we had both been invited to an exclusive private party at the conference venue and I felt obliged to behave well. Despite my antipathy towards Nick Pope, I will miss him. He has been part of the UFOlogical furniture for so long now; a figurehead of the movement, however flawed. Aliens will never be the same without him. His family have my deepest condolences. The Sun, one of the many journals he wrote for as a UFO correspondent, has published a touching obituary. Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/38742171/ufo-expert-dies-after-cancer-battle-wife-tribute/.

S4- The Bob Lazar Story

 

I felt some urgency to watch this new documentary about Bob Lazar, S4- The Bob Lazar Story. I had already seen the interview by Patrick from Vetted with the director Luigi Vendittelli and I had to go away on Good Friday when the movie dropped. I returned on Easter Sunday knowing that social media would be infested with spoilers and I could only avoid them for so long; so I paid the rental late at night and watched it through after presenting The Gas Spanner. This is not the first film about Bob by any means. Another had come out a few years earlier directed by Jeremy Corbell that I reviewed at the time, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2018/12/bob-lazar-area-51-and-flying-saucers.html and: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2018/12/bob-lazar-movie-livestream.html. That one was mostly about Bob's personal life in the present day. Would this new one be any different? Although it does cover Bob's family and work briefly, it is mostly about his original story. It begins with his early life, developing a keen interest in science and engineering from childhood. He was a remarkably skilled designer and builder. In 1982 he converted his wife's Honda Civic hatchback into a jet-propelled car. He claims to have started working at the famous Los Alamos National Laboratory the same year, although this has been called into question and there is considerable evidence both for and against this part of his background. His recruitment to the flying saucer reverse-engineering project has often been cited as one of Bob's most incredulous assertions, but it is actually not that outlandish. The project is not unlike an espionage ring in its relationship to public government and industry, and we all have heard how spies are persuaded to join a cause through privately schmoozing them. It often does start with a simple conversation, like the one Bob had with Edward Teller; and sometimes the talent scout does simply think the contact "sounds like he has the right stuff." We've seen the same pattern with another case that has recently emerged, the Reddit scientist who studied alien bodies: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2025/02/catastrophic-d-on-reddit.html and: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2025/02/reddit-scientist-livestream.html. George Knapp also says the very fact that Bob has a personality that made him easy to discredit, if that needed to be done potentially, was an important qualification.

As somebody who has been fascinated with the chronicles of Bob Lazar for well over thirty years now, there was little in terms of narrative that I have not heard of before; yet this is the first time I have seen the annals being presented this way. It was announced at the beginning that the animation was all made "by hand", meaning without artificial intelligence; a necessary disclaimer in today's world. The figures, models and backgrounds were all designed by real animators; and it was done very well. Watching them made what I have already learned more vivid. Individuals Bob got to know in his adventures and has described before, like the doctor lady, "Dennis" and "Barry" are brought strikingly to life. Some are modelled by real actors. The effect of the whole reconstruction is very dramatic. Of course that is not new evidence, but it does make the original claim feel more real. There are some talking head scenes as well, interspersed with the reconstructions. These are full of somewhat obtrusive jump cuts which comes across as a bit amateurish. Despite it being a familiar story, there are some exclusives in this documentary. We discover that the Google Earth images of Papoose Lake have been doctored for some reason and older images show details that could support Bob's testimony. Other researchers have previously found other instances, for example: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2021/11/s4-entrance.html. Why is it necessary to keep renewing these satellite images if there's nothing there? We also hear for the first time how the Wednesday night test flight disk came very close to Bob and his friends when they went there as spectators; as if the pilot inside had detected and recognized Bob. That could explain how he was caught soon afterwards. Do I believe Bob Lazar? Every time I watch a good film promoting him, like this one, I say yes; but then something else comes up that calls my enthusiasm into question. Stanton T Friedman, one of the people in UFOlogy whose judgement I trust the most, always denounced Bob as a fantasist. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying I don't know. S4- The Bob Lazar Story can be bought or rented on all good streaming outlets. Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37605896/. It is much cheaper than some other recent releases. It's good we finally have a truly general release category arty cinematic documentary about Bob Lazar. All that is left to do now is the big screen Hollywood dramatization. I've always thought Cillian Murphy or Johnny Depp could play a good Bob.
See here for background: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2020/02/ufo-disclosure-portal.html.