 |
Jenny Randles
Biography
Born in the Rossendale Valley of Lancashire, not far from Pendle Hill, home of British witchcraft, and in an area so rich in UFO sightings it is now known locally as UFO Alley. The Pennine hills are one of the most active window areas‚ in Europe.
Had my first UFO sighting in my home village of Stacksteads as a small child. Have since that time seen 15 UFOs, of which 13 have been positively identified to my satisfaction. The other two were nothing more than odd lights, but as yet remain unexplained. Grew up in Manchester and have lived in the north-west all of my life (including Merseyside, Warrington & Fleetwood currently living in the Peak District, a national park of limestone hills around the Roman spa town of Buxton).
Joined Britain's oldest and largest national UFO group - the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA) - and subscribed to FSR (Flying Saucer Review) magazine circa l968/l969 from money saved up by delivering newspapers. Became a BUFORA investigator in l973. Joined the council, as northern liaison officer in l975. Promoted to Director of Investigations in l981, post held until l993. BUFORA honourary life member. I write and record BUFORA's weekly news and information service for the BT (British Telecom) phone network. This venture, UFO Call‚ has been gathering thousands of regular listeners since l989 and is available to all UK phone users.
Willing to speak out and fight for what I believe is right. For example - was behind the ban on the use of regression hypnosis, BUFORA being the group to lead this initiative in Europe. Utterly opposed to the tactics of some famous‚ UFOlogists, who have made vast sums of money and gained world-wide acclaim but regress five year old children to terrifying encounters with aliens. Yet we cannot prove these events to have really occurred and they may potentially damage the psychological health of these youngsters. We too often forget that our main obligation is to the people whose encounters we research.
I view the actions of some UFOlogists as extremely irresponsible and have helped to forge a code of practice to govern how UFOlogists should interact with the public, the media, authorities and to protect witnesses. People have created societies after watching The X Files‚ on TV and have a very false perception of what UFOlogy is all about. They see cover-ups, conspiracies, spaceships and alien bodies round every corner. The truth is usually far more mundane, but no less fascinating in my opinion. Nine out of ten UFO sightings are explained in simple terms. Many others relate to new phenomena that science has yet to understand. Some can teach us useful things about atmospheric physics and other areas of science. A few might involve contact with another intelligence that has been here on earth for centuries.
Trained to be a science teacher, specialising in geology. Then worked in making educational videos and obtained a Diploma (with distinction) in Media Communications (Manchester, l978).
Had written and published a number of articles on non UFO topics prior to l976 when I sold my first UFO book (published in l979 as UFOs: A British Viewpoint). On gaining my diploma became a full-time writer and researcher into strange phenomena, funding myself. Have published 46 books, 27 of them on UFOs. My titles have been sold to 27 countries and over a million copies have been sold to date.
I try to balance production of at least one research oriented title and one commercial title every 18 months. Current titles include, The Afterlife‚ (with Peter Hough and published by Piatkus). Also Men in Black‚ (Piatkus), Something in the Air‚ (Hale) (about the dangerous spate of mid air encounters between holiday passenger jets and strange objects) - The Complete Guide to Aliens & Abductions‚ (Piatkus) an encylopedia & reference to the history, global cases, involvement of sci-fi TV and movies, researchers, witnesses and all proposed theories of explanation. My Piatkus reference work, The Paranormal Source Book‚ is published in an expanded thoroughly revised Millenium Edition‚. This has a section on 24 topics with full briefings and data sources aimed at witnesses and the media.
For 2001 I have published Time Storms‚ (serialised by the largest selling UK national newspaper the Daily Mail). This investigates cases of mysterious clouds that create distortions in the flow of time and space. Have just concluded a study of a UK window area and the geological / psychic forces at work therein. And am contracted to do a book about extreme scientific research, theories and discoveries that have led to controversy over the years.
A regular contributer to The X Factor, the bi-weekly part work by Marshall Cavendish, and wrote for them the book to accompany their video special on the Roswell UFO Crash. In 2000 wrote Psychic Detectives‚ a book on this theme to be published by Readers Digest in their forensic science series. Other topics that I have researched and written about include Spontaneous Human Combustion, ESP, life after death and time anomalies. I have run a precognition bureau and explored past lives. Have also written books about actors and actresses and their paranormal experiences, viz Phantoms of the Soap Operas‚ for which I visited the sets of soaps to talk to the cast about their supernatural adventures.
My articles have appeared in the Times, Guardian, New Scientist, Omni, and Weekly News, She and many other sources. I have also written and presented a 36 part series of items looking at the lighter side of the paranormal for IBA radio (everything from tortoises that predict the future to toilets invaded by poltergeists). Wrote and presented a six part in depth documentary series for the BBC radio entitled Fact or Fiction?‚ (investigating different areas of the paranormal and their link with popular music, including one on UFOs). In l996 researched, scripted and presented a BBC-2 TV documentary, Britain's Secret UFO Files‚ which set a record audience for that arm of the BBC (despite its £500 budget!) Became number 4 in that weeks TV channel ratings gaining 4.5 million viewers.
Was the ITV teletext consultant on the paranormal for several years until they lost their franchise, during this period I regularly answered viewers questions as a supernatural agony aunt‚ (Dear Abby). Have served as official story consultant to the ITV series Strange but True?‚ from before the l993 pilot onward, including work on the l994 documentary about the Rendlesham Forest case, which had a record audience of over 12 million viewers. In 1997 we made a 90 minute live Strange but True?‚. Written both books that accompany the TV series and was officially involved in every aspect of the series being credited as such on screen behind only the producer and presenter, Michael Aspel (who also presents the UK version of This is your life). Also was an official consultant to the four-hour Discovery Channel series on UFOs made in l996. Have edited Northern UFO News since l974 and am British consultant to the Dr J Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies journal International UFO Reporter. Regularly write for the Daily Mail answering readers questions on paranormal issues at their request.
My lectures have been given all over the world. These include everything from a casino on Australia's Gold Coast to the Houses of Parliament where I gave a day long briefing to politicians on UFOs at their request. What drives me onward is said best by Neil Armstrong, first human to walk on the moon: Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis for mankinds desire to understand.
I love puzzles and enjoy the cross between being a detective, social worker and scientist that the quest for truth behind the paranormal involves. I do not believe or disbelieve. I listen to the evidence, wonder what it means and go and try to figure that out. If that answer is a mundane one then I consider this result to be a success, not a disappointment. But, whilst much of the supernatural is open to prosaic explanation, I do believe that there are some surprises waiting to be uncovered, possibly even ones that will revolutionise the planet.
SOME CLASSIC JENNY RANDLES BOOKS
Alien Abductions
The Complete Book of Aliens & Abductions
The Little Giant Encyclopedia of UFOs
Mind Monsters: Invaders from Inner Space?
Beyond Explanation? Paranormal Experiences of... 'Famous People'
CoAuthor of The UFOs That Never Were
CoAuthor of Looking For The Aliens
(Biography written by Jenny Randles. From the National UFO Conference website.) |
