James Cartwright - BEAMS DerbyshireMy name is James and I live in Dronfield, Derbyshire and people generally know me as 'Jim'.
I first became interested in UFOs back in 1977 and like many young enthusiasts, I liked to believe that they were alien spaceships. But with the all too quickly passing of the years and much study, I realized that there has to be several explanations for them, and that if we ever were visited by an alien spaceship, the sighting was probably lost among the 'noise' of the hundreds of other sightings and reports. I tend to be very cautious about claims that aliens have any connection with these sightings but there are certainly some genuine mysteries. It would be ridiculous to maintain there are no mysteries and unfair to label all witnesses of strange phenomena as liars. I have known individuals like this and the attitude is exasperating to say the least! My personal stance is one of open-mindedness, but not so open that I would thoughtlessly believe anything and everything.
I am particularly interested in UFOs that have been reported as being seen 'parked' on the ground and have visited the sites where they were seen, albeit years later. The one I still find the most interesting is the 'Livingston encounter' of 1979 in Scotland.
I am also very interested in the triangular UFOs seen from time to time--one was seen only a mile or so from where I live in 1993 and it was seen at various places around the UK that evening and the morning after, reportedly over RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury. The latter has its detractors who believe that Nick Pope, who detailed these sightings in his book 'Open Minds, Closed Skies,' is simply mistaken and prone to wishful thinking. I keep an open mind about the UFO incidents at Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk--I have visited the place twice and my wife's relatives live close to this forest. They know about the UFO incidents there but regard them with some amusement! I find that I can diffuse scepticism or amusement by saying that I like the 'folklore' attached to these reports, which is true. Taken at face value, they are indeed very fascinating but what actually lies behind them is another matter--I have no answers. To persistently call these witnesses liars is sheer ignorance and very unfair, but on the other hand, to label everything strange or unfamiliar as 'ET' isn't very intelligent, either. Thus, each case has to be studied as closely as possible and only then either an obvious answer or a 'best guess' can be arrived at. But as you no doubt know, some cases simply defy explanation.
Another case which fascinates me is the 'Silpho Moor Saucer' of 1957--you probably know of it, but a copper 'flying saucer' about 18 inches in diameter was found on Silpho Moor, Yorkshire. It had hieroglyphics of some kind etched onto it and a copper leaf book was discovered within it, inscribed with more strange script. It was no doubt a hoax or subterfuge but a fascinating one. I built a half-size replica of it a few years ago and took it to Silpho Moor, and in the general area where the original was found, placed it amid the bracken and took photographs. No one ever claimed responsibility for it and some believe it was a military surveillance device which went astray. Others believe it was a hoax, but given what it was built from, an expensive one!
Back in 2006, I wrote a course on ufology which is used by a Devon correspondence school to this day. I cannot, as the author, divulge too much about it but it basically discusses the UFO phenomenon and the various theories to account for it. Students are left to draw their own conclusions.
Occupation-wise, I am a free-lance writer and a mining historian, and recently qualified as a counsellor. I did have a stint a scientist in an analytical lab and have a degree in Biblical Studies and Philosophy, but I am also qualified as a Pharmaceutical chemist (not pharmacist).
