The year was 1967 early July in the UK, Peter was 17 and worked as an apprentice metal fabricator and Joan was 16 and in her last year at school. On this particular day they had decided to take a walk in the country, a common thing to do for courting couples of that era. They did not have computers iPod’s or mobile phones, so they used their spare time walking and talking. They had walked to the small country hamlet of Dilhorne, a village about 3 miles from where Peter lived and 2- 3/4 miles from Joan’s house. They had enjoyed their walk and were on the return journey through the village of Caverswall. The road leading into Caverswall was called The Hollows. This was a 300 yard long deep furrow in the landscape with grass embankments topped with large trees which formed a green tunnel as their branches and leaves stretched across the road during summer. Peter and Joan had gone about a quarter of the way down The Hollows towards Caverswall. They were talking about getting married and the usual things young couples discuss when suddenly a terrifying noise stopped them dead in their tracks.
Their hearing was suddenly engulfed with an onslaught of noise so devastating it was impossible to determine the direction it was coming from. They looked around into the trees trying to see the sky through the leaves hoping to see something identifiable to associate with the powerful ponderous noise. Suddenly Joan shouted out and made a move towards the embankment; she quickly scrambled to the top and stood there in amazement. What she saw left her in stunned limbo for a few moments. Rising up and slowly moving away, was a graphite colored circular UFO. It was about 60 ft diameter with white lights set in the side of the craft. Joan excitedly turned to Peter and beckoned him to come and look. Peter had always been interested in life on other worlds and stories of UFO`s even though in those years they were rarely discussed due to the laughter factor that was invoked should you say you saw one. Even though Joan waved frantically to Peter to come and look, he remembered thinking to himself how pleased he was that Joan had seen what he always knew… that "THEY" existed, "THEY" were real. He was so pleased Joan had finally seen something.
Their hearing was suddenly engulfed with an onslaught of noise so devastating it was impossible to determine the direction it was coming from. They looked around into the trees trying to see the sky through the leaves hoping to see something identifiable to associate with the powerful ponderous noise. Suddenly Joan shouted out and made a move towards the embankment; she quickly scrambled to the top and stood there in amazement. What she saw left her in stunned limbo for a few moments. Rising up and slowly moving away, was a graphite colored circular UFO. It was about 60 ft diameter with white lights set in the side of the craft. Joan excitedly turned to Peter and beckoned him to come and look. Peter had always been interested in life on other worlds and stories of UFO`s even though in those years they were rarely discussed due to the laughter factor that was invoked should you say you saw one. Even though Joan waved frantically to Peter to come and look, he remembered thinking to himself how pleased he was that Joan had seen what he always knew… that "THEY" existed, "THEY" were real. He was so pleased Joan had finally seen something.
The second image is the point were Joan witnessed the ascending UFO, she was standing by this tree (if only tree`s could talk) it does not look it but its quite a steep climb, the view Joan had at this point is behind the line of bushes viewed from the gate by Fingerpost Farm.
Peter never saw the UFO himself but he heard the noise and for some strange reason he was contented, neither he nor Joan were disturbed by their encounter. They went home and relayed the story of their encounter to their respective families. Nothing much was said and the matter was forgotten, but not by Peter who, for a few days checked the local paper in the hope that others had seen or heard the UFO. There was nothing! This puzzled Peter and Joan because the well-populated village of Caverswall was only 200 yards away.
The years passed and from time to time Joan was haunted by The Hollows UFO incident, she felt it was unfair and she was angry that she did not know what or why the incident happened and who controlled the craft. In the 90`s when Joan was 43 years of age, she remembered that some years previous years she had gotten to know a local milkman who lived at the top of The Hollows in a small cottage known as Fingerpost Farm. He had been there for many years. Joan ventured to ask him if he had witnessed any unusual events over the years. With a smile the fellow said the only thing that he remembered having problems with was a well on the land. It was giving off fumes. The fire brigade was consulted and they determined no danger and nothing to worry about. But a strange thing happened as they and others moved away from the well; it collapsed. The well filled itself in! The well ceased to exist! So The Hollows UFO Incident still remains a mystery.
I know Peter and Joan are telling the truth because I`m that Peter in the story and Joan is sitting opposite me doing a crossword. Occasionally we reminisce about The Hollows and would love to get some answers. From time to time we look at the sky above The Hollows and wonder why the incident happened to us. While we wait for those answers, there is one thing for sure, we lived through an extraordinary moment in time, we were allowed in a split second to hear and view something out of this world. Maybe due to current world events we will soon understand what The Hollows incident was all about.
The English Cognizant Citizen
The years passed and from time to time Joan was haunted by The Hollows UFO incident, she felt it was unfair and she was angry that she did not know what or why the incident happened and who controlled the craft. In the 90`s when Joan was 43 years of age, she remembered that some years previous years she had gotten to know a local milkman who lived at the top of The Hollows in a small cottage known as Fingerpost Farm. He had been there for many years. Joan ventured to ask him if he had witnessed any unusual events over the years. With a smile the fellow said the only thing that he remembered having problems with was a well on the land. It was giving off fumes. The fire brigade was consulted and they determined no danger and nothing to worry about. But a strange thing happened as they and others moved away from the well; it collapsed. The well filled itself in! The well ceased to exist! So The Hollows UFO Incident still remains a mystery.
I know Peter and Joan are telling the truth because I`m that Peter in the story and Joan is sitting opposite me doing a crossword. Occasionally we reminisce about The Hollows and would love to get some answers. From time to time we look at the sky above The Hollows and wonder why the incident happened to us. While we wait for those answers, there is one thing for sure, we lived through an extraordinary moment in time, we were allowed in a split second to hear and view something out of this world. Maybe due to current world events we will soon understand what The Hollows incident was all about.
The English Cognizant Citizen