Editor's Note: This article has been faithfully transcribed from the original Beyond the Veil Magazine, Issue #50.
Archive Reference: BTV-050-01
Special 50th Issue: The Most Compelling Cases
Issue #50: February 1983
This publication reaches a milestone with our fiftieth issue. Since January 1979, we have covered hundreds of cases, documented countless witness accounts, and examined evidence from across Britain and beyond.
As we celebrate this anniversary, we revisit the cases that have most impressed our editorial team. These are the mysteries that, despite years of investigation, remain unexplained.
The Enfield Poltergeist
Our coverage of the Enfield case in 1977-78 brought this extraordinary haunting to national attention. A council house in North London became the site of phenomena witnessed by police officers, journalists, and researchers.
The activity centred on Janet Hodgson, then eleven years old. Objects moved. Furniture flew. A gruff male voice spoke through Janet, claiming to be the spirit of a previous occupant who had died in the house.
Sceptics have suggested trickery. But the volume, duration, and variety of phenomena argue against fraud. Enfield remains one of the most thoroughly documented poltergeist cases in history.
The Rendlesham Incident
In December 1980, US Air Force personnel at RAF Bentwaters encountered something in Rendlesham Forest. We published the first comprehensive account in Issue #25 and have followed developments since.
Multiple military witnesses observed a craft among the trees. Physical traces were found. Radiation readings were elevated. The deputy base commander recorded his observations on audio tape.
Two years later, official denials continue. But the witnesses remain adamant: something extraordinary occurred in that forest.
The Hexham Heads
Two small carved heads discovered in a Northumberland garden in 1972 triggered a chain of paranormal events that spread to every location the heads visited. We examined this case in our second issue and remain fascinated by it.
The heads themselves have been lost. But the phenomena they apparently caused, including a werewolf-like apparition, were witnessed by multiple credible observers.
The Livingston Incident
Robert Taylor’s encounter in a Scottish forest in 1979 is unique: the only UFO case investigated as a crime by British police. We published our analysis in Issue #24.
Taylor encountered a spherical craft and smaller objects that attacked him. Physical evidence was preserved. The investigation confirmed that something extraordinary had occurred.
The case remains officially unsolved.
The Bell Witch
Our examination of America’s most famous haunting in Issue #8 revealed a phenomenon unlike any other. The Bell Witch spoke, prophesied, and physically attacked members of the Bell family.
Whatever terrorised the Bells in Tennessee two centuries ago has no parallel in the annals of the supernatural.
The Highgate Vampire
From our first investigations in 1979 to our comprehensive report in Issue #55, the Highgate Vampire case has captured our attention. Something stalks the old cemetery in North London.
Whether it is a genuine vampire, a ghost, or something else entirely, the phenomena continue.
The Roman Legion of York
Harry Martindale’s encounter with phantom Roman soldiers in the Treasurer’s House cellar, which we examined in Issue #18, remains one of Britain’s most compelling ghost sightings.
The soldiers walked on buried roads, their legs invisible below the modern floor. Archaeological excavation later confirmed the road’s existence at exactly the depth Martindale described.
The Borley Rectory Legacy
Our very first issue examined the most famous haunted house in England. Though the building itself was destroyed, the site remains active.
Harry Price’s investigations established the template for modern paranormal research. Borley taught us how to investigate the unexplained.
Lessons Learned
Fifty issues of investigation have taught us several lessons:
Witnesses matter: The credibility of witnesses is crucial. Military personnel, police officers, and scientists make compelling witnesses because they are trained to observe accurately.
Physical evidence is rare: Most cases rest on testimony alone. When physical evidence exists, as at Livingston or Rendlesham, the case becomes significantly stronger.
Patterns emerge: Cases share common features. Poltergeists favour adolescents. UFOs appear near military bases. Ghosts walk fixed routes. These patterns may hold clues to understanding.
Scepticism is healthy: Not every claim is genuine. We have investigated hoaxes, misidentifications, and honest mistakes. Sceptical scrutiny strengthens genuine cases.
Mystery endures: Despite our best efforts, the cases we consider most compelling remain unexplained. The unexplained is not easily explained.
Looking Forward
We enter our fifth year of publication with renewed determination. The mysteries that brought us together remain unsolved. The phenomena continue.
We thank our readers for their support, their letters, and their willingness to share their experiences. Without you, this publication would not exist.
The next fifty issues await. The investigation continues.
Readers with cases worthy of investigation are invited to contact our research department.