Dr David Clarke

The Canadian government release their Sky Project report on #ufos and recommend the launch of a new team to collect sightings. Their survey found 27% of Canadians have seen a #UFO #UAPs : science.gc.ca/site/science...

#ISCLR2025 Has opened! Fascinating talks from Aphrodite-Lidia Nounanaki and a wonderful keynote by legendary scholar Bengt at Kilntberg! @davidwclarke.bsky.social and I did our presentation on @nfsengland.bsky.social also :)

Scientists find promising hints of life on distant planet K2-18b Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.

'Greetings, carbon based bipeds!' - Scientists find 'strongest evidence yet' of life on distant planet #SETI
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Debunking the marsh gas theory for #folklore traditions and experiences of the Will o'the Wisp/ghost-lights in East Anglia and elsewhere: my presentation @lincsfolk.bsky.social symposium @trentuniversity.bsky.social i: lincolnshirefolktalesproject.com

April Fools Day: Are we too suspicious of a prank story nowadays? Humorous headlines once flooded the papers on 1 April. Experts explain why it does not happen today.

'Spaghetti growing on trees' - are we too wary of the #AprilFools prank? #folklore #NFS:
www.bbc.com/news/article...

The mythical creature from Harry Potter that has northern roots The grindylow is one of the creatures chosen to be featured on a new set of Royal Mail stamps.

The mythical creature from Harry Potter that has northern roots #NFS #folklorethursday
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Beowulf and Grendel

Grindylow

Selkie

Black Shuck

Exciting news: I’m thrilled to share a project I’ve loved working on – Royal Mail’s brand-new Myths and Legends Special Stamps, released this week!
Keep an eye out for the stamps – let me know which legendary figure is your favourite!
#FolkloreThursday
www.culturalfuturesfoundry.com/royal-mail-m...

For the love of: Folklore Ahead of a new National Folklore Study, David Clarke explains that myths and legends help meet our need for enchantment

For the love of #folklore: Positive News covers the launch if the #NFS for England:
www.positive.news/society/for-...

Royal Mail launches mythical creatures stamp collection Myths and fables from across the UK are illustrated in the set of stamps.

Royal Mail unveils folklore and mythology themed stamps #NFS: BBC News - Royal Mail launches mythical creatures stamp collection
www.bbc.com/news/article...

The 42nd Perspectives on Contemporary Legend conference hosted by The Institute for Language and Folklore, The Mid Sweden University and Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency is currently accepting abstracts for papers!

Abstracts are due March 17th! Learn more here: bit.ly/3EQd9c4

A discussion point that nobody expected to come out of tailoring the @nfsengland.bsky.social questions…

To what extent are cryptids and supernatural creatures in the landscape a smokescreen for dogging opportunities?

There’s a research paper in this for someone…

#nfs #nfsengland

The @nfsengland.bsky.social will poll 1,750 people through panels across various demographics

#nfs #nfsengland

The @nfsengland.bsky.social will focus on surveying:

Custom and Belief

Traditional Narrative (folktales, legends and personal experiences)

The survey will be carries out by IPSOS MORI.

#nfs #nfsengland

The @nfsengland.bsky.social builds on previous work, but more especially the Survey of English Folklore: 1955-1964 which was undertaken by University College London and is now held in the National Archive

#nfs #nfsengland

The @nfsengland.bsky.social is funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Why England only? Because it builds on a previous study and so the first stage has to have the same focus.

It is hoped to survey the rest of the UK in later projects too

#nfs #nfsengland

Can't believe I get to work with all these people - who's who of many UK folklorists yesterday (+ others who had to leave before this photo, taken by Andrew Robinson) @davidwclarke.bsky.social @nfsengland.bsky.social @folkloresociety.bsky.social @folklorepod.bsky.social @chrisbader.bsky.social etc!

Panorama of Sheffield from the conference room for @nfsengland.bsky.social today

And we’re off! Our project partners have descended from across the country (and beyond) to help us critique the first draft of the survey. Many excellent questions to focus thoughts.

“More twists and turns than a John le Carré thriller” 🛸

- @davidwclarke.bsky.social featured in The Guardian yesterday, talking about his research into the mysterious Calvine UFO photo ⬇

What really happened in Calvine? The mystery behind the best UFO picture ever seen In August 1990, two hikers sent photos of a strange diamond-shaped aircraft to the press – but the story never appeared. Was it a prank, a hoax, an optical illusion or something else entirely?

'This story's had more twists than a le Carre thriller': my take on the #Calvine #UFO mystery @theguardian.com : www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

So chuffed to officially launch the National Folklore Survey project yesterday with my lovely @nfsengland.bsky.social colleagues @davidwclarke.bsky.social and Sophie Parkes-Nield to surprisingly packed out room at @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social yesterday! #folklore

The Angels of Mons - Historic UK At the start of the First World War, during the Battle of Mons on August 23, 1914 rumours arose and took root of a heavenly host of angels, armed with bows and arrows, that came to the rescue of the h...

'St George and the ghostly bowmen of Mons'. Review of the #WW1 legend of the Angels of Mons by Dr Miriam Bibby, the subject of my 2004 book @historicuk :
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Hi...

UK: Rare ‘UFO clouds’ spotted Northern parts of the UK have been treated to the stunning sight of lenticular clouds. Matt Taylor explains how they form.

BBC News - Rare 'UFO clouds' spotted in UK skies
www.bbc.com/weather/arti...

Exciting that the National Folklore Survey project (led by @davidwclarke.bsky.social with a team including myself, sophie parkes-nield, @owenjones.bsky.social , @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social, + chris bader) got a double-page spread in the latest @forteantimes.bsky.social!

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world YouTube

Behind the scenes of my interview with James Fox, producer of The Program, a documentary on #UFOs covering the discovery of the #CalvineUFO photographs in Scotland 1990: now a UFOlogical legend:
youtu.be/hH5mEZ_BLZc?...

TIL: there was a 'mystery drone/UFO/aircraft/airship' scare over helicopters!
@davidwclarke.bsky.social