Solway Firth Spaceman
Encyclopedia
The Solway Firth Spaceman (also known as the Solway Spaceman and the Cumberland Spaceman) refers to a photograph taken by Jim Templeton in 1964 at Burgh Marsh, situated near Burgh by Sands
and overlooking the Solway Firth
in Cumbria
, England
. Templeton claims the photograph shows a background figure wearing a space suit
and insists that he did not see anyone present when the photograph was taken. The image has attracted interest from ufologists
and has become a source of international fascination.
(now part of Cumbria
), took three photographs of his five-year-old daughter while on a day trip to Burgh Marsh. Templeton said the only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old ladies sitting in a car at the far end of the marsh. In a letter to the Daily Mail
in 2002, Templeton stated, "I took three pictures of my daughter Elizabeth in a similar pose - and was shocked when the middle picture came back from Kodak displaying what looks like a spaceman in the background." Templeton insists that he did not see the figure until after his photographs were developed, and analysts at Kodak confirmed that the photograph was genuine.
Templeton claims to have been visited after the photograph was published by two men from "Her Majesty's Government" who refused to show their identification, referred to each other as numbers, and asked him questions about the activities of local bird life and the weather conditions on the day of the photograph. Templeton claims that when he refused to admit the photo was of a passer-by, the men became angry and drove away leaving him stranded on the marsh five miles from home.
In a BBC Look North interview and a letter to The Daily Mail, Templeton also claimed that a Blue Streak missile launch at the Woomera Test Range
had been aborted because the figures of two large men were seen on the firing range. Templeton alleged that technicians later saw his photograph in an Australian newspaper and found the figures to be "exactly the same type of man, same dress, same figure, same size".
Responding to a request from UFOlogists to know if the photo was of interest to the authorities, an MoD official said that the Templeton photo was of no interest to the MoD.
Jim Templeton continues to attend UFO conventions to discuss his photograph, he has also gone on to become a published poet with his book "Jelhead" and is well known on the poetry performance scene.
Sadly Jim Templeton has passed away aged 91 - 30th November 2011. Jim, whose wife Annie died in August 2004, leaves his daughters Elizabeth, Frances, Anne and six grandchildren.
Burgh by Sands
Burgh by Sands is a village and civil parish in the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England, situated near the Solway Firth. The parish includes the village of Burgh by Sands along with Longburgh, Dykesfield, Boustead Hill, Moorhouse and Thurstonfield....
and overlooking the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Templeton claims the photograph shows a background figure wearing a space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
and insists that he did not see anyone present when the photograph was taken. The image has attracted interest from ufologists
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
and has become a source of international fascination.
Photograph
On 23 May 1964, the late Jim Templeton, a firefighter from Carlisle, CumberlandCumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
(now part of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
), took three photographs of his five-year-old daughter while on a day trip to Burgh Marsh. Templeton said the only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old ladies sitting in a car at the far end of the marsh. In a letter to the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
in 2002, Templeton stated, "I took three pictures of my daughter Elizabeth in a similar pose - and was shocked when the middle picture came back from Kodak displaying what looks like a spaceman in the background." Templeton insists that he did not see the figure until after his photographs were developed, and analysts at Kodak confirmed that the photograph was genuine.
Publicity
Templeton told reporters, "I took the picture to the police in Carlisle who, after many doubts, examined it and stated there was nothing suspicious about it. The local newspaper, the Cumberland News, picked up the story and within hours it was all over the world. The picture is certainly not a fake, and I am as bemused as anyone else as to how this image appeared in the background. Over the four decades the photo has been in the public domain, I have had many thousands of letters from all over the world with various ideas or possibilities - most of which make little sense to me." Templeton stated that he had not pursued or experienced financial gain as a result of distributing the photograph.Templeton claims to have been visited after the photograph was published by two men from "Her Majesty's Government" who refused to show their identification, referred to each other as numbers, and asked him questions about the activities of local bird life and the weather conditions on the day of the photograph. Templeton claims that when he refused to admit the photo was of a passer-by, the men became angry and drove away leaving him stranded on the marsh five miles from home.
In a BBC Look North interview and a letter to The Daily Mail, Templeton also claimed that a Blue Streak missile launch at the Woomera Test Range
Woomera Test Range
The RAAF Woomera Test Range is a weapons testing range operated by the Royal Australian Air Force Aerospace Operational Support Group...
had been aborted because the figures of two large men were seen on the firing range. Templeton alleged that technicians later saw his photograph in an Australian newspaper and found the figures to be "exactly the same type of man, same dress, same figure, same size".
Responding to a request from UFOlogists to know if the photo was of interest to the authorities, an MoD official said that the Templeton photo was of no interest to the MoD.
Jim Templeton continues to attend UFO conventions to discuss his photograph, he has also gone on to become a published poet with his book "Jelhead" and is well known on the poetry performance scene.
Sadly Jim Templeton has passed away aged 91 - 30th November 2011. Jim, whose wife Annie died in August 2004, leaves his daughters Elizabeth, Frances, Anne and six grandchildren.
External links
- Thompson, A. "Famous UFO sightings from the past". Whitehaven News (16 August 2005).
- Story, Chris. "Suspected UFO sighting leads to Cumbria hotspot claim.". News & Star (25 February 2009).