NICK REDFERN: Interviewed by Mark Antony Raines

As for inspiration, much of it came from my dad. He was a radar mechanic in the British Royal Air Force and was involved in a couple of radar-based UFO incidents in September 1952, at an English RAF base called Neatishead. The radar guys tracked a number of unknown targets over 3 days, none of which were ever identified. My dad told me the story when I was about 13 or 14 and that is what got me interested and on the trail of the UFO mystery. 

As for my aims, it's pretty much the same with everything I research, whether it's UFOs or my other big interest Cryptozoology. My aim is to try and uncover the truth about whatever I investigate, and I investigate it to the best of my ability. I'm not interested in upholding belief-systems. I have no interest in A-Z of everything to do with zombies, in movies, books, history, legend, folklore, television shows - and maybe in reality, too! upholding belief-systems. I have no interest in proving this theory or that theory. I just go where the data takes me. 

As for the future, I have a new book out in June called "Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind," which is all about mysterious and suspicious deaths in the field of Ufology. Then in September, me and Brad Steiger will have a co-written book out titled "The Zombie Book." It's an A-Z of everything to do with zombies, in movies, books,

EMMA OSBORNE: Interviewed by Mark Antony Raines

I have always had a keen interest in the paranormal, and the strange and mysterious, including cryptozoology.  My mum and I used to watch programmes on the TV and read books etc., and loved talking about the subject. When I met Matt he introduced me to Jon and things went from there.  I asked if I could help,  and hopefully I have been helping ever since. I am constantly learning new things and I like the fact I am helping people.

Plans for the future? To help Jon as much as I can regarding the CFZ and help others within the organisation to achieve things too. Jon won't be able to continue this forever,  but I am hoping however that the CFZ and the Weird Weekend will be his legacy and people will still come to the event, making it bigger and better each year.

On a personal note, my grandmother inspired me; she was a lovely kind lady, who would help others even to the detriment of herself. She would always go that extra mile to be there for someone if they needed it and she never turned anyone away; if someone needed food she feed them etc. Many people tell me I am a lot like her and her mother, my great grandmother. 

I have spoken to Jon about this many times. I see and feel things not of this world, apparently its seems it runs in the women's side of the family and after researching my family tree I have discovered I am Roma Gypsy. I have been able to see and feel this way ever since I can remember. I do not boast about this or tell many people but Jon was the first person outside my family who didn't think I was making it up.

GHOSTMAN RAINES INTERVIEWED BY HIMSELF

WHAT INSPIRED YOU?

Two events inspired me in my life the first being the death of my dad it made me think what have I done with my life.The second being meeting Jonathan Downes at the C.F.Z. Through helping him at the CFZ, I was inspired to write, draw and regain some of the light in my life.

WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF YOUR BLOGS?

My aims are simple. I like to research about various subjects for my blogs than write, post, find or make a video that at least one person will like.

WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE?

I  am hoping to do a small talk at the annual C.F.Z event, The Weird Weekend in Woolsery, Devon between the 15the and 17th August 2014. To carry on doing my blogs, cartoons and at least hope I will inspire someone one day. Not bad for an ex-Essex lad; disabled, with mental health issues,overweight and yes a bit boring old fart.

Woman gets slapped in the face by a whale

RICHARD FREEMAN: interviewed by Mark Antony Raines

I was inspired by the 1970's Doctor Who with Jon Pertwee. It was set on earth so the monsters were more immediate and scary: super intelligent dinosaurs waking up from hibernation in Derbyshire caves and under the sea, giant, toxic maggots on Welsh slag heaps, disembodied aliens possessing plastic toys and dummies.

My aims are to investigate cryptids, prove that they exist and get them legally protected. I also want to kick science out of the rut it is currently in and encourage a more Victorian ethos of exploration and discovery (without killing!). I'm hoping to return to:

Tasmania to continue the search for the Thylacine
Sumatra to search for the orang-pendek
Mongolia to search for the deathworm
Russia to search for the almasty
India to search for the yeti

And also to search for the Japanese wolf, the man-eating lake monsters of Siberia, and the lake monsters of China, Tibet and Japan.

HUW COLLINGBOURNE: Interviewed by Mark Antony Raines

What inspired you? 

People who never give up inspire me. If you have an ambition, you should never give up until you've achieved it. And I am inspired by originality. If you do something original and fail, it's better than doing something that's just the same as everyone else and succeeding. I am a writer and aikido teacher. I am inspired by writers who are unique - whose works cannot be mistaken for someone else's. Favourite writers include: P G Wodehouse, Thomas Hardy, John Rechy and Philip K Dick. As an aikido teacher, I am inspired by people who slog away year after year, no matter how hard it seems or how slow their progress. The secret is to never give up.

What plans do you have for the future? 

Later in the year I will be teaching a special seminar (with another teacher) to introduce more people to aikido. See my blog to keep up to date with the latest news: http://hartlandaikido.blogspot.co.uk/ Apart from that, my main plans are to do more fiction writing. I've spent most of my adult life writing for magazines . From now on, I want to write stories and novels.

What are your aims? 

As a writer, I just keep on writing. I am currently working on a novel set in the Victorian period. This is something new for me. Researching the 19th Century is interesting and fun. As an aikido teacher, I want to teach more people the power, joy and elegance of this wonderful martial art: http://hartlandaikido.blogspot.co.uk/

Planet X,’ The Mysterious Planet Beyond Pluto, Is Nowhere To Be Found In NASA’s WISE Survey

Those hoping to replace Pluto with a new planet may be disappointed with news about the hypothetical “Planet X.” The gas giant looming in the outer reaches of our solar system was nowhere to be found as NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer observed millions of objects but no sign of Planet X.

According to NASA, new analysis of the WISE data didn't turn up any evidence of Planet X. The research, published in the Astrophysical Journal, was unable to observe a Saturn-size planet, or larger, 10,000 astronomical units away and no Jupiter-size planet, or larger, 26,000 au. An astronomical unit is the distance between the earth and the sun, 93 million miles.
Planet X, or Tyche, is a hypothetical gas giant, up to four times larger than Jupiter, that could be found in the Oort Cloud and affecting the orbits of comets. Two University of Louisana at Lafayette physics professors, John Matese and Daniel Whitmire, are credited as the researchers behind the theoretical planet. When news of their research began getting plenty of mainstream attention in 2011, it was met with plenty of doubt.read more