The Blue Man of Studham Common
Studham Common, where the boys saw the strange blue man. Was it an alien?
Many think that over 50 years ago, aliens came to Studham, a peaceful village near Dunstable, Bedfordshire, UK. This belief was sparked by a strange story told by six young boys in January 1967, who said they saw something very unusual.
Six Boys and the Blue Man of Studham
An artist's interpretation of the Blue Man of Studham Common. Image: NEN Gallery
The event occurred on January 28, 1967, around 1:45 p.m., right after lunch. It took place near the Whipsnade Park Zoo, at Studham Common in Bedfordshire, U.K. Five, six, or seven boys, all 10 and 11 years old - Alex Butler, Tony Banks, Terry Cahill, Colin Lonsdale, David Inglis - were involved. They were playing before school started again at 2:00 p.m. at Studham Lower School.
The sky was clear even though it had been raining earlier. The boys were near a footpath leading to a low valley called Dell. This area, full of bushes and trees next to Studham Common, was a great place for them to play hide-and-seek.
The boys were playing and having fun at Studham Common when suddenly a blue lightning bolt appeared nearby. A 10-year-old boy noticed a small blue figure standing about 20 yards away, next to some bushes.
The figure was said to be around three feet tall, and it had a hat or helmet that was about two feet tall. The hat looked like a bowler hat without a brim, with a rounded top. The figure's body was a shiny dark blue-grey color, which made it hard to see the figure's shape and details clearly. It had a large black belt that was hanging down, with a black box about 6 square inches in size attached at the front.
The figure's face had two round eyes and a flat, triangular shape where the nose should be. It had a split blue or blueish beard, with the two parts running down each side of the chest. There seemed to be a line or edge of hair or something similar at the top of the helmet, just above the eyes. The figure's arms were short and stayed by its sides without moving. Its legs and feet were barely visible.
When they tried to approach the figure, he vanished as if he disappeared into smoke. Interestingly, they spotted him again, standing another 20 yards away. Each time they tried to get closer, he disappeared and reappeared further away. Eventually, the boys decided to hide and watch him from behind the bushes.
The Flying Saucer Review, a publication that spoke to the children, said they started hearing voices that seemed like unintelligible chatter from somewhere near them in the bushes. The boys felt like the blue figure was communicating with others, even though he didn't move.
This made them cautious, so they didn't rush towards the figure anymore. They continued to watch from a distance until they saw him standing still in the same spot for the fourth and last time.
The boys ran to their classroom and told their teacher about it, who didn't believe them, but the local media and people who believe in UFOs took it seriously.
Apparently, all the different stories about this event were gathered in a book titled The Little Blue Man On Studham Common, but we have not been able to track this down.
Possible Explanations for the Blue Man of Studham Common
Some have suggested that the story is probably a hoax, made up by the school boys to get attention. The boys involved however have never wavered from their stories.
If the story is not just a hoax perpetrated by the school boys perhaps it truly was an encounter with something extraterrestrial or paranormal. Many alien abductees report missing time or having memories that don’t make sense, like they were planted. Perhaps the “blue man” was a memory planted in all of the boys’ minds to cover up something more sinister.
What do you think really happened at Studham Common? Tell us your theories in the comments.
If you enjoyed learning about the blue man of Studham Common you might also be interested in Sam the Sandown Clown or the UFO encounter of Kristina Florence.
