A striking new mural celebrating the Warminster Thing has been unveiled as the town prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of the first sighting with a major conference this month.
The mural, dedicated to the series of mysterious sky sightings and unexplained phenomena reported in and around Warminster during the 1960s and 70s, is located on a wall at the central car park and was officially revealed in a ceremony on Saturday 9th August.
The colourful artwork features UFOs and a portrait of Arthur Shuttlewood, the former Warminster Journal writer who first reported the sightings. The mural was created by local artist Paul Boswell and funded through a crowdfunded campaign by community group Heart of Warminster.
Lesley Blain, who runs the Heart of Warminster community page, said, “This really belongs to the people of Warminster. They paid for it and we are so grateful. No other town has this story. It’s part of Warminster’s history and it’s important to celebrate and recognise it.”
Stuart Dike, host of the 60th anniversary conference which is taking place at the Athenaeum on Sunday 24th August, described the Warminster Thing as “a fairly unique phenomenon.”
He said, “I think the unique aspect was that there was a huge amount of reports nearly every day for several years. Arthur said in 1973 he had three or four reports nearly every day for about six years.”
Mayor of Warminster Cllr Andrew Cooper said, “A community needs a little bit of folklore to enrich it. And I think it certainly does that.”
The new mural was painted over the previous artwork, which had been in place for 10 years. While plans to redevelop the site put the mural’s future at risk, Stuart remains hopeful that a new location can be found to preserve it as a permanent fixture.
60th anniversary conference
Plans for the 60th anniversary conference on 24th August are well underway.
The event will feature a range of speakers, including Stuart Dike (host), Steve Wills (UFO researcher and author), John Hanson (UFO author and research archivist), Steve Rider (UFO and paranormal researcher), ‘Busty’ Taylor (crop circle and UFO researcher), Brian McMullan Jr (from Scottish band C.E.IV) and Maria Wheatley (earth energies expert and author).
Stuart explained, “The first part will focus on the historical sightings and personal experiences. The second part will explore the ancient mystery aspect along with new research and evidence.
“The mural and conference go hand in hand this year. We’ve incorporated elements of the conference into the mural’s design so both the town and visitors can benefit from the connection.”
On local reaction, Stuart said, “The response around the town has been very positive. Many people have little understanding of what happened 60 years ago, but the conference will bring those events to light.”
To book tickets, visit https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/warminster/the-athenaeum-centre/the-warminster-thing-60th-anniversary-conference/
