The Sandown Ghost Clown

Come along for the tale of Sam The Alien Robot Ghost Clown. What was it? An interdimensional being? A ghost? Or nothing at all?!?!

 

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Sam the Sandown Ghost Clown is a bizarre and mysterious figure from one of the UK's strangest alleged paranormal encounters. The story originates from a report published in the 1970s in a British paranormal magazine called Bufora Journal, which is associated with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA). It is one of the most surreal accounts in British folklore and fringe paranormal lore.

🧩 The Encounter

• Date: May 1973
• Location: Sandown, Isle of Wight, England
• Witnesses: Two children, a boy and a girl (approximately 7 years old)

👻 What Happened

While playing near a golf course close to the Sandown Airport, the two children reportedly heard a strange wailing or siren-like noise. Investigating the sound, they crossed a wooden footbridge over a stream and encountered a strange being.

They described the figure as:

• Over 7 feet tall
• Very thin
• Wearing a strange, patchwork outfit
• Having a white face with a red triangle on it
• Sporting glove-like hands and wooden-sounding feet
• Moving with jerky, mechanical motions

He did not act threateningly—instead, he seemed friendly but extremely odd.

🗣️ The Conversation

The entity didn't speak at first but later communicated with the children using a small notebook. Eventually, he began speaking in a garbled voice. He told them:

• His name was "Sam"
• He was not human
• He lived in a metal hut (or structure) partially hidden by brush and grass
• He had no name for his species
• He described himself as a "ghost" but also as something more alien or interdimensional

He invited the children into his home, where they observed strange furniture and devices. He even offered them food (which they declined).

🕵️‍♂️ Aftermath

The children told their parents about the encounter. One of the parents believed them enough to contact BUFORA, and the story was eventually published. The children’s names were never released publicly, and the story was primarily reported from the perspective of one of the children via the parent.

Despite its eerie nature, no other sightings of Sam have ever been reported.

🤔 Interpretations

Theories about Sam include:

• An alien entity or interdimensional being
• A ghost or elemental spirit
• A hallucination or fabricated story
• A misinterpreted event involving a performer, recluse, or local eccentric

Because it is so unique and deeply strange, Sam the Sandown Ghost Clown has achieved near-mythic status in fringe and internet folklore circles. It defies easy categorization—unlike typical alien abduction or ghost stories.

📚 Cultural Legacy

Sam has become a creepy folklore figure in the paranormal community. He's been covered in:

• Podcasts like The Unexplained and Monsters Among Us
• YouTube channels exploring cryptids and high strangeness
• Internet horror and "liminal" storytelling spaces