Brummies beware! According to new research out today from Disneyland( Resort Paris, Birmingham is the twilight zone capital of the UK, recording the highest levels of supernatural phenomena.
The research, which looked at strange happenings and unexplained mysteries across the country, reveals the UK's 'capital' and 13 hotspots for twilight zone activity. Commissioned to celebrate the launch of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™* - a new attraction at Disneyland Resort Paris, inspired by the 1950s TV series The Twilight Zone® - the research has formed the basis of a spotter's guide to the UK's real twilight zones.

UK 13 TWILIGHT ZONE HOTSPOTS


  • Birmingham -- the twilight zone capital of the UK
  • Bristol
  • Nottingham
  • Leicester
  • Kent
  • Manchester
  • London
  • Reading
  • Coventry
  • Brighton
  • Southampton
  • Edinburgh
  • Cardiff


With almost two thirds (61%) of Brummies believing in the supernatural it's hardly surprising that the city boasts some of the country's most bizarre twilight zone activity -- from giant hailstones and alien rocks plummeting from the heavens, to phantom policemen, mysterious fires and mince-pie eating Martians.
One example of bizarre Brummie behaviour is when Sylvia Mowday, from Sutton Park, Birmingham, was walking through the park on 12 June 1954, when there was a sudden downpour. She said, "My four-year old daughter put up her little red umbrella and we heard things thudding against it. To our amazement it was a shower of frogs, coming down from the sky, hundreds of them. We looked up and saw frogs coming down like snowflakes".
The rest of the country shares the same paranoia, with over half (59%) of Brits believing in the paranormal. Other UK hotspots include Bristol, where 12-year old Vvyan Jones from Henbury, broke his arm and for the next two days his hair stood on end. He developed the power to give people strong electric shocks, make lights flicker, watches stop and the TV crackle. Now that's what you call a shocking excuse for late homework!
If you're Scottish, watch out for strange happenings in Edinburgh, specifically the Tranent area. In 1997 a phantom lamp lighter began turning on street lamps during the day for no apparent reason -- luckily he vanished unharmed, otherwise Burn's night would have taken on a strange new meaning!
For those of you not sure whether you've ever been to a twilight zone before, Disneyland Resort Paris, with the help of author David Sutton, has created 'A spotter's guide to the UK's real twilight zones'. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the information contained in the guide will help dispel any doubts, with an A-Z of twilight zone phenomena, as well as tips on how to enter the fourth dimension and side-effects to watch out for. Drop in to www.towerofterror.co.uk to download your copy!
David Sutton, editor of the Fortean Times and author of this spotter's guide to the UK's real twilight zones says, "There are millions of unexplained happenings in our world that can occur anytime and anywhere. This guide throws open the door to the 4th dimension for all to see. It's a fun starting point for your personal exploration of the UK's real twilight zones."
Dr. Kenny Webster, Resident Scientist at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum remarks: "It will come as no surprise to the residents of Birmingham that we live in our very own twilight zone. Birmingham has the youngest population in Europe and it is well recorded that children are highly susceptible to paranormal events, there are many cases of 'imaginary friends' in children which are now being attributed by some as ghostly interactions."
Miguel Piedra, PR Director, Disneyland Resort Paris comments: "We haven't had anything as odd as frogs falling from the sky in Disneyland Resort Paris, but we can certainly offer everyone the chance to drop 13 floors when they ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ at Disneyland Resort Paris -- they may even get to enter the 4th dimension!"




Top 13 UK Twilight Zones

  • Birmingham -- as the twilight zone capital of the UK, Birmingham has experienced the highest number of unexplained happenings from freak tornadoes in Sparkbrook, a 11lb 6oz giant hailstone, raining frogs falling like snowflakes in Sutton Park to mysterious spacemen visiting a housewife in Aston
  • Bristol -- a great ball of fire was seen in the clouds and a rain of jellyfish falling from the skies while mysterious bangs and humming noises are among other local specialities
  • Nottingham -- in recent years it has been the location for all sorts of outlandish events -- a lion on the loose, a cursed model ship , a holy aubergine and the bubble car gnomes of Wollaton Park!
  • Leicester has seen some odd things in its time, from an alligator to an invasion of tiny spiders
  • Kent -- the area has seen all sorts of strangeness from freak weather and weird electrical phenomena to crabs falling from the sky, an 80-inch earthworm and a Saharan locust found in a back garden!
  • Manchester has experienced all sorts of oddities over the years - fireballs, explosions in the air, phantom helicopters and mysterious music with everything from carrots to cash falling from its skies
  • London has seen peculiar goings on: rains of fish, flying manhole covers, a ghostly coach and horses and a phantom double-decker
  • Reading has been plagued by weird events over the years -- from aerial explosions and lights in the sky to mysterious messages from Outer Space!
  • Coventry and the surrounding area has witnessed everything from ghostly battles from hundreds of years ago to some of the most violently weird weather in the country
  • Brighton - you may be advised to avoid travelling by bus or car and to send a text rather than a traditional postcard -- unless you're prepared to wait nearly 70 years for it to reach its destination!
  • Southampton has been the location of all sorts of things tumbling out of the sky, from straw to seeds, as well as one of the most terrifying and inexplicable apparitions ever heard of in the UK
  • Edinburgh is literally crawling with spooks, while the skies are constantly abuzz with strange lights that many believe to be flying saucers!
  • Cardiff - these days, big cats prowl the fields, UFOs fly over the valleys and the local police have recently mounted a 'major operation' to get a howling wolfman out of a tree!