Sam the Sandown Clown
An artist's impression of Sam the Sandown Clown from the children's description. Art by Rob Morphy.
In May of 1973 in the Isle of Wight, two children came across a strange creature. It called itself Sam and was described as being a cross between a clown, an alien and a robot.
Description of Sam the Sandown Clown
Sam the Sandown clown was described as being similar in proportion to a tall, thin human. It’s head was very round and too large for it’s body. It’s face seemed to be hastily painted on. It had two blue triangles for eyes, a brown rectangle for a nose and a yellow oval for a mouth. It’s face did not seem to move when it ate or spoke.
It had thin, frizzly, reddish-brown hair that hung limply from beneath its hat. Two wooden antennae stuck out from just above it’s ears. The creature had a few more antennae sticking out from it’s wrists and ankles.
Sam the Sandown Clown had very pale skin that had a paper-like consistency. The creature’s hands and feet had only three digits each.
It was wearing what looked like a clown costume. It had a tall pointy hat with a black knob at the top. Sam was wearing a green and red, frilly suit which had a high collar. It had dark blue gloves and bare feet.
Sam the Sandown Clown spoke through a small speaker system. The speaker also made a noise like a siren.
The Children’s Encounter with Sam the Sandown Clown
Two children were vacationing with their family in May 1973 at Lake Common, Sandown in the Isle of Wight. One day when the children were out playing they heard a strange noise that sounded like a tinny ambulance siren. The children followed the noise across a footbridge and came upon a strange creature.
The creature was startled by the appearance of the children and dropped a book it was carrying into the creek. It retrieved it’s now drenched book and ran off. The way it ran was strange, almost as if it was used to a higher level of gravity and was able to bounce majestically on the Earth.
The children described the creature as being a cross between a clown, a robot and an alien. It was very friendly and polite but quite shy.
The children were intrigued by this strange figure and followed it back to its hut. The creature then approached them with a note that read "Hello and I am all colors, Sam".
The children asked Sam if he was a human and Sam said no. They also asked him of he was a ghost and he replied "Well, not really, but I am in an odd sort of way." Sam told the children that others like him existed on Earth but they were too afraid to interact with humans.
Sam invited the children into his hut. The hut was wooden with a metal floor. The walls were decorated with green dial patterns. The only furniture within the hut was an electric heater and a makeshift wooden table and chairs.
Sam the took his hat off revealing his balding, papery white scalp. He placed a berry in his ear and lurched forward causing the berry to come out of his eye. He did so again and managed to get the berry into his mouth to eat it. They children continued to ask Sam many questions but he replied with vague answers, saying things like “you know” or “I don’t know”.
After a while the children decided to leave and told the first adult they found what they saw. They ran into the groundskeeper who laughed off their tale as being the result of an overactive imagination.
The children were discouraged and waited several weeks before eventually telling their father what they saw. The family then returned to the area together but there was no trace of Sam the Sandown Clown or his hut.
The story was eventually investigated by the British UFO Research Association. They were unable to find any other evidence of the Sandown Clown outside of the children’s testimony.
The children continued to tell their story for the rest of their lives. The parents initially didn’t believe them but the consistency of their story convinced them that it must be true.
Possible Theories about Sam the Sandown Clown
The most mundane explanation would be that the children simply made up the encounter or misinterpreted an interaction with a strange man in a costume. If there was in fact a man living in a shack in Lake Common it seems odd that no one else encountered him. It’s also strange that his shack had completely disappeared two weeks later.
The things Sam said to the children seem to suggest he was of extraterrestrial origin. This would explain his weird appearance and behavior and possibly his ability to disappear without leaving a trace.
What do you think about Sam the Sandown Clown? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this article you may also be interested in the story of the Flatwoods Monster or the Washington Elk Abduction UFO case.
