The Sandown Clown

[00:00:00] Hi there, and welcome to Out There: A Cryptid Podcast. I'm Josh, and today we're heading across the pond to investigate a case where two children encountered something that sounds like it came straight out of a fever dream. A towering, colorful figure calling itself All Colors Sam. But you may know him as The Sandown Clown. Let's dive in.

[00:01:00] We'll get into The Sandown Clown right after this. Now at McDonald's, the new frosted cranberry splash with Sprite. Because there's no better time of year for friends, family, Sprite, cold foam, and sprinkles. Now at McDonald's. For decades, a shadowy organization called the Lemonati has kept lemon on top and lime in the shadows.

[00:01:26] Look around. Lemon-forward sodas. Even Lemon-forward songs. We ran the tracks, slowed them down, reversed them, and squeezed out the truth. That's lemon propaganda right there. But now, 7up is fighting back with their new lime lemon soda. Join the 7up rising. Flip the sip.

[00:01:53] Clowns have always been one of those things that people seem to either absolutely love or want nothing to do with. And I get it. There's something about a person wearing a giant painted smile and a bright red nose that makes it almost impossible to tell what they're actually feeling. They're supposed to be funny. They're supposed to make you laugh. But for a lot of people, there's something a little unsettling about them.

[00:02:21] Some say there's something strange about not being able to read someone's facial expressions. Especially when their face is covered in exaggerated makeup. And this fear actually has a name. It's called cholerophobia, which is the fear of clowns.

[00:02:39] While it isn't an official standalone diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it's a pretty well-known and shared fear. But clowns haven't always had this creepy reputation. In fact, the history of clowns goes back thousands of years. Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome all had performers who entertained audiences through comedy, physical humor, and ridiculous behavior.

[00:03:10] Later on, during the Middle Ages, court jesters became popular throughout Europe, using jokes, costumes, and performances to entertain royalty. And by the 18th and 19th centuries, we started seeing the circus clowns that we're probably most familiar with today. Complete with oversized shoes, colorful outfits, painted faces, and exaggerated expressions.

[00:03:34] Of course, somewhere along the way, the image of the happy, goofy clowns started taking on a much darker reputation. From creepy clowns in horror movies, to real-life, terrifying sightings of people dressed as clowns. There's definitely something about the character that sparks an instinctual fear. And that brings us to today's story. Which actually came from a listener's recommendation.

[00:04:00] Because, apparently, the movie about the clowns from outer space may not be as fictional as we thought. Back in 1973, two children in England encountered a very strange figure. The Isle of Wight is located just off the southern coast of England. And it's separated from the mainland by a stretch of water known as the Solant.

[00:04:25] It's a relatively small island that is known for its beautiful coastline, beaches, seaside towns, and quiet countryside. One of those towns is Sandown. And it sits along the eastern coast of the island. It's been a popular destination for British holiday makers or vacationers.

[00:04:47] And in 1973, life on the Isle of Wight was still very much centered around those traditional seaside communities. Sandown itself had that classic British seaside atmosphere. With its beach, pier, local shops, and even grassy parks all around. It was a fairly ordinary place to grow up. Especially for kids who wanted to spend their afternoons outside exploring and playing with their friends.

[00:05:16] And on one afternoon in May of 1973, it was a very ordinary day. Until it wasn't. Now the two kids we're talking about were a seven-year-old girl who we'll call Faye. And a young boy who was around the same age. Their names weren't publicly released when the story first came out. So we'll stick with Faye for now. And on this afternoon, the two of them were just out playing near Lake Common.

[00:05:46] This was something these two did a lot. So really nothing out of the ordinary. Just two kids spending some time outside. But at some point, they started hearing this really strange noise coming from somewhere nearby. It sounded almost like an ambulance siren. And neither of them could really figure out where it was coming from. So they decided to go check it out.

[00:06:12] And that's when they would come across something neither of them could have expected. They followed the strange noise through the area and made their way across the golf course. Through some brush and then towards a swampy meadow near Sandown Airport. But once they got there, the noise suddenly stopped. The two continued looking around trying to figure out where it had come from.

[00:06:38] They eventually came across a small wooden footbridge and they crossed over a narrow brook. And as they were making their way across the bridge, something really strange happened. A blue gloved hand suddenly appeared from underneath it, followed by a figure that slowly emerged from the water. Now, the figure was carrying what appeared to be a book.

[00:07:07] But while trying to get out from under the bridge, it somehow managed to drop the book into the water. It then started splashing around in the brook, trying to retrieve it. Once the figure had gotten the book back, it made its way toward a strange metallic hut nearby. The children described it as looking similar to one of those temporary buildings you'd see at a construction site. Except this one didn't have any windows.

[00:07:37] But there was something else about this figure that really stood out. Instead of walking normally, it moved in this really unusual hopping motion, bringing its knees up high with each step. Almost like it was bouncing along rather than actually walking. The children watched as it made its way over to the metal hut and went inside.

[00:08:04] The kids were stunned, so they turned around to get away. But when they got around 50 yards from the bridge, the figure appeared again. And this time, it was carrying something different. They described it as looking like a black microphone with a knob on the end and a white wire or cord attached to it. Almost immediately, the strange wailing noise started up again.

[00:08:33] Only this time, it was much louder. The boy started running away. But just as he did, the noise stopped. And they heard a voice calling out to them. The figure said, Hello? Are you still there? At this point, they were further away. But they said that the creature's voice sounded as clear as if it were standing right next to them. But the weirdest part is that it also sounded friendly.

[00:09:03] Which was enough to convince them to stop fleeing and actually approach it again. And this was when they finally got a really good look at the creature. According to the children's description, the creature was about seven feet tall, but didn't have a neck. Its head seemed to sit directly on top of its shoulders, almost like it had been pushed down on its body.

[00:09:30] It wore a long green tunic with a red collar and a pair of white pants. The clothing was very unusual and there were rips in it. And they described what looked like wooden slats sticking out from the sleeves and the bottom of the trousers. As if this creature was being held up by wood. It was wearing blue gloves and only had three fingers on each hand.

[00:09:57] And its feet were also very strange too, because there were just three toes. And they were described as being white and bare. Now this all sounds absolutely crazy, but don't worry because probably the strangest part of its appearance was its face. The children described it as having paper white skin with two triangular markings where its eyes should have been.

[00:10:25] Its nose was shaped like a brown square and it had yellow lips that apparently never moved when it spoke. There were also circular markings on its cheeks and a little fringe of red hair that hung down over its forehead. And sitting on top of its head was the bright yellow pointed hat. And on top of that was a round black knob with wooden antennas or horns sticking out from either side.

[00:10:55] The hat also seemed to connect directly to the red collar of its tunic. Almost making it look like one continuous piece of clothing. Now, I know that description is absolutely insane, but there are some sketches of this thing on our Instagram page. So definitely make sure to look at that before we continue so you can get in your mind what this creature really looked like. But back to the sighting because it's far from over.

[00:11:24] The kids stood closer to the figure now. And it pulled out its notebook and began writing in large letters. Quote, Hello. And I am All Colors Sam. Now the words weren't necessarily written in the order you'd normally read them. Instead, Sam pointed to each word individually, allowing Faye to read the sentence out loud. And so now they had a name for the figure.

[00:11:55] All colors Sam. The children started talking with Sam and asked questions about who he was and where he came from. And to no one's surprise, the answers were just as strange as you'd expect. They also asked about his appearance, particularly the pale skin, and whether or not he was actually a man. Sam laughed and answered no. So naturally the follow up question was, is he a ghost?

[00:12:24] And Sam's response was something along the lines of, quote, Well, not really, but I am in an odd sort of way. When they asked what it actually was, Sam simply responded, quote, You know. Now there's some other little bits of information that we're able to get from him. Even though he introduced himself as all color Sam, he said that he didn't actually have a name.

[00:12:53] He also drew a picture in his notebook of another figure that looked like him, which they took as he was not the only one of his kind. And they also figured out that he was scared of humans and was worried if others saw him, he would be attacked. But he also said that if that did happen, he wouldn't fight back. Now there's another detail from this story that is very odd.

[00:13:20] While all of this is happening, the children said they saw two worker men nearby who were repairing some sort of electrical post. But even though they weren't too far away, they didn't appear to pay attention to Sam or the children. This was something that Faye's father would figure out later and highlight in his account. So it makes you wonder, did they just not notice all of this?

[00:13:48] Or was Sam only appearing to the children? Either way, at some point during their conversation, Sam invited the two children inside the metal hut. And if you thought the outside was strange, well, the inside wasn't exactly any more normal. More on the Sandown Clown, right after this. Now at McDonald's, the new frosted cranberry splash with Sprite.

[00:14:18] Because there's no better time of year for friends, family, Sprite, cold foam, and sprinkles. Now at McDonald's. The Lemonati has spent decades keeping lemon on top and lime in the shadows. Their lemon agenda has infiltrated everything, even our music. That hit song named after the color of lemons? Not a coincidence. Big lemon has been pulling strings in the industry for years.

[00:14:47] Think about it. But now, 7up is fighting back with their new lime lemon soda. Now lime comes first. 7up. Flip the sip. The children entered through a small flap that they had to crawl through to get inside. Once they were in, they found themselves in what was described as a two-level structure.

[00:15:11] The main room had a fairly high ceiling, some simple wooden furniture, and an electrical heater. But the walls were probably the most unusual part. They were covered in what looked like blue-green wallpaper. Except, the pattern was made up of a series of dials. And from what I could understand, it was the pattern on the wallpaper that looked like a clock face.

[00:15:39] There was also a smaller upper level, which apparently had a much lower ceiling and a metallic floor. Once they were inside, Sam removed his yellow hat. And there were a pair of round white ears and some sparse brown hair on top of its head. And this is where things get even weirder, if you can imagine.

[00:16:04] During their conversation, the children asked what Sam ate and drank. Apparently, Sam explained that it mostly ate berries that it collected in the late afternoon and drank the water from the nearby river. And then Sam decided to demonstrate how it ate berries. And I don't really know how to explain this, so I'm just going to explain it the best I understood it.

[00:16:30] According to Faye's account, Sam would take a berry, place it into his ear. He would then thrust his head forward, and somehow the berry would disappear from its ear and reappear in one of its eyes. After another thrust, the berry would travel from its eye down to its mouth. Now, the original account described this as almost like a party trick.

[00:16:57] And it's one of those details that I really wish we had a little more information on, because it seems so outlandish. But also, that's what makes this more believable, in a way. Like, why would two children make up that detail? But this entire interaction lasted around 30 minutes, or possibly longer. Eventually, the two children said their goodbyes and left the hut and made their way back across the golf course.

[00:17:27] They did see a normal man and told him what they had seen, and described it as either a ghost or someone dressed up as one. But the man didn't really believe them. They eventually made it home. But surprisingly, Faye didn't tell her father of the incident for three weeks. On June 2nd, 1973, her father would finally hear about the nearly seven-foot-tall figure,

[00:17:53] with a yellow-pointed hat, three fingers, a strange voice, and the metal hut hidden in the marshland that they called All Color Sam. Now, at first, her father wasn't entirely sure what to make of the story, but he did decide to look into it. One of the first things he did was track down the boy who had been with Faye that afternoon, and asked him what happened. But according to the report, the boy confirmed her story.

[00:18:22] He described the same strange figure, the hut, and the details of their encounter with Sam. Faye's father also went out to the area where the children said they had met Sam. But, when he got out there, there was no sign of the metal hut. Nothing that even showed a structure had been sitting there, and no sign of the strange figure they'd described.

[00:18:46] He actually was able to talk with the two workmen who were working nearby that day, but neither of them recalled seeing anything unusual. So, despite having two children describing the same pretty unbelievable experience, there wasn't really anything physical to back it up. No hut, no Sam, and no one else who could confirm that anything strange had happened in that field.

[00:19:12] Eventually, Faye's father shared the story with a local UFO researcher named Leonard Cramp. Cramp was a member of an organization called the British UFO Research Association Journal, or the BUFORA.

[00:19:31] Eventually, this sighting made its way to Norman Oliver, who wrote it up for the journal in the January-February 1978 edition. The report was titled, quote, Ghost or Spaceman 73? And it was based on the information provided by Faye's father, who was only identified as Mr. Y.

[00:19:58] But, Mr. Y also added something else to his report to Oliver. Because it turns out that Mr. Y had some pretty unusual experiences of his own. And they actually happened before Faye ever met Sam. Now, according to Oliver's report, Mr. Y had never told Faye about any of this before her encounter.

[00:20:21] But looking back, he believed that what happened to his daughter might somehow be connected to the things he had experienced himself. The first of these incidents reportedly happened on October 20th, 1970. Mr. Y was driving toward the town of Rye on the north-eastern side of the aisle when he noticed something strange in the sky.

[00:20:46] It was around 7 o'clock in the evening, and he spotted a large, brightly lit object hovering over some marshland near the Yar River. He described it as being completely silent, with at least 7 large red lights arranged in a wide circle around the outside. He said they looked almost like bright red cherries, and between them were smaller turquoise and white lights.

[00:21:16] Now, Mr. Y actually stopped his car to get a better look at these things. But when he started driving again, the object seemed to follow him. It moved alongside his car for a while, before eventually shifting position and appearing behind him, roughly 300 yards away. He stopped a second time and got out a flashlight, which he used to try and signal to the object.

[00:21:44] From that distance, he could only make out 4 of the red lights, which appeared to be slowly rotating. He continued signaling for around 10 minutes, while the object seemed to move back and forth over the nearby hedges. Eventually, Mr. Y drove on, but the lights were still visible when he arrived at his friend's house.

[00:22:07] And when his friend came outside, the two of them watched as this object seemed to move in and out from behind different trees. Oliver described it almost like the object was playing a game of hide and seek with them. Mr. Y eventually continued on the ride and lost sight of it. But according to his account, that wasn't the last time he saw something like this.

[00:22:33] Over the following months, he reportedly spotted several other individual red lights in the sky, sometimes hovering in place and sometimes appearing to follow him. And then, a little over a year later, he had another experience. This one happened on March 1st, 1972.

[00:22:56] While he was out at Compton Bay on the southwestern coast of the island, it was sometime between 9 and 10 at night when an unexpected surge in the tide forced him up onto the nearby cliffs. So, he was essentially stuck there until the water began to recede. But while he was waiting, he noticed something strange in the water below him.

[00:23:22] There were two yellow lights just beneath the surface, around 40 feet away. And he said they were looking up at him like eyes of some horrible sea monster. Now, these were two very different experiences. And neither one involved all-color Sam directly. But Mr. Y believed there could be some kind of connection between what he had witnessed and what happened to Faye.

[00:23:51] And remember, he hadn't told her about either of these incidents before she and her friend encountered Sam. So, from his perspective, there was something particularly strange about the fact that his daughter had now had an unexplained experience of her own. All of this is absolutely crazy, right? I mean, we've got Sam, we've got UFOs, we've got a sea monster.

[00:24:17] But we don't have physical evidence for really any of this. We have the detailed report and a sketch of Sam on the cover. But as you can see, this episode is far from over. So, what the heck could we still have to talk about? Surprisingly, we've only just scratched the surface of this story. Because years later, Faye would reportedly come face-to-face with all-color Sam again.

[00:24:47] And not just once, but four more times. A local Isle of Wight folklorist and historian named Paul A.T. Wilson had been fascinated by the Sandown Clown story for most of his life. He first heard about it from his father when he was a kid, sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s. His father had come across the story in the BUFORA journal.

[00:25:17] And while the two of them were out walking near the lake golf course one day, he told Paul about this strange figure that the two children had supposedly encountered nearby. And that story stuck with him. Over the years, Paul kept coming back to it. He would research the case and try to find out more about the original witnesses. He became somewhat of a local expert. And he was even contacted by a few different people claiming to be Faye.

[00:25:48] But none of them had anything that could really establish who they were. But that changed just before the pandemic hit. When another woman reached out to him. She claimed to be the original Faye. And unlike all of the other people who had contacted him, she actually had something to show him. According to Paul, she brought out a large box filled with old documents.

[00:26:15] Inside were around 50 to 60 pages of material. Including handwritten letters, original correspondence with the British UFO Research Association. And even the Ministry of Defense's UFO office. There were also drawings connected to the original encounter. Along with notes and other documents that had never been publicly shared. Paul was allowed to make copies of the material.

[00:26:44] And after looking through everything. He felt that this woman had provided some pretty compelling evidence to support her claim. That she was the girl from the original story. Now, he was careful to point out that he couldn't be completely certain. Because even someone who had old documents doesn't automatically prove their identity. Or prove that the events actually happened.

[00:27:11] But this was the first person who had come forward with anything substantial enough to make him take the possibility seriously. And then, in June of 2025, Paul finally shared some of what he uncovered with the public. He hosted a presentation at Bembridge Fort on the Isle of Wight. Called The Sandown Clown Declassified.

[00:27:39] The event included material that had never been seen before. Including original artwork from the children. And documents connected to the original investigation. And that's when the story really started getting a second life. Because Paul began speaking about the additional information Faye had shared with him. Including the additional sightings that no one had heard about yet.

[00:28:09] So, let's go back to 1982. At this point, it's been nearly nine years since Faye's original encounter with Sam. And a lot has changed. She's no longer a seven-year-old girl wandering around the countryside with a friend. She's now around 16 years old. And has a part-time job working at a local horse stable. And one evening, while she was walking from work toward the bus stop.

[00:28:36] Something happened that she probably wasn't expecting. According to her account, as she was making her way along the path. All-color Sam suddenly appeared from the nearby woods. She recognized him almost immediately. She said that he was just as tall as she remembered. With the same strange appearance. And those painted on facial features. His clothing was also familiar.

[00:29:05] Even though this time it seemed to be in much better condition than it had been during their first encounter. But this wasn't some long conversation or another invitation to the strange metal hut. Faye said Sam simply stepped out of the woods, stood there for a moment, and then disappeared back into the trees. And that was it. Then, just a year later, in 1983, Faye reportedly saw Sam again.

[00:29:35] Now, the written account only briefly mentions it. And from what we can gather, it was another short sighting near the woods. Sam appeared. Faye saw him. And then he was gone. So, they definitely aren't as detailed as the first interaction. But this pattern continued for years. And whatever Sam was, he clearly hadn't completely disappeared from her life.

[00:30:01] But then, in 1984, Sam would appear again. And this one wasn't just a quick sighting. More on the sand down clown right after this. Now at McDonald's, the new frosted cranberry splash with Sprite. Because there's no better time of year for friends, family, Sprite, cold foam, and sprinkles. Now at McDonald's.

[00:30:30] The Lemonati has spent decades keeping lemon on top and lime in the shadows. Their lemon agenda has infiltrated everything. Even our music. That hit song named after the color of lemons? Not a coincidence. Big Lemon has been pulling strings in the industry for years. Think about it. But now, 7up is fighting back with their new lime lemon soda. Now lime comes first. 7up. Flip the sip.

[00:31:02] It was winter. And Faye was planning to visit her boyfriend in Newport. She had a particular shortcut that she normally took when going to visit him. But on this day, she had a strange feeling that she shouldn't take it. She couldn't really explain why, but something was telling her to go the longer way around instead. So she listened to that feeling and changed her route. And as she was walking along, she came across Sam again.

[00:31:31] He appeared from behind a tall fence, and in the same way he did in other accounts, he just stepped out. But this time, there was something noticeably different about him. For starters, he wasn't moving in that strange, hopping motion anymore. Faye described him as walking steadily, almost like an ordinary person. His appearance had also changed. He was wearing much more normal-looking clothing.

[00:31:59] His skin was still very pale, but it almost seemed more natural than that almost paper-like appearance she had in. Even the way he spoke and carried himself seemed more human. And this time, Sam actually had something important to tell her. He told Faye that he didn't have much time left and that he was, quote, using up one of my visits.

[00:32:28] He also seemed to know exactly where she was going and who she was planning to see. And Sam became pretty insistent that she shouldn't go. He told her to turn around and go home. Now, that's a pretty strange thing to hear from someone you've supposedly encountered only a handful of times over the course of more than a decade. But for whatever reason, Faye decided to listen to him.

[00:32:54] She turned around and went home instead of continuing on to see her boyfriend. And later that evening, she found out that her boyfriend and several of his friends had attempted to rob a place. They were caught and ended up being arrested and sent to jail. Faye never saw that boyfriend again. She said that that warning had stopped her from being there when all of it happened.

[00:33:25] So, somehow Sam knew and was trying to protect Faye. But after that encounter, another five years would pass before she saw Sam again. And now, Faye was 24 and had recently gotten married, so she was preparing to leave the Isle of Wight and move to the mainland. She was staying with a friend while getting ready for the move, and during this time, she went out for one of her usual walks.

[00:33:52] While she was out, she noticed something she had never seen before. There was a strange structure sitting in the landscape. It looked nothing like the little metal hut from her first encounter. This one was much larger and had a completely different appearance. It was long, white, and smooth, with a slightly curved, wavy roof. Almost like the appearance in the middle of cardboard.

[00:34:23] Faye compared its shape to something like a train carriage and described it as looking almost as though it had been dropped into the landscape from somewhere else. And standing outside of this strange structure was Sam. He didn't look like the more human version she had encountered in 1984. He had returned to that clown-like appearance she remembered from their earlier meetings. Sam greeted her and invited her inside.

[00:34:51] He offered her tea, but when Sam was preparing it, Faye noticed that it wasn't a kettle, but she couldn't really describe what it was. And the cups were also strange. They looked like porcelain, but when she held them, they were soft and flexible. Almost like they weren't actually made of porcelain at all. Sam poured her the tea, which smelled like herbs she couldn't identify, but tasted sweet.

[00:35:21] It looked like tea. It was served like tea, but according to Faye, it wasn't actually tea. The two of them sat down and talked. Now, here's the weird thing. Faye said that she had a, quote, soft forgetting after the incident. Like, she left the encounter and a lot of what Sam had told her seemed to slip away from her memory.

[00:35:47] She described it like waking up from a dream and realizing that you can remember the feeling of it, but not necessarily everything that happened. But there were a few things she did remember. One of them was that Sam apparently told her that the Berlin Wall was going to fall. At the time, Faye didn't really understand what he meant and thought he might be speaking in riddles.

[00:36:11] But the Berlin Wall would fall later that same year, in November of 1989. He also told her that this would be the last time she would see him. At least until, quote, the end. But he apparently didn't explain what the end meant. And when Faye finally asked him directly where he came from, Sam gave her an answer that was just as mysterious as everything else about him.

[00:36:41] He told her he was from, quote, this place, but different. Faye eventually left the structure, but when she turned around to look back, both Sam and the strange building were gone. And according to her account, that was the final time she ever saw all colors Sam.

[00:37:05] Even though this was Faye's last visit with Sam, that doesn't necessarily mean the story ends there. Over the years, other people have apparently come forward with stories of encountering Sam or something similar. There have been claims of additional sightings collected by researchers on the Isle of Wight. Now, I say apparently because unlike Faye's account, these stories are much harder to track down and verify.

[00:37:34] So there's still a lot we don't know about them. But we do have the reports that there were other claims of sightings of him. And more than 50 years after the original encounter, people are still fascinated by this strange figure from Sandown. He's even become a part of the island's folklore with a life-sized sculpture.

[00:37:59] This is one of those places that fully embraced a strange story that put them on the map. Now, for explanations, I think this is one of those cases where there's basically a 50-50 shot that this was real or not. And I know that's probably not the most scientific way to look at it. But when you really start going through everything that was reported, I think there are two very different possibilities here.

[00:38:27] The first is that Faye and her friend really did encounter something that afternoon. And if that's the case, then the question becomes, what exactly was Sam? One possibility is that he was something extraterrestrial. An alien. Or some kind of being from another planet that had somehow found its way to the Isle of Wight. And when you look at some of the details of this encounter, I think that's one of the more believable explanations.

[00:38:57] And I know how that sounds. We're talking about a seven-foot-tall figure with an unusual appearance and a bunch of other crazy details. Completely out of place in the middle of a marsh. Then there's the fact that Sam apparently had this strange way of communicating. And seemed to know things about the children that he shouldn't necessarily have known. And he also predicted the future.

[00:39:22] But if you were going to describe an encounter with something that wasn't human, this is certainly one way it might sound. Another possibility is that Sam was some kind of paranormal entity. Maybe even a ghost. After all, he apparently told the children that he was, in an odd sort of way, a ghost. But I have to say I'm not sure that this explanation accounts for all the details.

[00:39:50] The book, the microphone-like device, the hut, and all of these other mechanical and physical things the children describe make this feel like something a little different from a typical ghost encounter. If we're entertaining the idea that Sam was real, I think that the extraterrestrial explanation is a little more compelling and more based on the facts presented. But then there's the other side of this. Which is that none of it actually happened.

[00:40:20] Maybe this was just two children with very active imaginations who came up with an incredibly elaborate story. And as strange as that story is, we do have to remember that the original encounter wasn't reported until a few weeks later. And the account we have comes to us through Faye's father and the researcher who eventually documented it.

[00:40:43] We don't have physical evidence of the hut, Sam, or any sort of strange objects the children described. And then there's Faye's later encounters. I started thinking questions like, could this have been her imagination filling in the gaps of a childhood memory? Or could she have remembered original experiences differently over time? Or even started to interpret dreams and memories as actual encounters?

[00:41:12] Because in that final meeting in 1989, she described this feeling of a soft forgetting. Almost like waking up from a dream. And that actually makes me wonder whether some of these experiences could have been dreams in the first place. Maybe Sam was a character in her mind. Someone who returned throughout her life and in a way offered her some kind of comfort or reassurance.

[00:41:41] But there are two things about this case that I keep coming back to. The first is how much repetition there is throughout the story. The same figure supposedly appeared to Faye over the course of 16 years. And while his appearance did change, there were these reoccurring details and interactions that connected all of the encounters. And the second is just how incredibly strange the whole thing is.

[00:42:09] I mean, if someone sat down and told you they were going to make up a story about a seven-foot-tall clown-like figure living in a metal hut in a marsh, communicating through strange devices, eating berries through its ears, and casually predicting the fall of the Berlin Wall, you'd probably think that was a pretty bizarre thing to make up. And that's what makes this case so difficult and also so amazing.

[00:42:36] On one hand, the details are so unusual that it's hard not to wonder where they come from. But on the other hand, being unusual doesn't automatically make something true. We still don't have the evidence to say that Sam was real. And we don't have a clear explanation for why this story was told the way it was. But what we do have is an iconic figure from across the pond that will live on for generations.

[00:43:06] And who knows? Maybe one day Sam will come back. Either to Faye or someone else. Maybe he's just waiting for the end. Like you told her. And if that's the case, all-color Sam might be the least of our worries. So, what do you think? Is the Sandown Clown really out there?

[00:43:38] Be sure to follow us on Instagram, add out their cryptids for episode posts, updates and more. Join our community on Discord where we dive even deeper into the mysteries we explore here on the podcast. The link can be found on our Instagram. And if you're loving the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. As a patron, you'll get exclusive perks like bonus episodes, early access, and even surprises. See you next week!