Was in orbit - initially I assumed it to be a satellite as I had seen these before.

At this time the plough is on the north horizon. I was looking at the formation when I saw what I assumed was a satellite moveing in a southerly direction. I told my brothers there was a satellite coming over. They watched for a few seconds then continued up the road. I stayed to watch the 'satellite' until it was directly overhead, when it suddenly started zig zagging and started to move east. After about 30 seconds it started zig zagging again and started moving back to the north. After moving north about the same distance as it had moved east it appeard to shoot off into space at great speed in a north easterly direction. These were early days of satellites and once up were beyond control. This sighting as it took place appeared to me to be under intellegent control. The zig zags were carried out with an equal amplitude and constant speed.

A few years afterwards I wrote to Patrick Moore with a disagram of its movements and he replied that it may have been a weather balloon. I cannot see a weather balloon travelling in a dead straight line for the twenty minutes or so that I watched it, or imagine any jet stream wind pattern that would cause it to behave as it did.