“Witch” On Isle Of Man

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31627, 13 March 1968, Page 3

“Witch” On Isle Of Man

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, March 12. A unique tourist attraction on the Isle of Man is a “witch,” according to Mrs M. J. Thornton, a young Manx woman whose husband is on the staff of the Timaru Girls’ High School.

The witch’s “big night” is Halloween (October 31), but she appears regularly at a cafe for the benefit of tourists. The present high priestess is Lady Olwen, who claims to have supernatural powers. The title has been in her family

for generations, and she really believes she is a witch. “On Halloween night the ancient rites of witchcraft are revived in a centuries-old mill. There an orgy of ritual feasting and dancing takes place,” said Mrs Thornton. She said that signs of the island’s ancient history were to be seen still, reminders of the invasion by the Vikings. Stone circles, memorial stones and sculptured crosses with the ancient Norse inscriptions are among the island’s many tourist attractions.

The Isle of Man’s biggest attraction is the series of tourist trophy motor-cycle races during June and September. For those who prefer a more leisurely form of

transport, the island provides horse-drawn trams. Mrs Thornton said the Manx cat, the tailless breed for which the Isle of Man is universally known, was becoming a rarity, and to preserve both the species and the island’s reputation, a cattery was set up recently for breeding the animals. Nine out of 10 families own a car—the island, 33 miles long and 12 miles wide, can be encircled on a Sunday afternoon’s drive —and the island, with a population of 55,000 and an area of only 221 square miles has the same kind of parking problems as a modern metropolis.

Mrs Thornton said another attraction was a large modern gambling casino established by an American enterprise.

Also in great demand are Manx kippers—considered to be a delicacy in Scotland and England—and finely-woven shawls.