'Island of Strange Things', At Random by "Islander", Isle of Man Times, 17 April 1964

Isle of Man Times, 17 April 1964, page 3. The paper's At Random column quotes Jonathan Steele of Tit-Bits on the witches who flew to the island "on the nonsense mission" of claiming Dr Gerald Gardner's ritual sword, including Eleanor Bone's broomsticks remark after the forced landing at Liverpool, and Steele's wish that "there were still a few stakes around to discourage them"; the columnist agrees with him. On the same page, Poets' Corner prints 'Witches' Hill, Slieuwhuallian 1657' by Barbara Cowley of Peel, a verse in the voice of a girl condemned as a witch. Only the passages on witchcraft are transcribed. How to cite: "Islander", 'Island of Strange Things', At Random, Isle of Man Times, 17 April 1964, p. 3; Barbara Cowley, 'Witches' Hill, Slieuwhuallian 1657', Poets' Corner, same page. Alexandrian Witchcraft Timeline & Archive.

At Random . . . By “ISLANDER” Island of Strange Things . . . THE Isle of Man gets its publicity in some far-flung and unlikely corners of the world. And pretty strange are some of the things that are written about it. [The column opens with a Playboy travel item on the island; only the passage on the witches is transcribed here.] At the risk of this column being nothing but a series or reprints from other publications, I must draw attention to the comments of columnist Jonathan Steele in this week’s Tit Bits. “Nothing bores me more than a silly witch. There seem to be plenty of them about at the moment. “You can hardly open a newspaper of switch on television without encountering one talking her head off. “A party of them flew to the Isle of Man on the nonsense mission of claiming magic-making instruments, including a ritual sword, left by Dr Gerald Gardner, of Castletown. “When their plane made a forced landing at Liverpool, the high priestess of a London coven, Mrs Eleanor Bone, said: What a pity we didn’t have our broomsticks with us. “I am sure most of them are harmless old faggots. But all this publicity and attendant bad jokes make me wish there were still a few stakes around to discourage them. “They would not have such a burning ambition to appear on telly then.” Mr Steele is taking a grave risk of coming under a particularly unpleasant spell. But I will take a chance on it too and agree with him. POETS’ CORNER WITCHES’ HILL SLIEUWHUALLIAN 1657 Have pity, Sirs, I’m not a witch I’m but a maid of seventeen And fear’d to die on Hallowe’en! Oh! dunna call me bad an’ sly An’ say I have the evil eye - What harm to sin at full o’moon A barefoot lass who has no shoon? What is a coven? I dunno! Why must you kill me? let me go! No, no, good Sirs, please let me free To wander o’er the sand an’ lea. I only took the little cat All thin an’ draggly - poor like me Of pretty gown I have no stitch Dear Lord - I never was a witch! If I am wicked pardon me An’ suffer me to come to Thee For thy death was by nail an’ wood Whose only sin was being good! The keg is hard an’ black as pitch I never meant to be a witch Dear Saviour, I am not a Witch . . . - Barbara Cowley. Peel, 1964.