Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Help Wanted: Witch, Good W/Potions, $75K

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 8, 2009 10:11 AM CDT

(Newser) – A British tourist attraction is seeking to conjure up a new resident witch, the BBC reports. Wookey Hole Caves has advertised for a witch willing to live in the site's caverns and practice her—or his—trade for an annual salary of $75,000. Applicants need to have strong cackling skills, the site's manager says, and can't be allergic to cats.

"Wookey Hole wants the appointee to go about her everyday business as a hag, so that people passing through the caves can get a sense of what the place was like in the Dark Ages," said an official at the tourist attraction. "This was when an old woman lived in the caves with some goats and a dog, causing a variety of social ills, including crop failures and disease." Under current law, however, the site can't discriminate against male witches, so the "hag" might be a guy.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

This undated photo made available by Wookey Hole Caves shows one of the caves. The caverns have been inhabited by humans for 50,000 years. (AP Photo/Wooky Hole Caves, ho)

Jane Brenner was the resident witch at Britain's Wookey Hole Caves until her recent retirement. (AP Photo/Wooky Hole Caves, ho)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

We are witchless as the moment so need to get the role filled as soon as possible. - Daniel Medley, general manager of tourist site Wookey Hole

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Sean Penn, Brits Bicker Over Falklands

Actor slams 'ludicrous colonialist ideology'

(NEWSER) - Sean Penn has waded into the latest dispute between Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands , much to the annoyance of British lawmakers. After meeting with Argentina's president, the actor and Haitian ambassador-at-large urged the UK to join UN-sponsored talks over the islands' future, warning that "the world is not going to tolerate any kind of ludicrous and archaic commitment to colonialist ideology," the Guardian reports. More»

Radical Cleric Abu Qatada Freed From UK Prison

British officials call him a threat to national security

(AP) - Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric whom British officials say is an al-Qaeda figurehead and a threat to national security, was freed from an English prison into virtual house arrest late today, British media reported. Judicial officials acknowledged earlier in the day that the 51-year-old extremist preacher's release from Long Lartin jail was imminent, but declined to comment on the reports from the BBC and Sky News , citing operational concerns. More»

Woman Eats Only Pizza for 31 Years

Selective Eating Disorder puts Londoner's health at risk

(NEWSER) - Turns out eating cheese-and-tomato pizzas for 31 years isn't very good for you—who knew. But a British woman says she can't face anything else on her plate without getting the shakes, ANI reports. “I’m actually scared of fruit and veg," says London resident Claire Simmons. "I get so angry when people think I’m being faddy—this is a real medical condition.” More»

Bin Laden 'Right-Hand Man' Set for Release in Britain

Abu Qatada to face 22-hour curfew in London

(NEWSER) - A radical cleric described as Osama bin Laden's "right-hand man" in Europe is set for immediate release from a British maximum security prison. Abu Qatada will be housebound for 22 hours a day in London, where he'll wear an electronic tag and face stringent rules on phone and Internet use, the Guardian reports. Bail terms allow Qatada full access to his family, though they will prevent him from taking his youngest child to school, notes the Telegraph . More»

British Cop Chases Suspect: Himself

Security camera confusion leads to hilarious pursuit

(NEWSER) - For 20 minutes, an undercover British police officer intrepidly tracked a suspicious person in an area recently hit with a spate of burglaries. Unfortunately, the officer was chasing himself. How? An operator watching the street via security camera alerted the plain-clothes officer of a suspicious person in the area—not realizing it was, in fact, the cop, explains the Telegraph . The camera operator began relaying the whereabouts of the "suspect" so the officer could nab him. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website