Jacky Dowding

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Jacky Dowding in a car accident just before Christmas on December 13th, she was just 43 years old. Jacky had joined Friends last year and many of you who attended the November Friends' Get Together will remember her very bubbly and friendly presence. She loved Boscastle and the Museum and we are happy that we were able to share a small part of her life. Deepest sympathies go to her friends and family, particularly her 3 children, her partner, and her good friend Lyn Berriman. Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet Again.

Notification of witchcraft talk in Exeter

At a recent meeting for the British Association of Friends of Museums I met some attendees from Exeter who informed me of an upcoming talk on Witchcraft in March this year. It sounds very interesting so I thought I'd let people know about it. Hoping to get along myself.

Witchcraft in Exeter 1558-1660

Using new reserach, Mark Stoyle, Prof of Early Modern History at University of Southampton, will tell the story of some of the unfortunate Exeter men and women who were accused of witchraft by their neighbours and show that executions of supposed witches in the city began more than a hundred years earlier than the history books suggest.

Tickets price £5.00, for this lecture, at 7pm on 29 March the Royal Albert Memorial Musem will be available from 16 January.

Apply by post to Friends Ticket Sales, RAMM, Queen St, Exeter EX4 3RX. Please enclose a cheque made out to Exeter City Councill and enclose an SAE.

New Publishing House to Look out For

Thought some of you esoteric writers out there might like to hear of a new publishing house starting up - here is more info and the website for further details:

WyrdBooks is a new publishing house (a virgo, born in September 2011), specialising in literary esoterica and run by non-fiction writer Sinead Spearing and Sian Thomas (poet & editor). We welcome fiction and non-fiction manuscripts on folklore, magic, myth, gnosis, transformation and the transpersonal. So far we've had some interesting manuscripts, but we're looking for something we love. Submission guidelines can be found on our website: http://www.wyrdbooks.co.uk/

Sian Thomas did a stint as poet in residence at the museum a year or so ago and we wish them both success with their new venture.