Reply With QuoteAgreed, done.
50k/year for a witch at Wookey Hole Caves?
I saw an article tonight on South West TV Spotlight News which really shocked me. Wookey Hole caves, (a marvelous geological attraction in Devon with many visiting tourists) was advertising for a witch to come and entertain visiting children as they explore the caves. The witch's salary was reported to be FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS per YEAR! Why is a scientific wonder like these caves being used in such a frivolous manor to promote such non-scientific mumbo jumbo? Could not the 50 grand per year be better put to use in hiring a PhD to do some genuine research and investigation? Could not that 50 grand be used to update the educational value to school children as they pass through in learning about the geological processess that formed the cave, or the ancient history and biology of these caves?
To check this story out for yourselves see this BBC link:
(I've had to disguise it as I haven't done my 15 posts yet!)
http: // news [.] bbc [.] co[.]uk/1/hi/business/8138665[.]stm
If you agree with me, I would encourage you to visit the Wookey Caves web site and paste your oppinion of this on their feedback form, link here:
http[:]//w w w[.]wookey[.]co[.]uk / web/contact-us/
Lets keep this kind of clap rap out of our scientific natural wonders and keep our children's education free of this kind of nonsence!
Agreed, done.
There you go Skeptic'sSkeptic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8138665.stm
A Job Centre is advertising a "witch" vacancy with tourist site Wookey Hole, in Somerset, for £50,000 a year.
The witch, who has to live in the site's caves, is expected to teach witchcraft and magic.
Wookey Hole staff say the role is straightforward: live in the cave, be a witch and do the things witches do.
The advert for the post, placed in the local press as well as job centres, says applicants must be able to cackle and cannot be allergic to cats.
The job has come up after the previous witch retired from the role.
"We are witchless as the moment so need to get the role filled as soon as possible," said Daniel Medley from the tourist destination..........
What has witch craft woo got to do with geology is there any evidence that witches used this cave in the past.
http://www.wookey.co.uk/web/contact-us/
2nd link to make it known that it should promote science not wooooo.
This has to be an advertising stunt, surely!
"Has to live in the cave" ... Like the hermits that stately homes used to hire, perhaps? Live where? There is no accommodation.
"Must not be allergic to cats" ... You gotta be kidding -- the RSPCA would never allow a cat to be kept in a cave.
Be skeptical of the things you believe are false, but be very skeptical of the things you believe are true.
Originally Posted by Trinoc
Well spotted, having read the job advert it does all look a bit silly (the authorities hope we will employ a transgender!) - but then the whole site looks as thought designed specifically with young children as the target audience.
If it wasn't for the whole cave thing (*shudder*) I'd have applied for that.
I wonder what they would have thought of someone who fulfilled their brief, but was also able to add a more skeptical approach. Someone who could act as a witch, and then also explain - still in a good humoured way - why things were perceived as they were, and what actual explanations there could be for examples of witchcraft events.
Raise money for Robert and Susan Lancaster:
Fundraising for Robert Lancaster
I notice that the witch story is number 2 on the "most read" items on the BBC website.
It says "Interviews will involve on-site assessment incorporating a range of standard tasks"
Perhaps we could come up with a few tests to see if the candidates are real witches
How about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_l5ntikaU ?
Weighing less than a duck?
Thought this might amuse
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news...l/article.html
A woman who pulled a sickie to audition for The X Factor is facing the sack – after her bosses saw her on the show.
Fiona Robertson, 25, performed in front of Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole in a bizarre routine as the Wicked Witch of the West in April this year.
But she is now facing disciplinary action after she was recognised by her bosses at Wookey Hole Caves, Somerset, where she works as a £50,000-a-year entertainer.
Fiona had claimed she was ill with flu on the day of the audition but was rumbled when a preview of the new series featuring her picture appeared in newspapers.
Daniel Medley, director of Wookey Hole Caves, said Fiona is now facing disciplinary action.
He said: ''We have been extremely pleased with how well Fiona has settled in and taken to the role – she has an enchanting way with people.
''But we now feel very let down and cannot believe that she has used her fame from Wookey Hole Caves to further her career while still working for us.
''I was genuinely shocked when I saw her in the papers, she was even wearing her Wookey Witch costume.
''This is just totally unacceptable and we are considering disciplinary action.''
Fiona, from Taunton, Somerset, began working as the Wookey Witch in August 2009.
Fiona yesterday pledged to apologise and revealed she has not yet been suspended from her post.
The £50K was pro-rata, for work done seasonally, apparently mainly summer holidays and other special occasions.
Though that might suit some, for many people, doing irregular work significantly increases the £/hour required to make doing the job attractive, or even economic.
Possibly that's even more the case at times when jobs may be scarce, and getting casual work to fill in the gaps might be more difficult.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks