Witch curse blamed for Wirral Magazine pub fire

Sep 3 2010 By Lorna Hughes

She said: “We found out that a  decorator took them down while he was  working here in the 1970s and then was  involved in a serious car accident at the  top of the road.

“Phil once happened to touch the  witch by accident and the following day  he fell through a  trapdoor leading to the  cellar and broke his collarbone.

“Someone else fell over the following  week and broke both his knees. It's  spooky.”

Linda says she was convinced  something terrible would happen after  she learned about the theft.

She said: “One of my bar staff,  Charlie, saw a man take the witch from  the ceiling on the Friday night and run  out. He wasn't a regular because they all  know the story.

“I suppose I am superstitious because  I used to say to the witches 'I tell people  not to touch you so look after me' but  when I found out one had gone I said ‘oh  God something bad’s going to happen  now.

“We live above the pub and on Sunday  we woke up about 7.45am to the sound of  smashing downstairs.

“I thought someone had broken in  and was using a baseball bat until Les  went downstairs and found it was a  fire.

“It was terrifying. If it wasn't for the  prompt response of the fire service the  Mags might have burned to the  ground.”

The remaining witch and devil were  found in the scorched remains of the bar  after the fire on April 18 but Linda says  they have since vanished.

A friend bought the couple a  replacement witch from Pendle which  now hangs in their place. 

They are celebrating the pub's  re-opening with a beer and cider festival  next week which will include a special  brew, Witches Revenge.

Linda said:  “What happened was so  strange that I thought I'd better put the  new witch up – just in case.”