Page 32 • The HERALD • 24th April 2025 v READ THE HERALD ONLINE: www.herald-publishing.co.uk v PolarPlastics PVC-U SPECIALIST IN: l WINDOWS l DOORS l CONSERVATORIES l FASCIAS l CLADDING l GUTTERING l GLASS UNITS l WINDOW REPAIRS l FENCING & GATES www.polarplastics.co.uk Email: sales@polarplastics.co.uk l Open 6 Days a Week l No Hard Sale Family Business l 10 Year Insurance Backed Guarantee Registered Company 10 HOLBURY PRECINCT, HOLBURY DROVE, HOLBURY TEL: (023) 8089 9611 A&D Morrison Builders Ltd FOR ALL YOUR BUILDING NEEDS • Extensions • Renovations • Alterations • Groundworks • Roo ng • Drives & Patios 07768 599704 or 023 8194 8673 adlmorrison@sky.com Free Estimates • Fully Insured • Based in Dibden Purlieu • Cedral cladding jackdaw, Mr. Hotfoot Jackson, on her shoulder. Her public declaration of being a witch made headlines at a time when such claims were still rare. For a while, Sybil Leek became one of the most talked-about women in Britain. e village soon became a magnet for the curious and mystically minded. Tourists arrived hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous witch. Leek quickly took advantage of this interest, and opened a small shop, o ering books and astrological readings. Her presence helped lay the foundations for Burley’s association with witchcra . Today, that legacy lives on in shops such as ‘A Coven of Witches’, which continue to celebrate her in uence. Her popularity grew further due to regular television and radio appearances. She was also a proli c writer, publishing over sixty books. Her most famous work was her memoir, ‘Diary of a Witch’ (1968). It traced her early life and gave readers a deeper insight into her beliefs and time in Burley. But not everyone welcomed her. Some locals in Burley were uneasy with the media attention and the idea of a witch living among them. Leek o en clashed with sceptics or rival occultists. She refused to compromise and became a divisive gure - admired by some, criticised by others. e constant scrutiny became too much. ough she loved the New Forest, Leek chose to leave, later saying that the attention had simply become overwhelming. Her landlord also refused to renew her lease, putting further pressure on her. She relocated to the United States. She rst settled in Los Angeles and later in Florida, and continued writing, lecturing, and appearing on American television. In occult and astrological circles, she became a household name. Sadly, Leek died of cancer in Florida in 1982, aged sixty- ve, but her legacy is very much alive in Burley. e village’s identity as a centre of witchcra owes everything to her presence. While there’s no evidence of an existing coven before her arrival, her mix of folklore, performance, and her strong personal convictions forever changed how Burley would be known. Leek’s in uence was not just profound on Burley, but also on the public perceptions of witchcra . She was extremely charismatic and had a deep knowledge of astrology. Combined with her media savvy and personality, she helped people understand that witches were not all gures of fear but could also be spiritual practitioners rooted in ancient tradition. Today visitors arrive year-round in Burley, intrigued by the story of the woman who once declared herself a witch and dared to do so in public. For many who stroll through the quiet lanes and forest trails around the New Forest village, the image of a blackcloaked woman with a jackdaw on her shoulder still lingers - part legend, part legacy. Marc hosts monthly local history talks, visit: n wa.org/events for details. To the west of the New Forest lies the picturesque village of Burley. In the 1950s, it became an unlikely epicentre of media attention due to one particular woman: Sybil Leek, the self-declared ‘White Witch of Burley.’ Following the repeal of the Witchcra Act in 1951, Sybil became a striking sight in the village. She declared herself to be a witch and walked about in a long black cloak and pet jackdaw perched on her shoulder. As one of Britain’s rst openly practising witches, the press soon came calling to the New Forest - but she’d die in Florida in the 1980’s, a millionaire author and TV personality. But how did it get to that point? Born in Sta ordshire, Sybil grew up in a family with unconventional interests. Her grandmother played a formative role, teaching her astrology and what Leek later described as magical traditions passed down through generations. Educated largely at home, she showed an early gi for languages, literature, and occult philosophy. In her teens she started practising astrology and moving in established mystical circles. These formative experiences laid the groundwork for her later identity in Burley as a ‘white witch’ - a practitioner of benevolent magic focused on nature and healing. Sybil moved to Burley in the early 1950s and quickly made an impression as she walked the village lanes in dramatic attire with her The Witch Who Helped Shape Burley’s Identity by Marc Heighway Positive Counselling Totton South u3a normally meets at Colbury Memorial Hall on the 4th Friday afternoon of the month, doors open 1.30pm. e next meeting will be on Friday 25th April. e presentation will be given by Dottie Woods on ‘Positive Counselling’. Visitors welcome (2 visits before paying membership of £17 per u3a year). Further details via the Totton South u3a website or via text/call: 07305 178402. Holbury Manor WI Holbury Manor WI is a friendly group that meets on the fourth Monday of the month at Good Shepherd Church Hall, Holbury at 7.30pm. eir next meeting is on Monday 28th April when Copthorne Nursery will be getting them ready for the new planting season. Followed on Monday 26th May for their AGM. Visitors are always welcome to go along to see (and hear) what they do and what being in the WI is all about! Please contact: holburysec@hampshirewi.org.uk for more details, or do go along to a meeting.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTIyNzI=