Tarot cards, giant snails and Halloween treats at Thornberry
“We’d love people to come along, have a wonderfully spooky day and help us make a difference”
Fancy a glimpse into your future this Halloween? Then why not follow your crystal ball to Rotherham's Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, where visitors can get their fortunes told, meet some creepy-crawly characters and enjoy a fang-tastic family day out – all in aid of a very good cause.
The sanctuary is adding a touch of the supernatural to its usual animal-friendly offering, with tarot readings joining the usual Halloween fun at its fair on Saturday, October 31, from 11am to 3pm.
For those brave enough to peer beyond the veil, spiritualist medium and clairvoyant Tracy Lycett, of Tracy’s Unwritten Answers, will be ready to shuffle the cards and see what fate has in store.
Who knows – you might discover your future is written in the stars, or that a big decision is looming.
It’s a first for the sanctuary, although even the organisers can’t quite see into the future when it comes to predicting how popular the new attraction will be.
Community Fundraising Manager Lynsey Colebrook told the Advertiser it was a first for the organisation.
“We’re looking forward to seeing our summerhouse take on a rather mysterious new role as The Bewitched Summerhouse.
“Tracy from Tracy’s Unwritten Answers will be offering tarot readings, and we’re hoping plenty of visitors will be curious enough to see what the cards might hold.
“We can’t predict how busy she’ll be, but perhaps we should ask Tracy!”
And if a date with destiny doesn’t send a shiver down your spine, there’ll be plenty more to make your skin crawl.
West Yorkshire company Creature Connections will be bringing along some of the animal kingdom’s less cuddly characters, including spiders, scorpions and giant land snails. It’s a chance to get up close to some fascinating creatures without having to go hunting for them in the garden shed.
Lynsey said: “Creature Connections will be introducing visitors to the weird and wonderful world of invertebrates.
“We’re hoping the land snails will come out of their shells and win a few people over!
“It’s a chance to get a closer look at some fascinating creatures and discover there’s much more to them than their spooky reputations.
“We’re usually busy finding homes for things with paws, so welcoming creatures with eight legs, or even no legs at all, will certainly add something different.
“Behind all the Halloween fun is a very real purpose: raising money to care for the animals who need us. We’d love people to come along, have a wonderfully spooky day and help us make a difference.”
And there’s no need to consult the cards to see that there’ll be plenty more going on, too. Visitors to the sanctuary’s Todwick Road base in North Anston can browse craft stalls, enjoy food and drink, try their luck in the raffle and tombola, and visit the pumpkin patch.