Last night, I was reading a book about Alum Bay and the Needles (by John C Medland).  The book reported that the water supply at Alum Bay had been a problem up until the 1930s.  Before then, water was bought from a farm a short distance way and transported down to the Bay.  But then a local entrepreneur, aided by the postman, discovered water at the Bay by water divining and a well was dug.

This reminded me of my upbringing in Devon, when a neighbour showed my father how to search for water using (I think) a hazel stick.  My siblings and I tried desperately to find water ourselves, without success, having seen the twig 'twitch' in our neighbour's hand,.     So I've always been convinced it works, but would still like to know how and why.  Is it because the type of twig - hazel - needs a lot of water to grow and therefore 'sniffs' it out ?  (in which case, if you bought kitchen or bathroom furniture made of hazel, would you find them all in the sink one day?). Or is there a scientific or paranormal explanation?  I'm going to have a look for a y-shaped twig and have another go.

There was, apparently, a downside to this new source of water at Alum Bay.  It was piped to water tanks at the nearby hotel, which doubled as a swimming pool.   One irate woman at the hotel is alleged to have complained about boiled tadpoles in her teapot.