Summer Solstice at Stonehenge + more
sunshine | 04.06.2004 08:15 | Ecology | Free Spaces | London
Solstice @ Stonehenge 2004
The open access for the summer solstice has grown massively since 2000. In the first year there were a few thousand, last year there was something huge with up to 30,000 people!
This year the authorities have learned from their mistake last year when they only allowed access from midnight - the resulting rush as everybody arrived at the same time created traffic chaos. So this year the access times are back to a more sensible structure.
The open access for the summer solstice has grown massively since 2000. In the first year there were a few thousand, last year there was something huge with up to 30,000 people!
This year the authorities have learned from their mistake last year when they only allowed access from midnight - the resulting rush as everybody arrived at the same time created traffic chaos. So this year the access times are back to a more sensible structure.
At Stonehenge the car park (on the Western side, enter off the A303 from the roundabout - it's signposted) opens at 8pm Sunday 20th June, and closes at 1pm on Monday 21st June. Access to the stones themselves is from 10pm until 9am. www.phreak.co.uk/stonehenge/psb/stonecam.htm
Full times:
Designated Car Park Opens - 2000 hours (8pm) Sunday 20th June
Access to Stonehenge - 2200 hours (10pm) Sunday 20th June
Stonehenge Closes - 0900 hours (9am) Monday 21st June
Last Admission to Designated Car Park - 0800 hours (8am) Monday 21st June
Designated Car Park to be vacated - 1300 hours (1pm) Monday 21st June
21 Summer Solstice. Solstice is at 00:56. Sunrise 4:45am
http://accessibility.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?wci=Node&wce=8551
Rememberr security will search bags for glass bottles. Also large bags, rucksacks, sleeping bags and similar items will not be allowed on site. Security have also stopped people entering for being 'too drunk'.
Some folks have been advertising a 'Pointless Picnic' for 9am on 21st june on adjacent National Trust land, though there seems some confusion over times with previous publicity pointing towards 7am.
Next year will be the 20th anniversiary of the Battle of the Beanfield... if you don't know about this horrendous incident when the police went bezerk and attacked scores of people and vehicles - check out:
http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean.htm
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news25.htm
And if you're in Brighton on the 21st why not scoot along to....
21 BASS (Brighton Alliance of Sound Systems) Solstice Party... a procession of colour, dancers and top Brighton samba onto the beach where a back drop of Brighton’s very own replica Stonehenge that will be brought into it’s own by video projections, lasers and fire performers. Black Rock car park from 8.45pm
http://www.bass23.org
And if you're in london, apart from all the squat parties therre's this...
Saturday 19 June,: A celebration of the 20th anniversary of the last Stonehenge Free Festival is taking place at the Vertigo Arts Centre (aka the 491) in Leytonstone , with a photo exhibition, films, live music and DJs and promotion of Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion a highly anticipated new book by Andy Worthington. Neil Goodwin (co-creator of the legendary Beanfield video Operation Solstice) and Andy are looking for musicians connected with the festival years who may be willing to come and play.Please post here if your group or you were an artist who played at the stonehenge free festivals and would like to participate.
http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/albion/index.htm
==============================================
And just to round it off here's the latest from the stonehenge road campaign:
This news is taken from the latest newletter
1. Public Inquiry ends
It's a few months since we last wrote to you.... and things have been very
busy!
A public inquiry into the highway plans began in February. (For those of
you outside the UK, a public inquiry is a bit like a court case that major
construction projects in this country typically undergo.) The Highways
Agency (the road-building wing of the British government and one of the the
main-movers behind this scheme) issued thousands of pages of documents
about the proposed new highway... and a wide variety of objectors
scrutinized them and pointed out the problems. The Inquiry ran for about 12
weeks and finally ended on May 11.
There was worldwide press coverage of the Inquiry. You can read a selection
of the articles on our website here:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/stoneh.html
Kate Fielden of the Stonehenge Alliance has written a great summary of the
Inquiry (thanks Kate!), which you can find here:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/inquirysummary.html
In its closing statement to the Inquiry, the Stonehenge Alliance summed up
many people's grave concerns about the road plan:
"Having followed closely the evidence brought to the Inquiry, the
Stonehenge Alliance's view remains unchanged: the Published Scheme would
inflict severe and permanent damage on the Stonehenge World Heritage Site
[WHS] and ought not to be allowed. This exceptional place has already been
much damaged in the past. New 'improvements' at Stonehenge should not
include a road scheme that English Heritage describes as no more than 'the
best we have on offer' and falls far short of protection and conservation
of the WHS.
On the contrary, we believe that the WHS is of such outstanding
international importance that only the right thing should be done in terms
of roads or anything else - even if that means we must wait until such as
this may be achieved.
It is the Alliance's view that the road scheme would be so damaging to the
WHS that it should be rejected. Like ICOMOS-UK, we do not feel that we
should support the scheme for the benefits it would bring - for those
benefits would be gained at too high a price: substantial and irreversible
damage to the WHS and its setting. We would prefer to see nothing done
rather than the damage the scheme would cause. We would, however, be glad
to consider a scheme that would do no further damage to the WHS and aimed
to protect and rehabilitate the WHS as a whole.
That is why we are here - to argue against the appalling threat that hangs
over this WHS, all the more shocking because those who have responsibility
for its protection are those who would damage the place and its setting for
ever, apparently through lack of full understanding of the value that is to
be placed upon it.
Our message to the Secretary of State is simple. We plead, logically
because of the planning framework that should safeguard it, and with
heartfelt enthusiasm because of its acknowledged significance to mankind,
for the preservation of the Stonehenge WHS for future generations. We
respectfully ask for a stay of execution until a better solution may be
found and we would naturally be glad to assist in any effort to achieve
such a solution."
You can read the Stonehenge Alliance's closing statements in full here:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/allianceclosingstatement.html
-----------
2. What happens next?
The Inquiry inspector (effectively, a kind of judge who hears and sums up
the evidence) will now go away and write a lengthy report about the
arguments for and against the road scheme. He is expected to send his
report to the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, by
September. Mr Darling, the Minister whose own Highways Agency has been so
enthusiastically promoting the road scheme for the last few years, then
gets to make the final decision. Far be it from us to point out a certain
conflict of interest.
Anyway, Mr Darling loves receiving letters, so now is certainly the time to
write to him expressing your views about the proposed highway. If he gets
the message that there is massive international outrage about this road, he
might just change his mind. Please send your letters as soon as you can.
Polite, well-argued, passionate letters are great, but please don't send
abusive letters or rants. Start your letter: "I am writing to object to the
A303 Stonehenge Improvement..." and give your reasons. (There are some
simple standard letters on our website Take Action page, but it's much much
better to write something in your own words, however short.)
Rt. Hon. Alistair Darling MP
Secretary of State
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DR
United Kingdom.
Please remember one thing: If Mr Darling gives the go-ahead (and he's very
likely to do so), bulldozers will be rolling into the Stonehenge World
Heritage Site NEXT YEAR. So we must keep the pressure up.
See also:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk
Full times:
Designated Car Park Opens - 2000 hours (8pm) Sunday 20th June
Access to Stonehenge - 2200 hours (10pm) Sunday 20th June
Stonehenge Closes - 0900 hours (9am) Monday 21st June
Last Admission to Designated Car Park - 0800 hours (8am) Monday 21st June
Designated Car Park to be vacated - 1300 hours (1pm) Monday 21st June
21 Summer Solstice. Solstice is at 00:56. Sunrise 4:45am
http://accessibility.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?wci=Node&wce=8551 Rememberr security will search bags for glass bottles. Also large bags, rucksacks, sleeping bags and similar items will not be allowed on site. Security have also stopped people entering for being 'too drunk'.
Some folks have been advertising a 'Pointless Picnic' for 9am on 21st june on adjacent National Trust land, though there seems some confusion over times with previous publicity pointing towards 7am.
Next year will be the 20th anniversiary of the Battle of the Beanfield... if you don't know about this horrendous incident when the police went bezerk and attacked scores of people and vehicles - check out:
http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean.htm http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news25.htm And if you're in Brighton on the 21st why not scoot along to....
21 BASS (Brighton Alliance of Sound Systems) Solstice Party... a procession of colour, dancers and top Brighton samba onto the beach where a back drop of Brighton’s very own replica Stonehenge that will be brought into it’s own by video projections, lasers and fire performers. Black Rock car park from 8.45pm
http://www.bass23.org And if you're in london, apart from all the squat parties therre's this...
Saturday 19 June,: A celebration of the 20th anniversary of the last Stonehenge Free Festival is taking place at the Vertigo Arts Centre (aka the 491) in Leytonstone , with a photo exhibition, films, live music and DJs and promotion of Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion a highly anticipated new book by Andy Worthington. Neil Goodwin (co-creator of the legendary Beanfield video Operation Solstice) and Andy are looking for musicians connected with the festival years who may be willing to come and play.Please post here if your group or you were an artist who played at the stonehenge free festivals and would like to participate.
http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/albion/index.htm ==============================================
And just to round it off here's the latest from the stonehenge road campaign:
This news is taken from the latest newletter
1. Public Inquiry ends
It's a few months since we last wrote to you.... and things have been very
busy!
A public inquiry into the highway plans began in February. (For those of
you outside the UK, a public inquiry is a bit like a court case that major
construction projects in this country typically undergo.) The Highways
Agency (the road-building wing of the British government and one of the the
main-movers behind this scheme) issued thousands of pages of documents
about the proposed new highway... and a wide variety of objectors
scrutinized them and pointed out the problems. The Inquiry ran for about 12
weeks and finally ended on May 11.
There was worldwide press coverage of the Inquiry. You can read a selection
of the articles on our website here:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/stoneh.html Kate Fielden of the Stonehenge Alliance has written a great summary of the
Inquiry (thanks Kate!), which you can find here:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/inquirysummary.html In its closing statement to the Inquiry, the Stonehenge Alliance summed up
many people's grave concerns about the road plan:
"Having followed closely the evidence brought to the Inquiry, the
Stonehenge Alliance's view remains unchanged: the Published Scheme would
inflict severe and permanent damage on the Stonehenge World Heritage Site
[WHS] and ought not to be allowed. This exceptional place has already been
much damaged in the past. New 'improvements' at Stonehenge should not
include a road scheme that English Heritage describes as no more than 'the
best we have on offer' and falls far short of protection and conservation
of the WHS.
On the contrary, we believe that the WHS is of such outstanding
international importance that only the right thing should be done in terms
of roads or anything else - even if that means we must wait until such as
this may be achieved.
It is the Alliance's view that the road scheme would be so damaging to the
WHS that it should be rejected. Like ICOMOS-UK, we do not feel that we
should support the scheme for the benefits it would bring - for those
benefits would be gained at too high a price: substantial and irreversible
damage to the WHS and its setting. We would prefer to see nothing done
rather than the damage the scheme would cause. We would, however, be glad
to consider a scheme that would do no further damage to the WHS and aimed
to protect and rehabilitate the WHS as a whole.
That is why we are here - to argue against the appalling threat that hangs
over this WHS, all the more shocking because those who have responsibility
for its protection are those who would damage the place and its setting for
ever, apparently through lack of full understanding of the value that is to
be placed upon it.
Our message to the Secretary of State is simple. We plead, logically
because of the planning framework that should safeguard it, and with
heartfelt enthusiasm because of its acknowledged significance to mankind,
for the preservation of the Stonehenge WHS for future generations. We
respectfully ask for a stay of execution until a better solution may be
found and we would naturally be glad to assist in any effort to achieve
such a solution."
You can read the Stonehenge Alliance's closing statements in full here:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/allianceclosingstatement.html -----------
2. What happens next?
The Inquiry inspector (effectively, a kind of judge who hears and sums up
the evidence) will now go away and write a lengthy report about the
arguments for and against the road scheme. He is expected to send his
report to the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, by
September. Mr Darling, the Minister whose own Highways Agency has been so
enthusiastically promoting the road scheme for the last few years, then
gets to make the final decision. Far be it from us to point out a certain
conflict of interest.
Anyway, Mr Darling loves receiving letters, so now is certainly the time to
write to him expressing your views about the proposed highway. If he gets
the message that there is massive international outrage about this road, he
might just change his mind. Please send your letters as soon as you can.
Polite, well-argued, passionate letters are great, but please don't send
abusive letters or rants. Start your letter: "I am writing to object to the
A303 Stonehenge Improvement..." and give your reasons. (There are some
simple standard letters on our website Take Action page, but it's much much
better to write something in your own words, however short.)
Rt. Hon. Alistair Darling MP
Secretary of State
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DR
United Kingdom.
Please remember one thing: If Mr Darling gives the go-ahead (and he's very
likely to do so), bulldozers will be rolling into the Stonehenge World
Heritage Site NEXT YEAR. So we must keep the pressure up.
See also:
http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk
sunshine
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
If you want a reply from a minister...
04.06.2004 11:50
The reply will be written by civil servants, but the minister will have to sign the letter so at least you know he's seen your letter even if he hasn't read it.
If you write directly to a minister he is unlikely to see your letter. It will be dealt with by a junior 'Administrative Assistant' in the department, and the minister may not even be alerted about your issue. When I was a low grade civil servant the only attention most letters got was to have the stamps torn off the envelopes (for charity!) before the letters were put in the bin.
Herblooser
e-mail:
herblooser@yahoo.co.uk
New book on Stonehenge out shortly
04.06.2004 23:08
There's a great new book coming out in a couple of weeks called STONEHENGE - CELEBRATION AND SUBVERSION by Andy Worthington. I could sum it up, but the press release says it all:
This innovative social history looks in detail at how the summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge have brought together different aspects of British counter-culture to make the monument a 'living temple' and an icon of alternative Britain. The history of the celebrants and counter-cultural leaders is interwoven with the viewpoints of the land-owners, custodians and archaeologists who have generally attempted to impose order on the shifting patterns of these modern-day mythologies.
The story of the Stonehenge summer solstice celebrations begins with the Druid revival of the 18th century and the earliest public gatherings of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the social upheavals of the 1960s and early 70s, these trailblazers were superseded by the Stonehenge Free Festival. This evolved from a small gathering to an anarchic free state the size of a small city, before its brutal suppression at the Battle of the Beanfield in 1985.
In the aftermath of the Beanfield, the author examines how the political and spiritual aspirations of the free festivals evolved into both the rave scene and the road protest movement, and how the prevailing trends in the counter-culture provided a fertile breeding ground for the development of new Druid groups, the growth of paganism in general, and the adoption of other sacred sites, in particular Stonehenge's gargantuan neighbour at Avebury.
The account is brought up to date with the reopening of Stonehenge on the summer solstice in 2000, the unprecedented crowds drawn by the new access arrangements, and the latest source of conflict, centred on a bitterly-contested road improvement scheme.
It only very briefly discusses the ancient history of Stonehenge, it's main focus is the free festivals in the 70s and 80s, their clampdown, the activism which took place in the 16 or so years it was closed off and it's reopening in 2000 for the public. Stonehenge has been a central focal point for the activist movement in this country, with many people involved in free festivals etc moving on to other areas so I think it would be of interest to a lot of Indymedia peeps :)
Casp