Stonehenge bans Summer solstice Druids, vegans, goths (spoof)

Salisbury Plain, Wilts - Druids, vegans and assorted goths are to be excluded from Summer solstice commemoration ceremonies at Stonehenge this week after locals branded them a pest to wildlife who habitually dump excessive tonnes of toxic human waste into the surrounding ecosystem.

Read more here.

Ministry of Agriculture doesn't exist anymore, sadly, so most of the 'travellers' that go there will see through this one...

English heritage couldn't give a crap who goes there - me and Hemlock were at Stonehenge a couple of years ago and it was horrendous. People were climbing about on the stones and all sorts. We beggared off to Avebury for a bit of peace and quiet.

What got us most, that the travellers could do whatever the hell they liked, however, when we were with a group of well-behaved, organised pagans doing a ritual within the stone circle a month or so later, EH insisted on laying down all sorts of crap ground rules - no climbing on the stones, etc. Pile of crap! :mad:

I like:
A five mile exclusion zone has cordoned off the Stonehenge monument today in anticipation of an early influx of the annual travellers whose convoys have already been spotted on the nearby local bypass armed with their trademark teepees, wigwams and calor gas fry-up equipment.

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Corum

What got us most, that the travellers could do whatever the hell they liked, however, when we were with a group of well-behaved, organised pagans doing a ritual within the stone circle a month or so later, EH insisted on laying down all sorts of crap ground rules - no climbing on the stones, etc. Pile of crap! :mad:

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To be fair that is not the case any more. We did fight (literally) for everyone's right to open access, even the idiots unfortunately. I'm sorry if it spoiled your experience.
I go every Summer and Winter and have done for 20 years. Usually it's really beautiful, even with the drongos.


I shall be there for sunrise at 4.58 as usual. Access from 8.30 tonight. Leave by midday tomorrow.
Anyone else going?

I thought the stones were always fenced off? I went to see them years ago and couldn't get near.

Not for Summer and Winter Solstices (and Equinox usually if you turn up and ask) for the last ten -ish years. Managed Open Access, innit. It's not as bad as it sounds. I just meet up with people I haven't seen for ages (often living abroad), lean up against a lump of Bluestone and go blank for a couple of hours. Lovely.

Vegans!! Haha

its a joke right? on the pages of 'the spoof' right??....
????

The last time I was there the vast majority of people had utterly no respect for what I and many others consider to be a sacred site.
Not only did I get assaulted by a big loud woman off her face (small child in tow) for going about my own peaceful business, the drug taking was huge, I saw people using the stones as an ash tray, being sick over them, letting their children use the stones as slides and themselves dancing about on them.
By morning the whole site was covered in filth and rubbish.
Not my idea of a good time and showed how disgusting people can be. If they want to treat something with that level of disrespect they shouldn't be allowed to have access to it - you wouldn't keep giving your kids toys if they deliberately kept breaking them, nor would you let your kids destroy someone elses property.
Me, Corum and some friends booked the stones to do a private ritual up there one autumn and the atmosphere was magical, really special.
There are amazing eco systems and natural moss and plants that are irreplacable on and around the stones. There are strict rules about behaviour around the stones all year so they are not damaged but once every year there is a thug free for all:confused:

*Hemlocks head spinning* Sorry for the rant but I feel very strongly about this issue!

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horselesspaul

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To be fair that is not the case any more. We did fight (literally) for everyone's right to open access, even the idiots unfortunately. I'm sorry if it spoiled your experience.

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As Hemlock said, we went there five years ago... (it might have changed since then, but I doubt it). The night before England played Brazil in the World Cup (when H predicted the correct score - which made a certain policeman's day - not!).

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Hemlock

If they want to treat something with that level of disrespect they shouldn't be allowed to have access to it - you wouldn't keep giving your kids toys if they deliberately kept breaking them, nor would you let your kids destroy someone elses property.

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How would you police this other than how they do now? How can you tell who "they" are?
It's a "sacred" site for me too and sometimes the Druids p*ss me off but they, and anyone else, should be allowed as long as they don't damage the site..

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Hemlock

There are strict rules about behaviour around the stones all year so they are not damaged but once every year there is a thug free for all:confused:

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As I said, not so now and for the last couple of years. People have been ejected for bad behaviour and the security is much better clued up.

I don't know who they are but basically the same crowd that turn up to every event like this and cause as much trouble as possible!:(
There was a bunch of about 100 of them at an animal rights protst I attended a few years back and the entire protest descended into riot because they all seemed intent on bating the police and wrecking shop fronts - initially it had been a well run and useful protest, as it was all we got was lousy publicity and a ban on further marches in the town.

there are stone circles and ancient monuments and standing stones all over the place.
proper druid types are really sweet, i've met some really good people in the middle of nowhere, not looking like the stereotypes, nor the ego trippers, but with some in tow dressed in white with flowers in their hair. Awww:)

anyone hear remember the battle of the beanfield?

i always find its a really good excuse to stay up for two days munching fungi, i've got some celtic blood as well as nordic, but i'm not a druid
'beeep thrrp beep toooot thrurrp' or a droid:)

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Corum

I don't know who they are but basically the same crowd that turn up to every event like this and cause as much trouble as possible!:(
There was a bunch of about 100 of them at an animal rights protst I attended a few years back and the entire protest descended into riot because they all seemed intent on bating the police and wrecking shop fronts - initially it had been a well run and useful protest, as it was all we got was lousy publicity and a ban on further marches in the town.

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Ahh, them! Useless gits.
The phenomenon of the tw@ttish minority f*cking it up for the rest of us exists in all walks of life, sadly.
Fortunately most of those people are gradually becoming incapable of such disruption due to failing health as they age. The ravages of super strength lager and amphetamines come home to roost.

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onebigvegan

anyone hear remember the battle of the beanfield?

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I joined "The Convoy"(sic.) a couple of weeks after..

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horselesspaul

Not for Summer and Winter Solstices (and Equinox usually if you turn up and ask) for the last ten -ish years. Managed Open Access, innit. It's not as bad as it sounds. I just meet up with people I haven't seen for ages (often living abroad), lean up against a lump of Bluestone and go blank for a couple of hours. Lovely.

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I haven't been to stonehenge for the summer or winter solstice for a few years but have been for the spring and autumn equinoxes where far fewer people attend. You can get into the stones with no problems at all and you don't get all the litter left lying around and everyone present respects the stones.

Did anyone go to the summer solstice celebrations this year?

If anyone is in the Sussex area and fancies having a go at building your very own stone circle there's a festival near the Long Man of Wilmington, September 21st - 23rd. http://www.outoftheordinaryfestival.com/

Interesting, we live half a mile away! I may get a day ticket.

Went this year, as usual. It was bloody packed, probably because of Glastonbury

I heard that the numbers were swelled by people stopping off before they went to Glastonbury. I'm glad I didn't go this year. It's nice to have lots of people at the stones, it makes for a lovely atmosphere (when people behave) but the numbers of people that went this year is too overwhelming.

-Nods- I guess I should have gone to Avebury instead but I somehow get drawn to stonehenge every year 0.o

I know what you mean about being drawn to stonehenge. Apparently Avebury at summer solstice time is getting to be more of a problem now because more people are going and it's causing problems with parking and the locals. The last I heard The National Trust weren't letting people stay overnight in the NT car park, I don't know whether that was resolved for this years solstice celebrations or not. Avebury is only a tiny village after all with little provision for a large influx of people. There has been talk of providing camping facilities some way from the village and people could walk in or perhaps there would be a shuttle bus service of some kind.

I went to Carnac in Brittany:
http://www.linternaute.com/nature-an...s/image/11.jpg
during World Cup France '98 for the 2 weeks around Summer Solstice.
NO ONE there. I had an amazing time but missed the company a little, maybe even the idiots. The stones remain warm long after dark, like Stonehenge. Not as gobsmackingly bleak and massive but hey, loads of stones!
There's a really good campsite nearby, since parking up (however unintrusive) for more than a night is problematic there. Even went for a couple of free hacks in the countryside from an excellent tiny local stable for helping out for an afternoon.
Hippy days!

Missed the stones this year for the first time in ages with a football (read age) related injury. Winter Solstice is always top for me and for 12 years used to be the day marking the start of the gradual reduction in the need to collect wood, fuel, candles etc.

Carnac is on my ancient-sites-to-do-list, I'm hoping to go this autumn and also hope to visit Callanish this year sometime too.

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Melanie

-Nods- I guess I should have gone to Avebury instead but I somehow get drawn to stonehenge every year 0.o

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My friends were heading for Avebury but were stopped by police. They went to Stonehenge instead.