The Salesbury Journals.
These are here for posterity. more will be added later.
POLICE STOP ILLEGAL RAVE AT STONEHENGE > wed 19th June 2013 by Hannah White. Police put a stop to plans for an illegal rave near Stonehenge last night. The event advertised as STONEHENGE FREE FESTIVAL did not receive police or council permission to go ahead so officers attended the scene and gave out a number of notices asking people to leave the area. A police spokesperson said: "This early interaction throughout the day stopped anything starting up. "Wiltshire police are fully prepared to seize sound equipment and associated vehicles if they are contravening section 64 of the criminal justice & Public order act 1994" (copyright Newsquest Media Group)
Salisbury Journal 4:35pm Thursday 27th June 2013
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION FELT MORE LIKE A FOOTBALL MATCH
Despite appearances an increasingly large number of people are disillusioned with English Heritage's management of the summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, the scene being more reminiscent to that of a football match than one of the most powerful spiritual centres in Europe.
In an increasingly secular society Stonehenge holds a spiritual or mystical significance for many.
Despite what English Heritage would have us believe, at its heart originally was the annual free festival. As spokesman for the STONEHENGE FESTIVAL CAMPAIGN since 2011 I have been negotiating with the authorities in a bid to locate a suitable festival campsite.
This would take pressure off the stones at midsummer and would help facilitate those who revere the stones as sacred and those wanting to engage with the party atmosphere.
At the festival's heart remains a culture of anti-materialism, sharing and a passion for freedom and open spaces. Many festival goers prefer to live nomadic or semi nomadic lifestyles, part of an attempt to escape the rat race and live a more self sufficient and spiritual lifestyle. Unfortunately they have been criminalised and effectively outlawed.
After all these years since the festival ban the lack of a festival site is a sign of the apathy the authorities show towards a large group of society. Far from being environmental nuisances travellers and festival goers are very aware of environmental issues, showing respect for the countryside and teaching newcomers to respect livestock and the local community, and to dispose of waste carefully.
Stonehenge provides a medium for the expressions, tensions, and contradictions in British Society. The authorities, it seems, are trying to neutralise the power of Stonehenge by making it into a theme park mock-up. It shouldn't be beyond the authorities to provide, at the least, a trial, compromise site.
The land and the resources are available; unfortunately what is lacking is the will to do so. In the event of a site being found volunteers from the local festival and druid community would be formed to help organise and run the event. Those people who tried to establish an unauthorised event near Stonehenge in the run up to the solstice are proof that the need for a festival still exists as does the DIY ethic that spawned the festival all those years ago.
Sid Hope - London ***********************************************************************************************
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION FELT MORE LIKE A FOOTBALL MATCH
Despite appearances an increasingly large number of people are disillusioned with English Heritage's management of the summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, the scene being more reminiscent to that of a football match than one of the most powerful spiritual centres in Europe.
In an increasingly secular society Stonehenge holds a spiritual or mystical significance for many.
Despite what English Heritage would have us believe, at its heart originally was the annual free festival. As spokesman for the STONEHENGE FESTIVAL CAMPAIGN since 2011 I have been negotiating with the authorities in a bid to locate a suitable festival campsite.
This would take pressure off the stones at midsummer and would help facilitate those who revere the stones as sacred and those wanting to engage with the party atmosphere.
At the festival's heart remains a culture of anti-materialism, sharing and a passion for freedom and open spaces. Many festival goers prefer to live nomadic or semi nomadic lifestyles, part of an attempt to escape the rat race and live a more self sufficient and spiritual lifestyle. Unfortunately they have been criminalised and effectively outlawed.
After all these years since the festival ban the lack of a festival site is a sign of the apathy the authorities show towards a large group of society. Far from being environmental nuisances travellers and festival goers are very aware of environmental issues, showing respect for the countryside and teaching newcomers to respect livestock and the local community, and to dispose of waste carefully.
Stonehenge provides a medium for the expressions, tensions, and contradictions in British Society. The authorities, it seems, are trying to neutralise the power of Stonehenge by making it into a theme park mock-up. It shouldn't be beyond the authorities to provide, at the least, a trial, compromise site.
The land and the resources are available; unfortunately what is lacking is the will to do so. In the event of a site being found volunteers from the local festival and druid community would be formed to help organise and run the event. Those people who tried to establish an unauthorised event near Stonehenge in the run up to the solstice are proof that the need for a festival still exists as does the DIY ethic that spawned the festival all those years ago.
Sid Hope - London ***********************************************************************************************