MEDIA REPORTS    SUMMER SOLSTICE 2009    ...Back to Home Page
                                                  

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Jun 18   spaceweather.com     

Why do the police need a spy drone for hippies?
Johnny Pope’s merry bachelors are far more likely to be involved in crime than some druid bird with flowers in her hair.
by Jeremy Clarkson

I have only ever given my children one piece of advice. Other parents I know talk solemnly about drugs, sex, pregnancy, work, manners and the importance of good A-level grades. But all I’ve ever told my kids is this: "No matter what, never salute a magpie."
I don’t know when I got into the habit. Or even why. Maybe it was peer pressure. Maybe it was boredom. But one day, while driving along, I saw a lone magpie hopping about on the grass verge and I saluted it. And that was that. I was hooked. And now, I know for sure that if I fail to salute even a single one of them I will catch cancer within the hour.
This is a huge problem in Milton Keynes where, for reasons known only to Bill Oddie, there are one trillion magpies, all of which hang around by themselves on the endless sponsored roundabouts.
I’d love to know how many people die on the town’s roads each year because the driver was warding off bad luck. I bet it’s millions.
All superstition is mumbo jumbo. I know that. As a result, I will happily walk under a ladder, and I know that if some bees come to my house it will not burn down. I realise too that a black cat will give me just as much asthma as a brown one and that if my left ear feels warm it’s because it’s a sunny day. And yet I have this magpie thing going on. It makes me very angry as there is no methadone. There is no clinic. There is no cure.
Still, it could be worse. I could believe in the power of ley lines, the magic of dance and that I have the ability, through deep concentration, to become a dog or a cow, so that I may experience life from its point of view. In short, I’m awfully glad I’m not a druid.
Last week they were at Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice. Apparently, 36,500 poor souls got up in the middle of the night and were dragged by their beliefs and their little Citroëns to a field in Wiltshire where they were forced by custom to mark the disappointingly cloudy dawn by chanting and pretending to be King Arthur.
As a saluter of magpies, I have every sympathy with these people and I wish them well. I like having hippies in the world. They bring a richness and a calm, and while they like to wear hoods, they do not beat up old ladies.
And that brings me on to the point of this morning’s column. What in the name of whatever god you hold dear were the police doing using an unmanned spy drone to fly around, taking pictures of these people as they swayed gently in stillness of morning?
Can you imagine the hullabaloo if Dixon of Dock Green used similar tactics during a Catholic church service? If the smells and bells were drowned out by the relentless buzz of a spy plane? And let’s be honest, shall we? On the crime-o-meter, Johnny Pope’s merry little gang of bachelors is far more likely to be involved in serious wrongdoing than some dizzy druid bird with flowers in her hair.
I can see why the army might need a spy drone in Afghanistan. But how on earth could the Wiltshire constabulary justify the purchase of such a thing? To catch crop circlists? It’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.
And why were revellers limited to taking just four cans of beer each onto the site? This means there must have been a meeting at which a busybody in a trouser suit will have said "two" and then a fat man will have said "five", and much discussion will have taken place, at our expense, before the figure of four was arrived at.
This is even more absurd, come to think of it, than the police spy plane. Certainly I feel sure that early man would not have embarked on the road to civilisation if he had thought that, one day, humankind would arrive at a point where one man has the right to determine how much beer another man may take into a field in the middle of the night.
Then there’s the drugs business. Now, I’m not going to come here and defend the use of narcotics. But we learnt last week that there are now 1m cocaine users in Britain. Statistically then we can be assured that marching powder is being used in the House of Commons, in village halls, in business meetings, at dinner parties and even, perhaps, by pop stars.
So why pick on the druids? Why send sniffer dogs to their annual summer get-together? We know there will have been some dope and we know, because they’d stayed up all night, that some of the morris men will have got some marching powder up their schnozzers. But if it’s busts they’re after, Plod would probably have had a higher success rate if they’d had a snout about in their own locker rooms.
The fact is that despite the massive, and extremely costly, operation the police made only 37 arrests, mostly for minor public order offences. That’s 37 from a crowd of 36,500. One in a thousand or thereabouts.
I’m not suggesting that the police ignore large gatherings of people.
Whether it’s a football match or a bunch of Tamils in Parliament Square, the forces of law and order need to be on hand to give people directions to the nearest bus stop and break up whatever fights may occur.
But I simply cannot understand why such large numbers were used to monitor a group of people who, by their very nature, pose about as much threat to the world as a flock of budgerigars. They hum. They make love to one another. They speak in Welsh. And they go home.
Certainly I can assure you that driving along while under the influence of a silly scare story about magpies is much more of a threat to the nation’s peace and tranquillity.

Salisbury Journal (online)     Saturday June 27 2009

11:13am

Man assaulted at solstice celebrations
By Journal Reporter

POLICE are urging witnesses to come forward after an assault at the Stonehenge solstice celebrations on Sunday June 21.
At 4.30am a 35 year old Dutch student standing in the temporary car park at lighting rig C was punched in the nose by another man.
The man is described as white, in his mid 20s, with sort cropped dark hair and of a wiry slim build.
He was wearing a short sleeved shirt with a small checked design, blue jeans and a brown belt.
The man was seen by several witnesses to assault the student.
The assault was so severe it left the student with a nose bleed and a number of people came forward to offer first aid.
Police are appealing for any witnesses who saw the assault or the build up to it to contact PC Davies at Salisbury Police station on 0845 408 7000.

12:35pm Saturday 27th June 2009

Men cleared of wounding
By Journal Reporter

TWO men have been cleared of intentionally wounding a man while camping near Stonehenge last September.
Michael Confrey, 46, of Radnor Road in Salisbury, and 39-year-old Andrew Sawden, of no fixed abode, were accused of assaulting James Fairchild in the early hours of September 18 on the Drove next to Stonehenge.
A jury of six men and six women took just over three hours to acquit the two men of the offence.
Mr Fairchild alleged the two men jointly attacked him after an evening of drinking next to his campfire. He said Sawden pulled him backwards off his chair with a knife to his throat and Confrey jumped on him and bit his nose.
However Confrey maintained Mr Fairchild had tripped over him in the dark when he came out of a camper van, causing them both to fall.
Sawden said he was not by the fire at the time and had gone up the Drove for a walk because Mr Fairchild had been annoying him.
"It’s the right result," said Mr Confrey, speaking after the result. "It has been a long time coming."
Mr Sawden was awarded £60 costs.

BBC online       Friday June 26 2009

Week in pictures: 20-26 June        PIC1   

Solstice record-breaker
by Kirsty Barton

RECORD numbers flocked to Stonehenge at the weekend to celebrate the Summer Solstice amongst the Stones.
Despite cloudy skies, about 36,500 people, including Druid and pagans, travelled from far and wide to enjoy dancing, singing, religious rituals and drumming.
Mark Graham, a Druid from Loughborough, made the 97 mile journey along the ridgeway on foot.
"I have been coming for many years he said the stone circle was erected in alignment with the rising Sun and midsummers day so it feels an appropriate place to be for the summer solstice.
"Stonehenge was not just important for the local area but for the whole of the south of England. It was a pilgrimage place so to arrive on foot makes it more real."
Valerie Pointer, a pagan from London, and her sister Audrey, a spiritual seeker from Leeds, got stuck in traffic on the way but persevered and finally arrived at 2am.
"I think people come to a place like this because they are looking for something spiritual, said Valerie. Religion just doesn't hold what it used to. They still want to believe in something solid."
The sisters were in the stone circle at sunrise and said it was amazing being there, even though it was cloudy.
"You can just feel the love of the crowd." said Valerie. "Everyone was holding on to each other and swaying and talking to complete strangers like you have known and for years."
Peter Carson, head of Stonehenge, said: "We were expecting it to be busy this year; but we had ensured it has been a peaceful and enjoyable solstice. There has been a great atmosphere and where else would you want to be on midsummers day?"
*POLICE arrested 70 people during the solstice celebrations but have praised the behaviour of the majority of revellers. The force deployed more resources at the site than in recent years due to the solstice falling on a weekend.
Arrests made were mainly for offences involving drugs and alcohol, and were uncovered through the use sniffer dogs and subsequent searches. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: "I want to thank the vast majority who attended for the responsible way they behaved. My officers and other agencies have done a superb job and worked well together."
The Solstice was also a success according to St John Ambulance Wiltshire, who had 35 volunteers on site to deal with 125 casualties.

PICTURES BY TOM GREGORY

Making music.  DB6116P31                           PIC1
A Druid enjoys the experience.  DB6116P06                  PIC2
Crowds at the stones.  DB6116P16                    PIC3
Wearing a happy face.  DB6116P29                              PIC4
Blowing a horn.  DB6116P17              PIC5
Playing the drums. DB6116P27                        PIC6
Order online at www.journalphotos.co.uk

From Our Files, June 26, 1959    p82

Some 1,400 people who gathered in the ancient circle of Stonehenge on Saturday night in expectation of the Druids' dawn ceremony had to celebrate alone, for the Druids did not turn up. The reason was the ceremony was on Monday as the calendar year is not in full accord with the astronomical year and the solstices go by the procession of the equinoxes.
However their visit was not entirely in vain. After paying their entrance money they spent the entire night in the circle.

Thisisnorthdevon       Thursday  June 25 2009

Tying the knot pagan style - at Stonehenge

A NORTHAM couple have tied the knot in front of 36,500 people at the Summer Solstice celebrations in Stonehenge. Carl, 47 and Gigha Klinkenborg, 46, decided to have a Pagan wedding at the solstice celebrations, which mark the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Record crowds joined in the celebrations this weekend, and also got to see the Northam couple's ancient handfasting ceremony. The couple had decided they would have a Pagan marriage before leaving for Stonehenge and were delighted when chief Druid, Frank Somers, agreed to carry out the traditional ceremony that gives rise to the phrase tying the knot. Carl said: "To my amazement and excitement, he agreed readily and performed the ceremony on the spot. "Photographers and the public quickly gathered round while this moving ceremony played out." When the couple arrived home they went on the internet to find out how many people had been at the Stonehenge for the solstice - and were amazed to find many photographs of their wedding. Carl said: "We never expected a quiet wedding with 36,500 guests. "However the online response has simply blown us away and the fact that others watched at the time and have seen the pictures online is just wonderful. "It feels great that our love and excitement has spread across the globe." The couple got engaged just a month after meeting each other just under a year ago. Carl, who runs Beetlebank, a company that restores classic VW Beetles and Camper Vans and Gigha, an administrator for the Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service, met via an internet dating site. Carl said they immediately discovered how much they had in common. He added: "We realised our paths had almost crossed many times as we had visited many of the same music venues."

PAGAN PAIR: Northam couple Carl and Gigha Klinkenborg enjoyed their Pagan wedding in front of crowds of 35,000 at Stonehenge        PIC1

Letters:   In tune with nature?

Sir, The picture of Stonehenge (In my view, June 22) does not show the aftermath. Travelling past Stonehenge on Sunday morning, I was shocked to see it looking like a landfill site. Plastic bags almost covered the whole of the field after the people left. I thought people who went to see the solstice would be more in tune with Mother Nature and the environment. When will we learn to take our litter home?
James W. Martin       Frimley, Surrey

Wiltshire Gazette and Herald    Tuesday  June 23  2009  

Solstice overspill at Wootton Bassett

The police helicopter was called out on Sunday morning following reports of a rave in a field near Park Grounds Farm, Wootton Bassett. Police found 35 vehicles on the site at 6am and cordoned off the entrances to prevent more people arriving. The drivers were then moved on by officers, who were concerned that it may have been an overspill from Avebury and Stonehenge Solstice.

Wilts & Gloucester Standard     Monday June 22 2009

More than 30,000 celebrate peaceful solstice at Stonehenge

By Standard reporter

MORE than 30,000 revellers were at Stonehenge for what Wiltshire Police described as a "positive and peaceful" summer solstice. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: "Somewhere in the region of 35000 people including many families with children attended the solstice celebrations this year.
"There have been no serious injuries and many people have told us that this has been the best solstice they can remember in spite of the fact that the sun failed to appear on time."
The force devoted more resources to the event than in the past because it fell on the weekend and concentrated their efforts on drugs and drink offences. Around 500 people were searched using drugs dogs. Drugs were found in 100 cases. Just under 70 people were arrested, mainly for drugs and drink offences.
"I really want to thank the vast majority of people who attended for the responsible way they behaved," said the assistant chief. "My officers and other agencies have done a superb job and worked well together for the public and I publicly thank them for this.
"Many people have told me that the result of the changes to the event the event was run and policed has been to help make a safer solstice for all and this is very satisfying. On that basis it should be considered a success but we must not be complacent and our planning for next year starts almost immediately."

Daily Telegraph       Monday June 22 2009  p10

False Dawn: Sun stays behind the clouds for Stonehenge solstice

A bright light illuminates Stonehenge where record numbers turned up to mark the summer solstice at the weekend. Sadly for Isabelle Dale, 16, from Norfolk,   PIC1  and around 36,500 other people who gathered at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, the light was from a camera flash, not the sun they had come to welcome on the longest day.  PIC2   
As the sun rose behind the clouds at 4.58am yesterday a cheer went up from Druids, pagans, morris dancers, musicians and tourists who were at Stonehenge for the midsummer ceremony. The good weather and the fact that the the solstice fell over a weekend drew in the crowds from around 7pm on Saturday.
Police said 25 people were arrested for minor public disorder and drug-related offences.

p18     COMMENT

Stonehenge's pagans aren't a patch on pagans of the past
Melanie McDonagh:  Notebook

Stonehenge was probably the place not to be yesterday at 4.58am. The site had been turned into a cross between the Glastonbury Festival and the Notting Hill Carnival, with an estimated 36,500 revellers waiting for sunrise on the Summer Solstice, including assorted druids, Wicca devotees, King Arthur Pendragon (formerly known as John Rothwell), a few recreational drug-users and thousands of people out for as good a time as you can have at that hour of day.
According to King Arthur Pendragon, the police and security guards were going round wishing everyone a Happy Solstice. A druid, Frank Somers, reverently interviewed by the BBC, declared that ceremonies were a means of reconnecting with Nature. English Heritage, custodian of the site, was happy; everyone was happy.
I hate to sound a discordant note, but if you want to connect with the past, the day (or night) to celebrate Midsummer Eve is tomorrow, June 23. That's St John's Eve, preceding the feast of St John the Baptist. That night is still marked with bonfires all over Europe. And it was celebrated with the most extraordinary festivities in England until Henry VIII and the Reformation spoiled the fun.
Read the Tudor antiquarian John Stow on what were called the marching watches of St John's Eve: enormous processions of guilds and militia bearing blazing candelabra stretched for miles through London. It was a saint's day combined with what were probably ancient midsummer customs, a bit of cross-dressing of which medieval commentators approved. They thought it was the solstice, too.
The modern pagan solstice is fiction. The distinguished historian Ronald Hutton, author of the most sympathetic accounts of modern paganism, The Triumph of the Moon and Blood and Mistletoe, demolishes the notion that there's the remotest continuity between pre-Christian paganism and the druids and priestesses performing made-up rituals yesterday. Rosemary Hill, author of a wonderful book on Stonehenge, also describes its recent provenance.
In short, if you want to celebrate midsummer in the genuine, time-honoured way, put the bonfires on hold until tomorrow.

The Times    Monday June 22 2009  p24

In my view: Hayden West

Rush Hour at Stonehenge

Thousands of members of the public flocked to the Stonehenge circle of standing stones in Wiltshire at first light yesterday to celebrate the summer solstice in time-honoured fashion. Somewhat disappointingly and despite an encouraging forecast, the sun failed to break through the clouds.         PIC1

The Guardian    Monday June 22 2009  G2 pp1, 6-9

A new dawn - How Britain became a nation of pagans.           PIC1
'Everyone's a pagan now'

From morris dancers in mirror shades to green activists getting in touch with their spiritual side, paganism is going mainstream. Cole Moreton reports on a new national faith

Look out, here come the pagans. It's late May in central London and a man dressed as a tree, a witch in a velvet robe and a woman pretending to be a raven with a long black beak are dancing through the streets of Holborn, with several hundred others, moving to the rhythm of a dozen loud drums. They could wake the god of thunder with their noise but it's OK, the people at the back with the broadswords and shields are followers of Thor. This is a parade to celebrate pagan pride, and it would be wise not to get in the way.

"We are moving into a new time," says the leader, brandishing a huge set of antlers. "We are becoming more accepted. Paganism is reasserting itself."
Who is going to argue? Her name is Jeanette Ellis and she looks like the figurehead of a mighty galleon, cleavage pushing up out of a medieval dress (although her bottom half is mostly foliage). Ellis has been organising parades for more than a decade. "There has been such a dramatic change," she says, "in the way we are perceived."
Paganism is casting its spell over more people now than ever before in the modern age. There are said to be a quarter of a million practising pagans in this country, double the number of a decade ago.
That would make them more numerous than Buddhists (of which there are 144,500, according to the 2001 census) and almost as numerous as Jews (259,000) - and it doesn't even allow for the growing tribe of unofficial, instinctive pagans such as my friend Cath, who planned to celebrate the summer solstice in the early hours yesterday by "going out into the garden at dawn and just tuning in".
At Stonehenge at least 30,000 people were expected to watch the sun rise in the company of the druids who see themselves as practising the ancient faith of pre-Christian Britain. For them, the sun is symbolic of one aspect of the "universal force which flows through the world and which can be encouraged to flow through us", according to Philip Carr-Gomm, founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and author of the new Book of English Magic. The druids are only a small part of modern paganism, which encompasses a bewildering number of traditions or "paths", but central to them all is this idea of a divine force inherent in nature. It is an individualistic faith that encourages each person to respond in their own way, so you don't have to be a druid, or belong to any kind of order at all.
Away from Stonehenge, much smaller groups of people celebrate the summer solstice by gathering before sunrise in gardens or woods, on beaches or hilltops across the country, some for organised rituals and some, like Cath, just responding to their own understanding of a spirituality that seems to work best in the open air. Ask her faith and she says "pagan" straight away. She sees no need to join in with anybody else, but Cath is far from alone.
"What we believe is suddenly everywhere," says Bantu, a dreadlocked 29-year-old who planned to be on a hill in Wales when the moment came. He started to worship Gaia, the earth goddess, after going to a workshop at a climate camp. "Everyone's a pagan now."
  ..................... (+3pp)

The Independent  Monday June 22 2009   p18

Solstice celebration
Jonathan Brady/Newsteam

A record 36,500 people gathered at Stonehenge in the hopes of watching the sun rise in celebration of the summer solstice yesterday, but the morning was cloudy. Police made 37 arrests at the peaceful event.           PIC1 

Daily Express   Monday June 22 2009  p17

DRUIDS SWAMPED AT SOLSTICE

RECORD numbers welcomed the dawn of the longest day of the year at Stonehenge yesterday.
Nearly 40,000 people gathered at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, to mark the summer solstice. An eccentric mix of Morris dancers, pagans in traditional robes and musicians joined visitors from across the world. Druid Jim Saunders, 33, from Reading, said: "There were 16 druids here but only three of us made it into the circle."
A cheer went up as the sun rose at 4.58am through an overcast sky. Police made 37 arrests.

Revellers pack the circle yesterday.      PIC1
Isabelle Dale,16, looks the part.         PIC2

The Sun    Monday June 22 2009  p6

Dawn at Stonedhenge
By LEON WATSON

A RECORD crowd of 36,500 revellers partied at Stonehenge yesterday to celebrate the summer solstice. But police made 37 arrests for drug-related offences and public disorder at the annual bash on Salisbury Plain, Wilts. New Age Druids, sun-worshippers and hippies chanted as dawn broke on the longest day of the year at the ancient stone circle. Druid Frank Somers, 43, declared: "It's the most magical place on the planet." The antiques salesman added: "When you touch the stones you feel a warmth like you're touching a tree, not a stone. There's a genuine love." The eerie monument was built in three stages between 3,000 and 1,600 BC. Archaeologist Dave Batchelor, of English Heritage, said: "People come for a range of reasons. "Some belong to the Druidic religion and think of it as a temple. Others think of it as a place of their ancestors, or come for tranquillity. And some people come to see it as a way to celebrate the changing of the seasons."

It's rush hour ... solstice revellers mob Stonehenge         PIC1
Summer loving ... young girl celebrates            PIC2   
Also at The Sun online:
Light fantastic ... fireworks over monument       PIC3  
Stone me ... one reveller gets a good view         PIC4  

Daily Star       Monday June 22 2009   p23   

STONED HENGE
Pagan party leaves historic site a wreck
By Emma Wall

STONEHENGE was trashed as record numbers flocked to celebrate the Summer Solstice.
Some 36,500 pagans, druids and hippies gathered yesterday to mark the longest day of the year.
There were only 37 arrests at the all-night party, but the huge crowd wrecked the historic landmark.
The ancient site on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, was left covered in rubbish.
Party goers caused havoc despite strict restrictions on booze and a zero tolerance policy on drugs after trouble in previous years. Police put special bins around the site for revellers to deposit drugs paraphernalia.
Some wore traditional robes to add to the carnival atmosphere as guitar and drum music filled the air.
   Dance
The sun rose at 4.58am after a 10-hour party. Bleary-eyed party-goers wrapped in blankets, cloaks and bin liners joined in song and dance in the centre of the stones.
Wiltshire police had drafted in extra officers and used a pilotless police drone to patrol the site and keep the peace. A team of 200 peace stewards and security officers was also brought in to help.
Peter Carson, head of Stonehenge, said visitors were up from 31,000 people last year.
He said: "We were expecting it to be busy this year, but we had ensured that it would be a peaceful and enjoyable solstice.
"The conditions of entry ensured it was a safe event. In the past it is those people who have consumed excess alcohol which caused disorder."
Druid Jim Saunders, 33, from Reading, said: "It is nice to see a lot of people here because there is no better place to learn about our history."

RUBBISHED: The ancient monument was left covered            PIC1
in litter, but most obeyed the police drugs ban (top left) 
A man is arrested        PIC2                                                     PIC3   
Also at Daily Star online:
Record numbers flocked to the ancient site               PIC4

Daily Mirror    Monday June 22 2009   p22

LOAD OF PAGANS
Stonehenge left strewn with litter as 35,000 revellers celebrate the summer solstice

By Richard Smith

The summer solstice passed off peacefully at Stonehenge with only a few arrests and litter proving the biggest bugbear from the record 35,000 crowd.
There was a carnival atmosphere as pagans, Morris dancers and others gathered at the ancient stone landmark on Salisbury Plain.
Druid Jim Saunders, 33, from Reading, said: "It is upsetting to see so much litter, and some people can be disrespectful. But it is nice to see a lot of people here. There is no better place to learn about our culture and history."
Crowds began to gather at 7pm on Saturday. There was music and dancing all night and cheers to greet the 4.58am sunrise on the longest day of the year yesterday.
English Heritage and Wiltshire police rightly anticipated a turnout even bigger than last year's 31,000 because of the good weather and the weekend timing.
The site was fenced off and there were security checks at the main entrance with restrictions on the amount of alcohol people could bring in. A pilotless police drone was used to monitor the site and drugs dogs carried out 300 searches, senior officers said.
The 37 arrests were for minor public disorder and drug-related offences.
Supt Nick Ashley said: "The celebration was peaceful and enjoyable for the majority. I'd like to thank them for their co-operation."
Stonehenge site director Peter Carson said: "The conditions of entry ensured there was a great atmosphere. In the past, people consuming excess alcohol caused disorder."

UNHOLY MESS: Litter yesterday at pre-Christian site       PIC1

STONES FANS: Gathering to touch the landmark and celebrate solstice dawn        PIC2     

Also at Mirror online:   Stonehenge (Pic:Getty)              PIC3

Peace at Stonehenge celebrations.

The Summer Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge passed peacefully with record crowds and only 37 arrests.
As dawn broke in an overcast sky, around 36,500 people enjoyed the carnival atmosphere at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
A mix of Morris dancers, pagans in traditional robes and musicians playing guitars and drums gathered alongside visitors from across the world.

Salisbury Journal (online)     Monday June 22 2009    

Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge

DRUIDS, pagans and revellers converged on Stonehenge at the weekend to celebrate the longest day of the year. There were about 35,000 people at the ancient monument as the sun rose on Sunday morning. Police have confirmed the event passed in a largely positive and peaceful way, although about 70 people were arrested, mainly for drug and alcohol related offences.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: "I really want to thank the vast majority of people who attended for the responsible way they behaved.
"My officers and other agencies have done a superb job and worked well together for the public and I publicly thank them for this.
"I am disappointed that a small number of people have ignored the advice of the Police partners by behaving unlawfully in ways that could endanger others. We have repeatedly stated that we will take firm but proportionate action against such individuals and we have done this."

Best Western News     Monday June 22 2009

Thousands gather to welcome Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

Thousands of visitors were present for the dawn of the Summer Solstice yesterday at Stonehenge.
The event, which celebrates the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, involved around 36,500 people gathering at the reputedly mystical South England landmark before sunrise, which occurred at 0458 BST.
Turnout at Summer Solstice has grown year on year at Stonehenge since a four mile exclusion zone around the site was taken off nearly a decade ago. This year, events marking the day included Druid ceremonies, Morris dancing, music and camping at the site.
Police presence was fairly strong at the Wiltshire landmark, though the event was said to be peaceful and enjoyable for the thousands of attendees spending their Sunday morning there.
According to the BBC, Superintendant Nick Ashley said: "The celebration has been peaceful and enjoyable for the majority who were present to celebrate in a safe manner."
Head of Stonehenge, Peter Carson, added: "We were expecting it to be busy this year, but we had ensured that it has been a peaceful and enjoyable solstice.
"There has been a great atmosphere and where else would you want to be on midsummer's day?"
Revellers ensured they arrived at the prehistoric monument in time for the sun rising, with 6,500 cars filling the car park two hours before the due time.
Just before the key event, Druid King Arthur Pendragon told the BBC: "It's a very nice atmosphere and everything's fine at the moment.
"There have been more police present this year, more security, but everything's passed off very jovially and everyone's in a good mood."

Bulgaria: Briton Hailed the Sun with Bulgarian Gadulka at Stonehenge

A 50-year-old Briton played on his Bulgaria fiddle as a record number of people descended on Stonehenge to mark this year's summer solstice.
Estimates suggest 36,500 pagans, musicians, Morris dancers and others travelled to the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
"I've been playing the Gadulka, a 13-string Bulgarian fiddle in the circle, its been magical," musician Nick Wells, 50, from Surrey, told Channel 4.
"Everyone has been very peaceful and I am surprised I have not seen any trouble at all. It is nice that people can get so close to the stones but to me it is almost sacrilegious to touch them."
English Heritage and Wiltshire police had been expecting the biggest ever crowds and extra officers were drafted in to patrol the site.
But the event was a peaceful one with just 25 arrests for minor public disorder and drug-related offences, a Wiltshire police spokesman said.

Two women dance at the Stonehenge ancient monument in Wiltshire, England,                 PIC1
21 June 2009, to witness the sunrise in celebration of the Summer Solstice.
Tens of thousands of Summer solstice revelers celebrated the longest day of the year.
Photo by EPA/BGNES

DailyIndia    Monday June 22 2009

36,500 revellers party at Stonehenge to celebrate summer solstice
From ANI

LONDON, JUN 22: England's most famous site, Stonehenge, saw a record crowd of 36,500 revellers celebrating the summer solstice on June 21.
New Age Druids, sun-worshippers and chanting hippies attended the annual bash on Salisbury Plain, Wilts.
And the police made 37 arrests for drug-related offences and public disorder.
"It's the most magical place on the planet," the Sun quoted druid Frank Somers, 43, an antiques salesman, as saying.
"When you touch the stones you feel a warmth like you're touching a tree, not a stone.
"There's a genuine love," he said.
The eerie monument was built in three stages between 3,000 and 1,600 BC.
"People come for a range of reasons," archaeologist Dave Batchelor, of English Heritage, said.
"Some belong to the Druidic religion and think of it as a temple. Others think of it as a place of their ancestors, or for tranquillity.
"And some people come to see it as a way to celebrate the changing of the seasons," he added.

Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com

Epoch Times, Deutschland   Monday June 22 2009

Celebrating the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

A record number of people gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to celebrate this year's summer solstice.
A crowd of more than 36,000 visited the ancient stone circle to watch the sunrise.
Overcast skies meant there was limited sunshine, but this did little to detract from the festivities, as druids, hedonists and hippies all celebrated in their own way.
The ancient ruins are a spiritual centre for Pagans who believe the summer solstice signals the marriage between the sun and the earth.

Radio New Zealand International     Monday June 22 2009

West Papuans push their cause at Stonehenge event

A West Papuan dance troupe has used its performance at Stonehenge in Britain to highlight their people’s struggle for human rights in Indonesia’s Papua region.
Record crowds of 36,500 people descended on Stonehenge for Summer Solstice celebrations organised by the British Council of Druids who had invited the Mambesak troupe and West Papuan activist Benny Wenda as special guests.
The Times Online reports that Mambesak’s four semi-naked dancers performed routines through the night culminating in a performance at sunrise.
The West Papuans are in Britain to draw attention to what they claim is persecution by the Indonesian authorities in their own homeland.
The head of the British Council of Druids Archdruid, Rollo Maughfling, told the crowd about what he calls the terrible suffering of the Papuan people urging those present to become active in helping Papuans gain freedom from Indonesian rule.

Exaniner.com,  Seattle     Monday June 22 2009

Celebrating solstice: Pagans, party goers and naked bicycle riders
By Micha Jaystone

Pagans, party goers and naked bicycle riders all celebrated the Summer Solstice. Summer solstice is a time of ceremonies and rituals for Pagans and Wiccans. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. People around the world observe spiritual and religious seasonal days of celebration during the month of June. Most have been linked in some way to the summer solstice. Summer solstice is typically June 21 and is considered the first official day of summer. It is also referred to as Midsummer because it is roughly the middle of the growing season throughout much of Europe.
At Stonehenge, England, Pagans and party goers drummed and danced through the night, as more than 35,000 people greeted the summer solstice. Despite fears of trouble because of the record-sized crowd, police said the annual party at the mysterious monument was mostly peaceful.
Stonehenge sits on Salisbury Plain about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of London. It is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, visited by more than 750,000 people a year. It was built in three phases between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C. Mystery surrounds the monument's original purpose. Some theories hold that the stone circle was a grave site because 350 burial mounds surround the structure.
Many believe it is a magical place.
Meanwhile, closer to home, here in Seattle, residents enjoyed the annual Seattle Fremont Solstice Parade. Parade goers were given an unofficial parade by hundreds of colorfully painted, and naked bicycle riders. The naked bicycle riders, many in body paint, rode up and down the parade route before the official parade began. Unlike years past, police did not try to interfere with the peaceful bike riders.
From all accounts both official and unofficial parades proved to be joyous and festive spectacles.

Dominion Post (NZ)     Monday June 22 2009

Winter solstice: long, cold and dark  

Cloaked druids, fire and feasting marked the longest night of the year in ancient Celtic style at Stonehenge Aotearoa.
The stone circle near Carterton, a full-scale replica of the British site, provided an evocative setting for yesterday's winter solstice ceremony, Alban Arthan - "the light of Arthur".
In ancient days, druids in Britain are believed to have equated King Arthur with the sun god, who dies and is reborn as the "son of light" at the winter solstice.

SONS OF LIGHT: The solstice scene at Stonehenge Aotearoa.           PIC1
Central North Island
ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

The Connexion       Monday June 22 2009

Headaches after Fête de la Musique

FRANCE woke up bleary-eyed this morning after a day celebrating the Fête de la musique in sites ranging from the Elysee Palace to the tiniest back street.
There were more than 15,000 free concerts throughout France and the 28th Fête de la Musique was celebrated in 120 countries worldwide, including 19 European.
The Elysee echoed to the sounds of jazz, swing, gipsy and Caribbean music while the Palais-Royal gardens marked 50 years of French chanson with Carmen Maria Vega.
The Bois de Boulogne saw a free concert with US singer Chris Isaak and British pop star Seal and in Besançon party-goers used Facebook to organise an event in Place de la Révolution - more than 5000 turned up.

Photo: Suaudeau             PIC1

Andover Advertiser          Sunday June 21  2009  

Record crowd greet Stonehenge sunrise

A RECORD crowd, estimated at 35,000 people, celebrated at Stonehenge when the sun rose at 04.58am this morning.
So many turned up that the huge car park at Airmen’s Cross was full by 3am and Wiltshire Police advised people to stay away.
The A303, the main road between Andover and the south west, was closed for a short time in both directions but police said it was fully re-opened by 7am.
As the sun rose patchy rays of sunlight peaked through the clouds and a weak cheer went up as dawn broke.
Police arrested about 30 people on charges including drug offences, assault and drunk and disorderly conduct, but said the event was largely peaceful.

Record crowd greets solstice at Stonehenge
PA

Record numbers of people descended on Stonehenge this morning to mark the summer solstice.
Despite the sun not making an appearance in an overcast sky, around 36,500 people enjoyed a carnival atmosphere at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
An eccentric mix of Morris dancers, pagans dressed in their traditional robes and musicians playing guitars and drums gathered alongside visitors from across the world.
The good weather and the fact that the solstice fell over a weekend drew in the crowds from around 7pm last night.
As the sun rose at 4.58am a cheer went up from those gathered at the stone circle.
Bleary-eyed revellers wrapped in blankets, ponchos, cloaks and bin liners gathered at Heel Stone, the pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument, to welcome the sunrise.
English Heritage and Wiltshire police had anticipated the biggest turnout yet and had drafted in extra officers to patrol the site and to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and drugs.
Restrictions were placed on the amount of alcohol people could bring in, with security checks at the main entrance.
But the event was a peaceful one with just 25 arrests overnight for minor public disorder and drug-related offences, a Wiltshire police spokesman said.
Sam Edwards, from Wiltshire police, said: "We are very pleased everything went to plan. The atmosphere has been very good, especially around the stones.
"Most people have been very co-operative with us and very understanding of the reasons for our presence.
"We would not tolerate drugs at all and our approach was to police the event as we would police Salisbury city centre on a Saturday night."
The main route into Stonehenge, the A303, was closed due to volumes of traffic this morning and the car park was full with 6500 cars by 3am.
This year 200 peace stewards and security officers were brought in alongside police.
English Heritage drafted in 100 portable toilets for the event.
Peter Carson, head of Stonehenge, said 31,000 people attended last year's event.
"We were expecting it to be busy this year, but we had ensured that it has been a peaceful and enjoyable solstice," he said.
"The conditions of entry ensured it was a safe event. In the past it is those people who have consumed excess alcohol which caused disorder.
"There has been a great atmosphere and where else would you want to be on midsummer's day?"
Adele Stanton, 27, and partner Simon Banks Van Zyl, 38, brought their children Llywelyn, three, and Gruffydd, 18 months, from Portsmouth.
Miss Stanton said: "I am from South Africa and this is my first visit to Stonehenge so I am quite emotional.
"It's been great, we wanted to bring the children to be a part of it because they are a family event."
Mr Banks Van Zyl said: "I first came in 1991 when it was illegal to be here so I climbed through the fencing, it was a bit like the great escape but it was exciting.
"So I never had to queue in traffic before, but the amount of people here makes special, it is a celebration of life, history and going back to our roots."
Musician Nick Wells, 50, from Surrey, was also came to Stonehenge for solstice illegally in the 1980s.
"I've been playing the Gadulka, a 13-string Bulgarian fiddle in the circle, its been magical," he said.
"Everyone has been very peaceful and I am surprised I have not seen any trouble at all.
"It is nice that people can get so close to the stones but to me it is almost sacrilegious to touch them."
An all-night party on a smaller scale took place a few miles from Stonehenge at the Avebury stone circle.
Druid Jim Saunders, 33, from Reading, is a member of the Aes Dana Grove order.
He said: "The significance of Stonehenge on the solstice to me is to do my best to educate as many people as possible in our culture.
"We carried out the Awen ritual in the circle by chanting to raise the energy and ask for peace and healing.
"There were 16 druids here today but only three of us made it into the circle.
"It is nice to see a lot of people here because there is no better place to learn about our culture and history.
"But it is upsetting to see so much litter, and some people can be disrespectful."
He added: "Hopefully from the people we have spoken to today we can plant a seed of knowledge that will grow."

ThisisWilts       Sunday June 21  2009

Avebury solstice passes peacefully
By Nigel Kerton

A mixture of time keeping technologies through the ages established when the sunrise was due at Avebury this morning at the start of the longest day of the year.
A crowd of about 1,000 people, compared to an estimated 40,000 at Stonehenge -- gathered in the Avebury stone circles for the Summer Solstice celebrations.
The sun was due to pop up over the horizon just after 5pm and the revellers who had spent the night in the stone circle gathered behind the druid Keeper of the Stones Terry Dobney for him to ceremoniously greet the sunrise.
The sky was veiled with cloud obscuring any sight of the midsummer's day sunrise but as the time for it approached Mr Dobney relied on modern technology, his wrist watch, to signal the moment when he raised his arms and gave a druidical invocation to the hidden sunrise.
"All hail the dawn this summer solstice day," said the druid. "This the temple of ancient Britain known as Avebury.
"Say to the sun 'Hail and welcome'."
Moments previously dawn had been greeted by the village church clock striking 5am and the strident welcome to the day by a couple of local cockerels.
There had been a small but highly visible police presence through the night but the event passed off peacefully albeit noisily with non-stop drumming from nightfall to sunrise.
For some the efforts of staying awake to greet the summer solstice sun was just too much and they slept on peacefully in their sleeping bags as Mr Dobney performed his ritual.
Police said they made only two arrests, one for criminal damage after one of the revellers smashed up another's guitar, and one for possession of a suspected class A drug.
During the day yesterday members of the public told police there was a body in St James' Church yard about 200 metres from the part of the circle where the solstice revels took place.
Police found the body of a man who was believed to be in his 40's. Det Sgt Simon Pope said: "It is not believed the male lives locally and inquiries are ongoing to try to establish his identity and inform next of kin.
"The death is not being treated as suspicious and is not connected to the solstice activities in the area."
Several cars illegally parked on the roads around the village, despite hundreds of police no waiting cones, were towed away.

Terry Dobney welcomes the sunrise            PIC1   

The Times (online)       Sunday June 21  2009

Record crowds at Stonehenge for summer solstice celebrations
Simon de Bruxelles

Druids began their incantations, Wiccan priestesses drew their cowls tight against the damp morning air and four half-naked Papuan dancers waved their hands in the air and went: "Woo, woo, woo."
Only the guest of honour failed to put in an appearance at Stonehenge.
A record 36,500 people had gathered at the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain to watch the sun rise. So many turned out to celebrate the solstice that roads had to be shut and the vast field converted into a car park for 6,500 vehicles was full by 3am.
Disappointingly, despite a promising forecast, the sun was unable to break through the thin layer of grey cloud that shrouded the ceremony. But most people did not let that spoil their enjoyment.
The crowds had dispersed by the time it was fully light, revealing the bodies of those who had had too much fun, or had simply had enough, slumbering gently on the grass.
Solstice celebrations have become a summer staple, alongside Wimbledon, Glastonbury and the annual gathering of public school pupils in Rock in Cornwall, at the end of the exams.
Despite the complete lack of entertainment, the less than one in ten chance of seeing the sun and the incessant bongo playing, the solstice has attracted larger numbers every year since the stones were reopened to the public in 2000.
Dave Batchelor, English Heritage’s Stonehenge-based archaeologist, said: "We were expecting a large turnout because of the forecast and the fact it falls on a weekend this year so more people can get here.
"We got the maximum number we had planned for so the infrastructure was able to cope."
In normal circumstances it is not permitted to approach within spitting distance of the stones, but at solstice, the barriers come down. By 3am, the inner circle was so tightly packed that people could be seen struggling to lift their beer cans to their lips.
Sensibly, the druids held their ceremony beside the heel stone, a leaning monolithic a few dozen yards from the main stone circle. Rollo Maughling, the white-haired, white-robed Archdruid of Stonehenge, started the ceremonies in an elegant straw hat.
No sooner had he formed his followers into a neat circle than King Arthur Pendragon, the white-haired, white-robed leader of the Druid Order of Loyal Arthurian Warbands, arrived and leant his battle honours against a fence ten yards away and began forming his own rival circle.
Mr Maughling’s circle distorted and broke as spectators wondered which druid leader would put on the best show.
A truce was swiftly reached when Mr Maughling took on the role of master of ceremonies from within King Arthur’s circle, reuniting the tribes of at least two ancient Britons.
The Papuans, in the country to draw attention to what they claim is persecution by the Indonesian authorities in their own homeland, had been temporarily misplaced.
Meanwhile King Arthur, who has been staging a sit-in at Stonehenge for the past year, explained that he had temporarily suspended his protest when English Heritage found £25 million and promised to re-landscape the historic site.
Within days he was back, this time protesting at the removal of human remains during an archaeological dig last summer. He claims they are the 'guardians' of the stones and wants them reinterred in the pit from which they came.
Overhead, Wiltshire Police’s new aerial drone made its debut, sweeping back and forth, lights flashing, as it filmed the crowds from a few hundred feet in the air. Every few minutes some worse-for-wear reveller would mistake it for an alien spacecraft about to abduct an unsuspecting earthling and try to flee.
What would the the builders of Stonehenge have made of the police drone? The science fiction writer Arthur C Clarke observed that 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'.
A female druid in a huge hooded cape explained that the stones had been moved by the power of thought alone. As they towered above the waiting crowd in the dawn light, that was almost easier to believe than the archaeologists’ theories involving ropes and tree trunks.

Revellers for the Summer Solstice gather inside the stone circle          PIC1
at Stonehenge (Barry Batchelor/PA)

Around 36,500 people enjoyed a carnival atmosphere at                     PIC2
the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain (Barry Batchelor/PA) 

Taiwan News        Sunday June 21  2009

Pagans, partygoers greet solstice at Stonehenge
By NARDINE SAAD     Associated Press

Thousands of neo-Druids, New Age followers and the merely curious flocked to Stonehenge on Sunday, beating drums, chanting and dancing in celebration of the longest day of the year.
The ancient stone circle at the prehistoric monument in southern England is the site of an annual night-long party _ or religious ceremony, depending on perspective _ marking the northern hemisphere's summer solstice.
"There has been a great atmosphere and where else would you want to be on midsummer's day?" said Peter Carson of English Heritage, who is in charge of the monument.
Though clouds obscured the sun's arrival, a cheer went up as dawn broke at about 4:58 a.m. BST (0358GMT). More than 30,000 people greeted the sunrise.
"They come for a complete range of reasons," said archaeologist Dave Batchelor of English Heritage, the site's caretaker.
"Some belong to the Druidic religion and think of it as a temple, others think of it as a place of their ancestors, or for tranquility and others come to see it as a way to celebrate the changing of the seasons."
Stonehenge, which sits on Salisbury Plain about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of London, is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, visited by more than 750,000 people a year. It was built in three phases between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C.
Nick Wells, 50, said the event had been largely peaceful.
"I've been playing the Gadulka, a 13-string Bulgarian fiddle in the circle, its been magical," he said.
Mystery surrounding the monument has long prompted speculation about its original function and gives it even more of an allure, Batchelor said.
Some theories hold that the stone circle was a grave site because 350 burial mounds surround the structure.
In May, archaeologists found evidence indicating that pilgrims perceived the stones to have healing powers. And some assert that the structure was part of an ancient astronomical calendar.
Still other experts believe the stones were aligned by a sophisticated sun-worshipping culture that possessed the ingenuity to move the several-ton stones, some of which came from 150 miles (240 kilometers) away in the Preseli Mountains in Wales.
But because it was built so long ago, there is no record of why the monument was erected, said Batchelor.
"All of that sort of stuff we don't have, so when it comes to ascribing a modern-day reason depends on the viewpoint ... that's the fascination," Batchelor said.
The solstice is one of the few times during the year that visitors can get close enough to touch the rocks. With record numbers attending the free festival because it falls on a weekend, extra police officers were on patrol.
Police closed the site in 1984 after repeated clashes with revelers. English Heritage began allowing full access to the site again in 2000 and the celebrations have been largely peaceful.
Last year 17 arrests were made for minor public disorder offenses.
English Heritage said revelers would only be allowed to bring in four cans of beer or a bottle of wine each, and advised that "illegal drugs are still illegal at Stonehenge as they are anywhere else."

A Union flag is carried as people gather to celebrate the summer solstice            PIC1
at Stonehenge in west England, early Sunday, June 21

People gather to celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge          PIC2            PIC3

Revellers play poi as people gather to celebrate the summer solstice            PIC4
at Stonehenge        (Photos:  AP/Akira Suemori)

BBC online      Sunday June 21  2009

Record crowd for Solstice sunrise

A record crowd of about 36,500 revellers has welcomed the dawn of the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge.
The number of people attending the event caused roads in the area to become gridlocked in the hours leading up to sunrise at 0458 BST.
Druid ceremonies took place alongside music and Morris dancing, however overcast skies obscured the sun.#
Police praised the crowd and said there had been only 37 arrests, for minor disorder and drugs offences.
Supt Nick Ashley said: "The celebration has been peaceful and enjoyable for the majority who were present to celebrate in a safe manner.
"It is disappointing that a small number of people chose to ignore the conditions of entry and brought with them illegal drugs but this was dealt with effectively."
The event to mark the dawn of the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere has grown in popularity since a four-mile exclusion zone around the site was lifted nine years ago.
English Heritage, which manages the ancient monument, said the car park was full with 6,500 cars two hours before sunrise.
Meanwhile the main route into Stonehenge, the A303, was closed due to volumes of traffic.
Peter Carson, head of Stonehenge, said: "We were expecting it to be busy this year, but we had ensured that it has been a peaceful and enjoyable solstice.
"There has been a great atmosphere and where else would you want to be on midsummer's day?"
Police drafted in extra officers and said there would be a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and drunkenness, with an alcohol limit of four cans of beer or a bottle of wine per person imposed by English Heritage.

'Jovial mood'

Druid King Arthur Pendragon told the BBC shortly before sunrise: "It's a very nice atmosphere and everything's fine at the moment.
"There have been more police present this year, more security, but everything's passed off very jovially and everyone's in a good mood.
"And the police for the most part are wishing people a happy solstice and so are the security guards."
English Heritage had issued an advisory note to visitors which warned: "Summer Solstice is not a good time to experiment with drugs - the crowd, the noise and the sheer size of the place are likely to make any bad reaction much, much worse."
Meanwhile, a limit of 200 tents was set at a field near the Avebury Ring after residents complained about the number of visitors to that site in 2008.

Javno, Croatia      Sunday June 21  2009

SUMMER SOLSTICE WELCOMED   

Some 36,000 revellers gathered in Stonehenge for a traditional festivity of welcoming the Sun at it`s closest position to Earth.

Author: A.S. Translation Karmen Horvat

The Sun came closest to the Earth on Sunday at 7:45 a.m., marking the summer solstice, i.e. the longest day of the year. Some 36,000 revellers gathered in Stonehenge for a traditional festivity of welcoming the Sun. Many of them arrived on Saturday evening. Last year, archaeologists who were digging near Stonehenge reached to a layer which used to contain small stone blocks. They believe that the blocks, called bluestones, prove that people came to Stonehenge in search of medical remedies.
Various musicians gathered at this mystical site, who welcomed the summer solstice to the sounds of guitars and drums and were joined by dancers. Some adorned themselves in druids` costumes, while others put on leaves and animal leather. They all welcomed the longest day of the year celebrating and dancing.
Given that alcohol and drugs are usually a part of such festivities, it was a surprise to see that everything went by relatively quietly: only 25 persons were detained.
People are connected with nature in mystical Stonehenge
The summer solstice is the only day of year when people of different religions and nationalities come together in Stonehenge in order to harmonise with the sun`s cycle and be one with nature.
- We are very pleased everything went to plan. The atmosphere has been very good, especially around the stones - police officer Sam Edwards told the Daily Mail.
Stonehenge is a monument constructed from vast stone blocks and its exact purpose has not yet been determined. It is assumed that various rituals took place there and that the blocks were set up by the druids. However, archaeologists claim that construction of a temple began on the site 2,000 years before the druids arrived.

People attend the annual summer solstice at the Stonehenge monument                       PIC1
on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, southern England June 21, 2009. Photo Reuters

A time exposure shows a man playing with a LED light-up ball during                          PIC2
the summer solstice at the Stonehenge monument- Photo Reuters

China Radio International English      Sunday June 21  2009

Tens of Thousands Celebrate Summer Solstice
Xinhua      Web Editor: Qin Mei

An estimated record number of people flocked to Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in southern England on Sunday to greet the Summer Solstice.
More than 35,000 revellers, according to organizers, took part in the early morning celebration and many of them drove to the World Heritage site in the hours leading up to sunrise at 0458 BST, causing brief road congestion in the area.
Around 6,000 cars packed a temporary parking area in the Salisbury Plain while a great number of people chose to arrive overnight and stayed up chanting and dancing.
"Many more people come this year because it's weekend and the weather was expected to be good. It was raining last year." said Fritz Macaulay from the local police force.
In Britain, Stonehenge has become a traditional focal point of the occasion, with a combination of religious ceremony and all-night party, to mark the dawn of the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
The visitors circling the ancient site, some wrapped in blankets, were in high spirits despite overcast skies. A cheerful ovation broke out when patchy rays of sunlight peaked through the clouds around 5 am BST.
"I came here at 6 pm yesterday and have never slept since then. But it's fun as I spent the whole night with friends, drinking some beer," said a French tourist named Gael Brelet.
"It's my first time to be here. We didn't actually see the sunrise, but it doesn't matter as you just want to have the festive atmosphere and enjoy yourselves," he added.
Although about 25 were arrested for minor disorder and drug offences, the event was largely peaceful with more than 200 police dispatched in place.
Police had drafted in extra officers to crack down on antisocial behavior and vowed a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and drunkenness.
English Heritage, which manages the site, imposed alcohol limit of no more than four cans of beer or a bottle of wine per person.
The ancient stone circle is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, visited by more than 750,000 people a year.

PressTV, Iran      Sunday June 21  2009

Record crowd for Solstice sunrise at Stonehenge

A record crowd of about 36,500 revelers appeared at Stonehenge, in western England, for the biggest ever gathering of visitors to welcome the dawn of the Summer Solstice.
The number of people attending the event caused roads in the area to become gridlocked in the hours leading up to sunrise at 04:58 British Summer Time (BST).
Solstice marks the dawn of the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. The event has grown in popularity since a 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) exclusion zone around the World Heritage Site was lifted nine years ago.
Police praised tourists' co-operation and said the solstice fell on a weekend and attracted record numbers of people to descend on the ancient monument.
About 36,500 tourists arrived at the site to watch the sunrise on the longest day of the year.
Last year 30,000 people watched dawn break at Stonehenge, which was obscured by rainy conditions.

People gather to celebrate the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge in West England          PIC1

RT, Russia      Sunday June 21  2009

Today is the longest day of the year everywhere north of the Equator - the day when astronomical summer comes to Northern Hemisphere.

Astronomical summer, or the summer solstice, has come to the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday.
It began at 9:45 AM Moscow time (5:45 GMT), Dr. Nikolai Zheleznov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Applied Astronomy RAS, told Interfax.
"Following the calendar and climatic summers, comes the astronomical one," he said.
"In the course of several days before and after that moment, the sun's apparent position in the sky remains at its northernmost extreme, when its position above the horizon at noon is almost the same. 'The sun stands still' - this is what the term 'solstice' literally means, if translated from Latin.
"This day is the longest in the Northern Hemisphere. It will last for 17 hours and 34 minutes on Moscow’s latitude," Dr. Zheleznov added.
A record number of people have flocked this year to the famous Stonehenge in England to celebrate the summer solstice, Sky News network reports.
Despite the sun not making an appearing in an overcast sky, about 36,500 people enjoyed a carnival atmosphere at Stonehenge.

Sunday Times online      Saturday  June 20 2009

Stonehenge braced for record Solstice crowd
Wiltshire police to crack down on anti-social behaviour, treating the event as they would a Saturday night in a city centre
English Heritage and the police are gearing up for the biggest ever crowd of visitors to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice tonight.
Wiltshire Police say they expect good weather and the fact that the solstice falls on a weekend to attract record numbers of people to descend on the ancient monument.
The force has drafted in extra officers to crack down on anti-social behaviour and say they will police the event like they would a Saturday night in a city centre, with a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and drunkenness.
Restrictions are being placed on the amount of alcohol revellers can bring in and illegal drug-taking or unlawful raves will not be tolerated.
English Heritage, which manages the site, has stipulated that no more than four cans of beer or a bottle of wine per person will be allowed.
Its guidance to revellers state: "Illegal drugs are still illegal at Stonehenge as they are anywhere else.
"The police will be on site during the access period and will take immediate action against anyone flouting the law.
"Summer Solstice is not a good time to experiment with drugs - the crowd, the noise and the sheer size of the place are likely to make any bad reaction much, much worse.
"Only small amounts of alcohol for personal use will be permitted on to the site. Alcohol is limited to no more than the equivalent of four 500ml cans of beer/cider or 75cl of wine."
Tens of thousands of people are expected to start arriving at the site from this evening ahead of the sunrise on the longest day of the year at 4.58am.
Another all-night party, on a smaller scale, takes place 25 miles away from Stonehenge at the ancient stones in Avebury.
Last year 30,000 people watched dawn break at Stonehenge, which was obscured by rainy conditions.

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Guardian online      Friday  June 19 2009

Big police operation planned for Stonehenge summer solstice
Wiltshire force expect warm weather to draw large crowds and warns it will take tough stand on drink and drugs

Steven Morris

A big police operation involving an unmanned drone, horses and drugs sniffer dogs will be launched at Stonehenge tomorrow as huge crowds descend on the ancient site for the summer solstice.
Because the celebrations fall over the weekend and fine weather is predicted, bigger crowds than usual are expected and Wiltshire police have said they will clamp down heavily on antisocial behaviour.
Restrictions are being placed on the amount of alcohol revellers can bring in and police have said they will not tolerate illegal drug taking or unlawful raves.
The force's no-nonsense approach, after a more relaxed feel in recent years, has raised fears that there could be clashes.
Some peace-loving druids have told the Guardian that they will be staying away because they fear the combination of large crowds - possibly more than 30,000 - and the police's stance could lead to trouble.
Police have played down the idea that the event is the first big test of how police control large crowds since the violent G20 protests. They have denied that the presence of the drone and police horses shows they are taking a "zero-tolerance" approach to the event and say such measures are simply to make sure everyone is safe.
Andy Marsh, assistant chief constable of Wiltshire police, said: "The celebrations will be policed the same as any other public event. We want those attending to have a safe and enjoyable time but within the law.
"This year the event is over a weekend and more people than normal are likely to attend. The public have a right to expect that our planning takes account of the likely increased numbers and also that we will use public resources efficiently making best use of the latest technology."
Marsh warned people not to set up raves or free festivals before or after the solstice. He said the supply and use of illegal drugs greatly increased the danger to everyone and police would deal "firmly but proportionately with any such behaviour".
English Heritage, which manages the site, has stipulated that no more than four cans of beer or a bottle of wine per person will be allowed.
In its guidance English Heritage says: "Illegal drugs are still illegal at Stonehenge as they are anywhere else. The police will be on site during the access period and will take immediate action against anyone flouting the law."

Real Business      Friday  June 19 2009

Dale Vince: "The police should be better than us"
by Kate Pritchard

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince was this week named Ernst & Young London & South Overall Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009. But before setting up the seventh-largest supplier of electricity in the country, he was an "outlaw" with "absolutely no rights in the eyes of the police".
Vince spent ten years travelling around the country and following the Peace Convoy. "Every year, I’d be building something new, either to live in or to drive around in," he says. "The first winter you spend out of a house is an interesting challenge."
When RAF Molesworth was chosen to become a base for the US Air Force's mobile nuclear armed Ground Launched Cruise Missile in 1980, Vince occupied the nuclear base in protest. And he was one of the new-age travellers at the Battle of the Beanfield at Stonehenge in the mid-eighties.
"We were always in trouble with the police because of our lifestyle," he says. "They saw us and we were guilty. They were judge, jury and executioner. It was a real eye-opener. Only now has technology really shone the spotlight on police tactics.
"All those videos that came out of the G20 protest in London - that’s the stuff that we lived and breathed," he continues. "The police should be better than us. And if they can’t be better than us, or if they can’t be at least as good as us, then they shouldn’t be police."
It was when Vince was parked on a hillside outside Stroud, charging his trailer's batteries using a camping turbine, that he dreamt up Ecotricity. Today the company supplies electricity to 40,000 homes and businesses in Britain and has built more than 50 onshore windmills.                                      PIC1

The Times       Friday  June 19 2009   p83

Times archive                   PIC1
Celebrating the summer solstice at Stonehenge
In this picture of June 21, 1972, druids are seen marking the summer solstice at Stonehenge. The monument, with its imposing setting of large standing stones, was long thought to have been erected some time in about 2, 500 B C, though competing claims suggest both earlier and later dates.
A place with a strong attraction for those with mystical beliefs, it has been a place for pilgrimage and the enactment of neo-druidal ceremonies such as this one since the early years of the last century. Between 1972 and 1984 it was also the site of a free festival. These days ritual use of the monument is carefully controlled.

spaceweather.com      Thursday June 18 2009

Stonehenge with a backdrop of brilliant noctilucent clouds on the night of the 17th-18th June.
Photo by Grant Privett, distributed by spaceweather.com               PIC1