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Record crowd for Solstice sunrise 2009 at Stonehenge

Submitted by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009  Page Views: 2758

Stonehenge

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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 25 arrests for minor disorder and drug offences.

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.

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 issued an advisory note to visitors which warned: "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."

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.

bbc.co.uk.
Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

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"Record crowd for Solstice sunrise 2009 at Stonehenge" | Login/Create an Account | 8 News and Comments
  
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Record numbers at Wiltshire's Stonehenge for solstice by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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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 but 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.

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/4449990.Record_numbers_at_Wiltshire_s_Stonehenge_for_solstice/
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Summer Solstice Attracts Record Crowds by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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A record number of people have flocked to Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice, which marks the longest day of the year.

Despite the sun not making an appearing in an overcast sky, about 36,500 revellers enjoyed a carnival atmosphere.

Police had called up extra officers after it was predicted the warm weather would attract a large crowd at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

Some 200 peace stewards and security officers were brought in alongside police.

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 police spokesman said.

An mix of Morris dancers, pagans dressed in their traditional robes and musicians playing guitars and drums had gathered alongside visitors from across the world.
As the sun rose at 4.58am a cheer went up from those gathered at the stone circle.

Revellers wrapped in blankets, ponchos, cloaks and bin liners went to Heel Stone, the pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument, to welcome the sunrise.

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."

Druid Jim Saunders, 33, from Reading, is a member of the Aes Dana Grove order. He said: "We carried out the Awen ritual in the circle by chanting to raise the energy and ask for peace and healing."

Last year, 31,000 people attended the summer solstice.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Record-Number-Of-People-Flock-To-Stonehenge-To-Celebrate-Summer-Solstice/Article/200906315313626?lpos=UK_News_News_Your_Way_Region_9&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15313626_Record_Number_Of_People_Flock_To_Stonehenge_To_Celebrate_Summer_Solstice
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Record crowds at Stonehenge for summer solstice celebrations by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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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.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6547935.ece?Submitted=true
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Tens of thousands celebrate Summer Solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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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.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/21/content_11576855.htm
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Summer Solstice passes peacefully by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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The Summer Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge passed peacefully with record crowds and only 37 arrests, police said.

Although the sun did not make an appearance as dawn broke in an overcast sky, around 36,500 people enjoyed the 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 on Saturday night.

As the sun rose at 4.58am a cheer went up from those gathered at the stone circle to welcome the longest day.

Bleary-eyed revellers wrapped in blankets, ponchos, cloaks and bin liners joined together in song and dance in the centre of the stones and across the site.

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.

A pilotless police drone was used to monitor the site and drugs dogs carried out 300 searches, Wiltshire Police said.

But the event was a peaceful one with just 37 arrests for minor public disorder and drug-related offences.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gFA_CsAqYHHE1xCmMHUzAJLTYoGg
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Druids, Revellers Celebrate Summer Solstice by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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Some 36,000 revellers gathered in Stonehenge for a traditional festivity of welcoming the Sun at it`s closest position to Earth.

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.

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...

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Pagans, partygoers greet solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Sunday, 21 June 2009
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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...

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