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Thousands attend solstice party at Stonehenge Stone Circle Wiltshire

Submitted by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007  Page Views: 4540

Stonehenge

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Country: England County: Wiltshire Type: Stone Circle

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More than 20,000 people attended this year's summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge. A total of 24,094 people witnessed dawn break over the ancient stones, compared with 18,700 last year. The sun rose at 0458 BST in overcast conditions.

Many apparently heeded advice to come by public transport and fewer cars than previous years were at the scene. Four arrests were made at the event, which Wiltshire police described as "very peaceful".

Druids, Pagans, hedonists and hippies were among those who attended an all-night party at the stones.

Mark Graham, a druid from Gloucestershire, said: "We didn't see the sun unfortunately, the cloud was scuttling across the sky just as the sun was getting ready to rise, but it was fantastic anyway.

"The whole process of sitting through the night is part of the magic, this feeling of expectation which builds.

"It tends to go quiet before the sun rise, then as the sun comes up there's a lot of whooping and cheering and the beating of drums."

He said the 21 June - the longest day of the year - represented the high point of the Earth's growing energy and its renewal after winter.

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

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"Thousands attend solstice party at Stonehenge" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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CBBC Pictures by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6220000/newsid_6225400/6225408.stm
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Summer Solstice passes peacefully by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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The largest crowd in recent years gathered at Stone Henge overnight to celebrate the Summer Solstice this morning as a further 1,000 congregated at Avebury.

Visitor numbers at the 5,000-year-old English Heritage Site on the Salisbury Plain totalled 24,094, up from 18,700 last year, to watch the longest day of the year dawn.

A spokesman said numbers swelled above a predicted 20,000 because extra people, on their way to Glastonbury music festival, stopped off to join the party.

Police were pleased to see that those attending had also heeded their warning to use public transport to get to the area as vehicle numbers at the gathering were also down on last year's total, dropping from 4,536 to 3,577.

As the sun rose at 4.58am a cheer went up from those gathered overnight at the stone circle on Salisbury Plain.

Revellers clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves gathered at the Heel stone - a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument - to welcome the rising sun.

"Happy Solstice" said Laura Tungate, 26, a financial adviser from Newcastle, who has attended the event for the past eight years.

"I love the whole vibe, and the energy, and the fact that these stones are alive, they do breathe, and they do grow and they're massive."

Jeanette Montesano, a 23-year-old religion graduate from New York and a self-described pagan, compared the importance of the trip with the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

"It's not the hajj, but it is 19,000 people in a little circle. I wanted to experience something like that," she said.

A spokeswoman for the Druid Network said: "The Summer Solstice is a way of attuning ourselves back into the cycles of nature, connecting with the land and the turning of the seasonal tides."

The atmosphere both there and at Avebury was peaceful, with just four arrests made at Stone Henge for minor public order offences.

There had been concerns trouble would flare at Avebury due to the National Trust's decision to ban high-sided vehicles from its overflow car park.

Scott Green, National Trust property manager, thanked all involved for making the solstice a peaceful and enjoyable celebration, and for using public transport.

Luckily there was only one short shower to contend with, although the cloud did to the most part cover the sunrise.

Superintendent Dave Bennett, of Wiltshire Police, said: 'We are pleased that, in partnership with English Heritage, Summer Solstice has passed off peacefully.

"There have been no incidents of any note. yet again attendees have not been able to fully see the sunrise given the nature of our unpredicatble British weather but al least it has remained dry."

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1487040.mostviewed.summer_solstice_passes_peacefully.php
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Summer solstice passes peacefully by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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SUMMER solstice celebrations passed off peacefully this morning despite the largest crowds for several years.

The sun rose at 4.58am today on the longest day of the year, and 24,094 people were counted at Stonehenge - 6,000 more than last year - and about 1,000 at Avebury.

There were four arrests at Stonehenge for public order offences.

Police said that fewer cars were taken to Stonehenge than last year, and that they were pleased that people had taken advice to use public transport.

Supt Dave Bennett from Wiltshire Police said: "We are pleased that another summer solstice has passed off peacefully.

"There have been no incidents of note.

"Yet again attendees have not been able to see the sunrise fully given the unpredictability of our British weather but at least it has remained dry."

And at Avebury, grey conditions did not cloud the spirits either. Scott Green, the National Trust's property manager thanked all involved in making the solstice a peaceful and enjoyable celebration for so many and for using public transport.
http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk/display.var.1486882.0.summer_solstice_passes_peacefully.php
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20,000 gather at Stonehenge to cheer the dawn by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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Thousands of modern-day druids, pagans and partygoers converged on Stonehenge early Thursday to cheer the dawn of the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere — the summer solstice.

Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group gathered at the Heel stone — a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument — to welcome the rising sun as revellers danced and yelled.

Jeanette Montesano, a 23-year-old recently graduated religion student from New York and a self-described pagan, said she had been saving for a year to make it to Stonehenge, comparing the importance of the trip to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

“It's not the hajj, but it is 19,000 people in a little circle. I wanted to experience something like that.”

An estimated 20,000 people gathered at the stone circle in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. Dancers writhed to the sound of drums and whistles as floodlights coloured the ancient pillars shades of pink and purple, and...

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Some 24,000 sun worshippers gather for ancient festival by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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More than 24,000 people from druids to fans heading for a nearby music festival hailed the sun rising on the longest day of the year Thursday at Britain's ancient Stonehenge monument.

At 4:58 am (0358 GMT), following an all-night party on Salisbury Plain in southwest England, dawn broke on the summer solstice over 5,000-year-old stone circle, one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.

Revellers wearing antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves huddled at the Heelstone -- a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of the monument -- to cheer the rising sun.

English Heritage, which runs the site, said numbers swelled above the 20,000 they expected because extra people joined the party along the way to the Glastonbury music festival.

"There was a very good atmosphere but sunrise was not very spectacular this year because of the cloud," said a spokeswoman for English Heritage.

There were four arrests overnight for minor public disorder, she added.

A spokeswoman for...

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Everything You Need to Know About ... The summer solstice by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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What is the solstice?
June 21, the first day of summer, is the longest day of the year -- the most daylight from sunrise to sunset. The name comes from Latin: sol, meaning sun, and sistere, to stand still.

When does summer start?
Summer's official, astronomical start is at 2:06 p.m. today.

How many daylight hours are there during the summer solstice?
According to the Weather Channel, the sun rises today at 5:39 a.m.; the sun sets at 8:29 p.m. That's just shy of 15 hours of sunlight.

What makes the day so long?
During the summer solstice, the North Pole is at its closest tilt to the sun. That angle is what makes the sun's path through the sky extra long.

According to NASA, in the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set at all on the solstice. And on the other side of the world, at the South Pole, it is pitch dark, and the sun will not rise all day.

Who celebrates the solstice?
Many people believe that Stonehenge, the monolithic circle in England's countryside, was a...

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24,000 at Stonehenge for solstice by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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CROWDS of 24,000 gathered at the historic Wiltshire monument of Stonehenge for the summer solstice this morning.

Although the sunrise at a few minutes before 5am was obscured by cloud, celebrations remained "good-spirited" according to police.

There were four arrests for minor public order offences.

Police confirmed there were 24,094 at the annual event, compared to 18,700 people last year.

There were 3,577 vehicles at locations reserved for revellers, down almost 1,000 from last year with many people opting to use public transport.

Celebrations at Avebury stones also passed off peacefully.

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.1487359.0.24_000_at_stonehenge_for_solstice.php
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Summer solstice celebrated at Stonehenge by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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Thousands of modern-day druids, pagans and partygoers converged on Stonehenge early Thursday to cheer the dawn of the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere—the summer solstice.
Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group gathered at the Heel stone—a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument—to welcome the rising sun as revelers danced and yelled.

Jeanette Montesano, a 23-year-old recently graduated religion student from New York and a self-described pagan, said she had been saving for a year to make it to Stonehenge, comparing the importance of the trip to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

"It's not the hajj, but it is 19,000 people in a little circle. I wanted to experience something like that."

An estimated 20,000 people gathered at the stone circle in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. Dancers writhed to the sound of drums and whistles as floodlights colored the ancient pillars shades of pink and purple, and couples...

Read the rest of this post...
[ Reply to This ]

Solstice Sunrise Pictures by coldrum on Thursday, 21 June 2007
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6225186.stm
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