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There were damp socks and high spirits among the thousands of revellers who gathered at Stonehenge for the summer solstice.
Summer solstice at Stonehenge 2008
Thousands celebrated together
Almost 40,000 people converged at the ancient grounds in Salisbury, Wiltshire, to mark the first day of the summer.
The cloud and drizzle stayed throughout the event, depriving the eclectic mix of hippies, druids, Sun worshippers and curious newcomers of a chance to witness sunrise over the stone circle.
At 5am, as dawn slowly broke, people were chanting, dancing, playing music - while others opted for a comfortable patch in the mud to lie down and relax.
Druid of eight years, Mauricio Quest Knight, from Colombia said: "It's a very emotional time for druids and for everyone else, because this means it's the start of summer.
"Stonehenge has been a symbol for time - we have used it for thousands of years as a clock.
"I think it's important that everyone is connected in love and understanding and in multiculturalism. You can see that happening here today."
Local boy Danny Woods agreed.
"It's a wonderful gathering of people from all over the world coming to Salisbury for this one time of year," he said.
Druid Mauricio Quest Knight
Druid Mauricio Quest Knight
Steven Steward, from Portsmouth, was equally moved by the spirit of togetherness.
"It's something very rare and free," Mr Steward said.
"It feels very communal and we are all very happy. Cheers!"
The solstice in England occurred at 12.59am BST on Saturday, marking the start of the day with the most sunlight of the year.
Drawing more than 750,000 visitors each year, Stonehenge is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions.
It was built between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC, and its original purpose is still debated.
Solstices were an important part of Europe's pre-Christian calendar and many speculate that Stonehenge's orientation offers clues to its creators' pagan traditions.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1319725,00.html?f=rss
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