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Good Morning.. I am Hob Nob the 'Hobby Horse" 'Obby Oss" the traditional ritual beast who, used to accompany the Salisbury Giant, a gentle mischievous creature who was bringing lots of fun, pleasure, mischief and magic to those attending the Winter Solstice yesterday at Stonehenge.
I was with White Horse Morris dancers and after following a lady into the centre of the stones, ( i couldn't see her E.H.badge as I was behind her) I was asked to leave the site.. two security men were sent... but I don't think their training had prepared them for handling a ritual beast and they kept well clear, Hob Nob was very unhappy and droopy at that point anyway.
One of the morris dancers aggressively told me to get off the site because a member of English Heritage had threatened the whole side with removal if I didn't leave.
The Hobby Horse is very much part of English Folk Heritage and for many people seeing him there reaffirmed the living presence of English cultural identity.
I was very distressed and shocked to be confronted in this way, but after explaining the situation, the staff were fine. I was clearly there as part of a group which represents Wiltshire life, it's deeper history and the ancient rituals which connect man with nature.
However , I was surprised when..after all the aggression and officious behaviour.... 5 minutes later .. a group of 'Druids' many wearing anoraks and carrying plastic carrier bags and using flash cameras during their 'ceremony' .. etc...were allowed to go into the 'enclosure'. Which, some might say, affected the visual intimacy of the sunset, and, maybe, the spiritual moment was disrupted for many .
This Morning large numbers of people have open access....But presumably not the very Dangerous and Damaging Hob Nob who was just being his old curious self ( the original beast can be seen proudly displayed with his Giant, Christopher, in Salisbury museum)
Without trying to typecast, the families who attended yesterday were far less likely to cause damage to the stones than many of the people who just go to party there at Midsummer, when, due to the high volume of revellers inside the circle, it would be impossible to view the sunrise properly anyway...
Well English Heritage ...The ambiguous message you are sending is ill thought through and some of your staff need to be better informed and more respectful of the deeper motivations of those who attend ...
A THOUGHT... I (the spirit inside Hob Nob) actually own a very nice long white Robe and a staff and have long red hair to boot...so I strongly suspect that if I had turned up in that guise yesterday I would not have suffered the indignity of being threatened with removal by security men ... ? *Allie*
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road