BBC News Online<\/p>\n
21st June 2004<\/p>\n
http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/go\/pr\/fr\/-\/1\/hi\/england\/wiltshire\/3823379.stm<\/a><\/p>\n About 21,000 revellers gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire overnight to mark the summer solstice.<\/p>\n The 5,000-year-old World Heritage site was open to the public, following earlier years in which it was closed amid fears of damage to the stones.<\/p>\n Some 150 police were on site this year, and a number of people were arrested for climbing on the stones and other offences, a BBC correspondent said.<\/p>\n Misty skies had obscured the 0458 BST sunrise for about 30 minutes, she said.<\/p>\n Other years have seen battles between police and revellers, including the infamous 1985 encounter, dubbed the Battle of Beanfield.<\/p>\n A violent confrontation between 300 people who wanted to reach the stones and the police saw 12 people hospitalised.<\/p>\n The fire symbolically welcomes the sun for the longest day of the year, part of the seasonal wheel which we as druids and pagans celebrate<\/p>\n King Arthur Pendragon<\/p>\n This year police issued several warnings and said anybody going to the site was liable to be searched.<\/p>\n The constabulary added that traffic on the A303 and A360 next to the site was expected to be very busy during Monday morning.<\/p>\n English Heritage, which looks after the site, also issued strict rules. Those attending were only allowed a small amount of alcohol for personal use.<\/p>\n And only acoustic instruments were allowed.<\/p>\n Inside the ring, thousands packed around groups of drummers and other musicians while some took the opportunity to sprawl on the ancient stones normally beyond public reach.<\/p>\n ‘Celebration’<\/p>\n But the focus of the activity was on an impromptu open-air dance next to the famous Heal Stone, the marker for sunrise on summer solstice.<\/p>\n Druid leader “King Arthur Pendragon” presided over the festivities standing amid a ring of flaming torches overshadowed by a pair of giant horns, lit by burning branches.<\/p>\n “King Arthur”, who adopted the name in 1986 to denote his position as “Battle Chieftain of the Council of British Druids”, said the festivities marked the imminent arrival of dawn.<\/p>\n He said: “The fire symbolically welcomes the sun for the longest day of the year, part of the seasonal wheel which we as druids and pagans celebrate.<\/p>\n “It’s not a day in church for us, it’s a celebration, we don’t sit in pews.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BBC News Online 21st June 2004 http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/go\/pr\/fr\/-\/1\/hi\/england\/wiltshire\/3823379.stm About 21,000 revellers gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire overnight to mark the summer solstice. The 5,000-year-old World Heritage site was open to the public, following earlier years in which it was closed amid … Continue reading