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| Stone Formation Archive 1985 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published on December 4, 1985 ANGRY county councillors yesterday forced an about turn over the Stonehenge festival throwing out the idea of talks. A Tory revolt scuppered any chance of support from Wiltshire County Council for a properly organised festival. And Alliance councillors voted against their own leader to sink the hopes of avoiding another confrontation with the peace convoy hippies. The council's policy committee last month voted narrowly to accept a motion by Swindon Labour councillor Bob Johnson to hold talks about an organised festival. Coun Johnson argued that the hippies would be coming next year anyway and playing the ball with them was the only hope avoiding a confrontation with police. "There is no use anybody sticking their head in the sand," he said. "These people are going to be coming anyway, no matter what we decide today." But police authority chairman John Church swung any waverers when he said Chief Constable Donald Smith opposed any festival. Mr Smith said that a festival would simply add to his problems. Former police authority chairman Derek Jarvis backed the chief constable's view. "With 30,000 people you will inevitably create a situation where there is a no go area for the police," he said. "There will be hard drugs for sale which the police will be powerless to prevent." Councillors voted to throw out the idea of talks over a festival by two votes. Back to 1985 index |
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