|
 |
|
|
| Stone Formation Archive 1985 |
|
 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 November 13, 1985 WILTSHIRE could have another Stonehenge hippie festival next year, but a properly organised one. By just two votes, the county council's policy committee voted yesterday to hold talks about a festival. Council chairman Jack Ainslie said: "There is a very real prospect of Wiltshire witnessing the same scenes of confrontation we saw this year. "The peace convoy and other festival goers will return to Wiltshire next year whatever happens. "The evidence is that if there were to be a total ban on the festival next year there will be exactly the same problems as this year." Other councillors agreed with Coun Ainslie's views after hearing from Coun Bob Johnson. He said: "Nobody wants the problems we have had this year again, no matter what side of the political fence you sit on. "It is no good us saying we are going to stop the festival because people are going to come along. "I think this is a sensible solution to look at alternative sites." But other councillors were opposed to any festival. Police authority chairman John Church said: "We must not have a repeat of last year's episode if we can possibly avoid it. "The people of Wiltshire don't want this sort of problem and especially don't want to have to pay for it." Coun Peter Chalke attacked plans for an organised festival saving the peace convoy and the hippies wouldn't go to it anyway. "It is nothing to do with music or a pop festival for them it is to do with drugs. "I don't think the people who go to the Stonehenge festival will go to an organised one, they'll go somewhere else. But Coun Brian Gray attacked those who opposed the organised festival idea saying they had their heads stuck in the sand. "We know people are going to come to Wiltshire next year whatever is said or done. No way short of manning boundaries of Wiltshire can we keep them out. "I believe we have got to tackle this properly and see there is a chance for all the decent youngsters without the bitterness and the hassle and all the other things that went wrong this year." Coun Tony Phillips warned if a festival does take place it will still cost ratepayers a large sum of money to police it based on the experience of festivals up to this year. He suggested half a million pounds should be put in the police budget for next year to cope with what is bound to happen. Back to 1985 index |
|
