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| Stone Formation Archive 2003 |
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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 June 19 2003
Villagers batten down hatches for solstice siege
VILLAGERS at Avebury are expecting to be living under siege at the weekend when thousands of travellers arrive for the summer Solstice. Parish council chairman Jenny Baldrey said on Tuesday that residents were preparing "to batten down the hatches and get ready for battle." Coun Baldrey said villagers had to adopt a siege mentality for the solstice celebrations, which are predicted to last most of the weekend. Hundreds of travellers began moving into the village's main car park this week in preparation for the celebrations that start Friday. Saturday will be the longest day of the year and there has been a growing movement in recent years - particularly since the annual Stonehenge festivals were banned - for solstice revels in the Avebury stone circles. Police, who have set up a control post in a building in the High Street, have cancelled weekend leave and will have at least 20 offices on duty at all times from tomorrow until Monday. Divisional police commander, Chief Superintendent Jerry Wickham, said: "We will have robust policing so that if people do get on to land we will do whatever we can to get them off with the landowners' permission." Coun Baldrey told the parish council that police would let campers stay in the car park at Avebury from Friday until Sunday when they would be moved off. "They want them all gone by Monday," she added. Back to 2003 index |
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