AUTUMN EQUINOX 1996 Newsletter bits
SOLSTICE ‘97 - The solstice ban
asked for by the police this year was only agreed to by the District Council
on condition that before any more ‘exclusion zone’ orders were made, there
should be an ‘annual review involving consultation with all interested
parties’. Five parish councils were sent an inaccurate potted history of
the last 10 yrs, with several questions such as: Should the ban be renewed?
and ‘Should there be any kind of organised festival?’ At a Council meeting
this month three parishes reported back yes, the ban should stay, one said
yes but-, and one said no. There was some discussion of our civil liberties
and of a possible festival, but only something like a Reading style event,
with organisers paying the police lots of money. There was a vote, 9 -
5 against this. They seem to think that access to the Stones for the Solstice
depends on there being something else arranged that removes the need for
an ‘exclusion zone’. There will be a ‘round table conference’ in the next
few weeks to which ‘interested parties will be invited’, but we know of
no-one who has. They complain ‘it has not proved possible in the past to
identify spokespersons for New Age Travellers’.
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VISITOR CENTRE - In the latest scheme this has become a ‘Visitor Complex’, which is now planned to be built behind the service station on the north side of the Amesbury roundabout. The site is vast: 1km long and nearly half the size of Amesbury itself. This is because the project would be a ‘private finance initiative’, under which a large company would be allowed ‘in the public interest’ to develop the site in a way that would ‘normally be unacceptable’ in return for them paying for the Stonehenge facilities included. Money would also come from the lottery millennium fund, which has to be applied for by November, so English Heritage are trying to rush the plans through without telling anyone details of what they are. Chairman Jocelyn Stevens startled local councillors by suggesting McDonalds would be a suitable partner to build the centre! “Tourists don’t want McStoneburgers or Chicken McDruids. They want a magical and mystical experience.” said one. The scheme would also include a ‘transport link’ to a ‘viewing/dropping off point’ nearer the Stones, which could be a 2nd visitor centre on the environmentally sensitive King Barrow ridge, at the top of the hill going towards Amesbury.
A303 - Instead of making a long awaited announcement on the ‘improvement’ of this road, the DoT have been ‘leaking’ parts of their decision in stages. First it was learned that the northern routes near Larkhill have been ruled out, and that the long tunnel option was probably too expensive. That leaves on-line dualling, the southern route, or doing nothing. Then we heard that a local transport meeting was postponed, as a package of roadbuilding for S. Wilts was rumoured to be announced by the end of this month. This would include a decision on the controversial A36 Salisbury ‘by-pass’. Police have already started advising landowners on the A36 route on how to stop their trees being occupied by protesters. When English Heritage applied for their Visitor Complex planning brief to be passed, councillors wanted dualling of the A303 as a condition, but EH said they thought this was ‘not a priority’ for DoT.
[UPDATE - A303 WIDENING AT STONEHENGE SHELVED!
On 27 Sept the DoT announced that they were dropping funding for any 'improvements' to the A303 past the Stones 'for the forseeable future'. They confirmed that all the surface routes proposed for dualling of the road had been rejected, and that they could not currently afford the 3 mile, £300m long tunnel alternative. The non-controversial by-pass for nearby Winterbourne Stoke will go ahead. This effectively rules out later reconsideration of the northern Henge by-pass route or the proposed (north) long tunnel route, as they would have included this by-pass on a completely different line. There is still an option for the future, of a long tunnel to the south, which could join on to the new by-pass and run twice as far away from the Stones as the version the DoT considered. The threat of further unwanted dualling of the A303 in the West Country may now recede, now that it has been accepted that part of the A303 is going to remain single carriageway. The A344 running past the Heelstone can still be closed and grassed over, but the 303 will remain as is, so English Heritage won't get the road-free Millenium Park as they wanted it. A decision on the A36 Salisbury by-pass is expected 1st week in Oct. ]
WINTER SOLSTICE 1996 Newsletter bits
TALKS NOT TRUNCHEONS - was suggested
as the way to deal with the Stonehenge situation by one senior officer
of Wilts police some years ago. He was promptly moved. Now the talking
has started again. In the Autumn newsletter we mentioned that the local
council were about to hold a review of their policy of always agreeing
to police requests for banning orders under the Public Order Act and the
CJA. This was to have been a round table discussion with ‘all interested
parties’. When it appeared that no interested parties other than from ‘their’
side were being invited, George of Robin’s Greenwood Gang contacted them
as an intermediary and suggested some names from ‘our’ side. People connected
with travellers, free festivals or the Campaign were rejected, but George,
Rollo of the Glastonbury Druids and ex-mayor Tim Abbott went to the meeting,
which eventually took place in November. The Chief Constable turned up,
giving the meeting some credibility as he is the one who actually makes
the decisions in Wiltshire. The core of the problem was not tackled, as
areas of the past were ruled out of order for discussion, but it appears
that some of the rabid hostility to Solstice events is slowly calming down.
Councillors seem to be mainly concerned with finding a way of saving money
on police operations. Some are under the impression that allowing a fenced,
Reading style commercial festival miles away would make the problem disappear,
with the police being paid from the protection rackets they run at these
events. They do seem to be more ready to start accepting access to the
Stones for celebrations, but are reluctant to look at realistic ways of
managing this without repeating the mistakes of ‘88. There has to be somewhere
to go for people who are not members of well defined groups, have heard
the Stones are going to be to some extent open, and want to come, celebrate
the Solstice, and maybe take part in a ceremony in the Stones. And this
somewhere has to be generally acceptable or people will just find another
for themselves. Very few want to return to the 1984 festival where it left
off, with problems that needed tackling. But the spirit of the free festival
lives on, and many still believe that with the experience of varied events
in the ‘90s and without fanatical oppostion, a free event could be a workable
solution that even the locals could accept. One compromise being suggested
is for a non-profit making but licensed event, with ‘reasonable’ ticket
prices covering costs only, with site jobs for those who cannot afford
even that. Something perhaps along the lines of the Big Green Gathering
and similar events. Another is to have a main event some distance away
and a campsite of minimum impact - no vehicles - acoustic music only etc,
in the sacred landscape itself for those mainly interested in ceremonies
in the Stones. The talks so far seem to have achieved little in practical
terms, and were seen as a possibly useful first step towards more productive
discussions. A next stage might have been talks between facilitators of
Urban Free Festivals, BGG etc and council officers to find out what options
are worth pursuing and what local concerns need working on. However the
first step was the only step, and as far as we know the review will be
taken no further before the police apply for next year’s orders. George
will be trying to move what he calls the ‘peace process’ forwards in the
meantime, and we would welcome any feedback on what people think our position
should be. The authorities at the meeting apparently said they weren’t
happy that we continue to list the Solstice Free Festival annually (surprise!),
and that removing it might help with the processing of the peace. We have
been fobbed off so many times by false declarations of good intentions
by various authorities in the past that we would take a lot of convincing
on that one!
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WOODHENGE: Another meeting took
place in October, between various Druid groups and English Heritage. It
was to discuss a proposal by the Secular Order to rebuild Woodhenge, for
use by the local community and by Druids at Midsummer, as a gathering place
from which seperate groups would walk to the Stones for seperate ceremonies.
Heritage Chairman Jocelyn Stevens was supposed to attend, but apparently
decided there were too many people, and didn't turn up. It seems that the
building of a replica 1/2 a mile away might be accepted, but it was pointed
out that a sacred building can only be built on a sacred site. (The design
follows the common artists' reconstructions of a large hut with a roof.
There is no evidence that Woodhenge was actually a building as such or
had a roof, any more than Stonehenge did. There are other theories as to
what it was for.) When it came to its possible use for facilitating organised
acess to the Stones, Druids were told by the General Manager that they
must not 'force the pace' on that issue. As she was talking last year of
'no access for a generation' and this year of 'no access until after their
Millenium Park is finished', that is exactly what needs to be done. The
Park may go the same way as all their other recent schemes, and never happen.
It does seem that of all the authorities involved, it is now English Heritage
that is dragging its heels the most.
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* Send an sae for the next (Spring Equinox) newsletter *
Anyone who was there can help write the story of Twyford Rising. Sae to Friends of Twyford Down, PO Box 162 Winchester, Hants SO22 5ZD.
Our main website is currently lost in hyperspace. Try the portable page at http://www.algroup.co.uk/wpb/stonehen.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One year after destruction work
started on the route of the Newbury Bypass, Newbury Friends of the Earth
and The Third Battle of Newbury will be hosting a Reunion Rally on Saturday
January 11th 1997. The rally is to demonstrate the continuing opposition
to the Newbury Bypass and the Government's Road Building Programme. In
February of this year eight thousand people attended a mass Rally opposing
the Newbury Bypass. Those returning are likely to be shocked at the destruction
of some of the finest countryside in southern England. Most striking is
the ten foot high security fencing topped with razor wire which lines the
nine mile route and forms numerous compounds which are guarded by security
guards. People attending the Rally will arrive at Newbury train station
from 11.00 a.m. and walk along the Bypass route to the Rally site. The
Rally which starts st 2.00 p.m will feature several speakers including
Charles Secrett, Director of Friends of the Earth. After the Rally people
will decorate the bypass fence and link hands around a compound. A two
minute silence will be observed once the human chain is formed. The linking
of hands and decoration of fencing echoes the 'Embrace the Base' demonstration
in December 1982 at RAF Greenham Common, near Newbury. At that time cruise
missiles were being stationed at Greenham Common. 24 HOUR INFOMATION HOTLINE:
01635 550 552
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NEWSBITS:-
# Visitor Centre - The cost of this project has risen to £83m, with
Madame Tussaud's chosen as Heritage's business partner. Details are being
kept secret until the Millennium Fund approves it.
# A303 Stonehenge Bypass, 'shelved' earlier this year, was finally dropped
from the current road list in the budget.
# McLibel Case is at last over. Judgement next year.
# Heritage Chairman Stevens was to leave in March, threatened to resign
over his slice of the Budget last month, and will now stay another three
years.
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TWO COURT CASES are challenging the way police use banning orders at the Stones. One has already been heard, but judgement will not be given for a month or two. This was an appeal by the State against the aquittal on appeal of the 'Stonehenge Two'. They were originally convicted by Salisbury Magistrates for 'Trespassory Assembly' under the CJA., at the 10th anniversary demo of the 'Battle of the Beanfield'. ("What was that?" asked one judge) The other will be heard in February and concerns the so-called 'exclusion zone'. Three people have accepted cautions, but five others will be contesting charges of being illegal processions. It is hoped that the nonsense that underpins the making and use of these orders will be exposed in court for the first time. The results of both cases should be known around the time of year that the police usually start applying for orders.
Wiltshire's Top Copper to appear in court: Salisbury's Magistrates have issued a witness summons against Walter Girven, Witchfinder General and Chief Constable of Wiltshire to appear in court over a Solstice trial. Girven signs the orders that allows the police to impose para-martial law and as such can be compelled to come to court as a material witness. Girven has been on a power trip for years, and can expect a fiery cross- examination from anyone defending themselves which is what is happening. Trial date 18th Feb, for more info phone Hengist McStone on 0973 716 310.
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Letter From Karelia (Fri13Dec1996) ------------------------------------
Dear Stonehengerists, Saw that Hillsborough drama/documentary on telly
last week - horrorshow - I didn't believe all of it but empathised - the
ambulances locked out - horrorshow then fast cycled across London - spitting
at a van that almost.
---------------------------------- Hitched from 9.30pm to 11.30pm September
Equinox but no lift so last bus home to Wandsworth EcoVillage (my best
summer since 1995( at least!)) Hope to get to Stones for Dec Solstice Don't
relish a windy wet cold outside- (bet Arthur'd rather be out+wet tho)
-------------------------------- Got me a new free website at www.geocities.com/soho/9000,
dicenews.htm world-wide... .....your cousin,,,,,,, .....Dice George Lightshow....
=======99% fluffy =========
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GMO's
I expect hundreds of actions have been going on nationally and internationally recently..but here is a report from a local grassroots action in Bath: A group of consumers, students and a scientist carried out an action in Bath to increase public awareness of the dangers of consuming genetically engineered soya last Saturday 14th to coincide with the international day of action against genetic engineering. This local action, organised by Bath Eco- Futures group, consisted of dressing up in white lab-coats with the slogan "Genetic Engineering? NO THANKS!" written around a circle within which was drawn an angry, evil-looking genetically modified plant. After assembling outside Waitrose they gave out about 1000 leaflets from WEN and Greenpeace and the Natural Law Party urging consumers to write to supermarkets, unilever and their MP and MEP. They then paraded with banners raised through the city centre and, before being moved on by police, joined the local busking band "The Mop-Heads" and danced. Following this they made their way to Sainsburies and walked into the store with banners to inform shoppers before being asked to leave by the manager, at which point there was a valuable discussion about consumer rights. Many of the points raised were ignored by the manager. Leaflet distribution then continued outside for the rest of the morning. There was good coverage in the local rag due to an earlier press-release. There was much positive response from Christmas shoppers, and one or two complex discussions with other university students and scientists who happened to be shopping at the time. The day was a great success and was followed up today (monday 17th) by ringing Waitrose head office on 01344-424680 to ask what action they were taking to protect consumers and by informing the company that un-modified soya shipments have been made. Their reply information is going to be posted back, and they declined to comment further on the phone. All the best, Christian
For info on the GMO's (genetically
modified organisms) being used now to experiment on you, contact the Women's
Environmental Network (see contacts) or Manchester EF!, Dept 29, 1 Newton
St, M1 1HW. 0161 2744665.
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