Tag: Arthur pendragon

Summer Solstice Celebrations Looking Likely at Stonehenge

With the green light given for the A303 tunnel at Stonehenge, the lockdown restrictions at winter solstice and EH’s solstice parking fee demands, it’s understandable we haven’t seen a positive message from the pagan high priest, Uther Pendragon for a while. But this week proved different. If Uther used emojis on his social media posts it would be near all smiley faces, but he’s not the type to, so there wasn’t!

Nevertheless, the leader of the warrior and political arm of the modern druid movement, The Loyal Arthurian Warband, reported back from a virtual RT meeting with English Heritage, Police and other interested parties, save Wiltshire Council who Uther noted, “steadfastly refused to attend.”

Assurances about this year’s summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge appear positive. Urther called for “assurances from EH and their partnering ‘authorities’ that there are no plans to restrict access by ticket and/or advance booking, or to take part in any Goverment pilot or other such ‘trial’ that restricts access to ‘all-comers’ due to perceived health issues or certification. And that no pilgrims will be denied entrance, save for those who’s anti social behavior dictates such.”

“EH are continuing to make plans and arrangments,” Urther reported, “for the managed open access to go ahead as scheduled for the night of 20th/dawn of the 21st June, subject to the lifting of Government restrictions, due to end by this point.”

On the eve of lockdown last year, English Heritage said, “we know how appealing it is to come to Stonehenge for Winter Solstice, but we are asking everyone to stay safe and to watch the sunset and sunrise online instead. We look forward to welcoming people back for solstice next year.” And with that, and this positive development, we hope things will run smoothly for 2021.

EH raise price to visit Stonehenge

 

EH announced entry price to Stonehenge is set to rise in April from £16:50 to £19:50 per adult, and from £40:70 to £50:90 for families.

I find myself wondering how much of this is for the upkeep of the monument and how much is pure profit, or to make inadequate new infrastructure alterations, or even, dare I say it, to fund a security company who many have complained about their heavy-handed attics and rude responses to visitors.

It also questions, just how much are people willing to pay to see Wiltshire’s primary internationally renowned wonder, and how these prices, which already seem extreme, affect smaller local businesses relying on tourism?

Already disgruntled with new rules regarding solstice celebrations at the site, and the charges for parking on these scared days, Pagan High Preist, Arthur Uther Pendragon opened a government petition, stating EH are “not fit to manage” Stonehenge.

“Since splitting with Historic England,” the campaign says, “English Heritage has commercialized Stonehenge to the extreme introducing a ‘Pay to Pray’ Policy at Solstices and priced Tourism out of reach for the General Public to whom it was left, and supported unsuitable road improvements in the World Heritage site.”

“They have rejected the advice and concerns of UNESCO, Senior Archaeologists, Historians, Druids, and Environmentalists. This shows they are not fit to manage the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of a World Heritage site.”

Please sign this petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200246

 

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