
Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2007 pics |
21st
June 2006 The celebrations happened around sunrise at 04.58am. It was one of the wettest solstices ever, but most brave souls weathered the downpour from 2am to 3am, and were rewarded with the sun breaking through the cloud to light up Stonehenge and all of us (rain-soaked but happy) waiting to celebrate the beginning of the longest day. The atmosphere and the company was brilliant as ever! |
= 10pm
and the walk from the car park begins -
the 'ambient' lighting doesn't seem very...ambient ! |
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![]() Standing stone becomes good place to wait for the sunrise |
ssaving energy for the dawn celebration |
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![]() hot food |
![]() healthy food |
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![]() kids enjoy the fun too |
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![]() Hare Krishna draw a crowd with their bongo playing |
There was some great entertainment this year - the Hare Krishna gathered a big crowd who enthusiastically joined in with their happy drumming, clapping, chanting and dancing - weaving their way like a conga dance through the people who were sat on the ground. All
over the site there were jugglers, people twirling ribbons, glowing |
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![]() You dance, I'll bongo! |
I'll remember how to do it in a minute... |
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![]() The mighty stones didn't provide much protection from the rain |
![]() good hair gel can last all night ! |
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![]() Hanging on for the solstice dawn |
![]() getting close to the stones |
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![]() full circle |
![]() resting fiddler and cling-film man coming from behind the stone! |
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![]() solstice 2006 party |
![]() the dancing begins |
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![]() I can't do this if you make me laugh... |
![]() Heel stone |
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![]() solstice mist descends |
![]() Hey, don't go I've got the hang of it now... |
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![]() King Arthur and his loyal Arthurian warband |
![]() time for some Druid fluid |
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![]() the partying continues through the night |
![]() the entertainment carries on - despite heavy rain |
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![]() solstice party hat |
![]() the rain falls mainly on the plain - Salisbury that is |
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![]() all night party |
![]() solstice party animal |
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![]() Druid meets PC |
time to take in the atmosphere |
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![]() when you've gotta go ...you've gotta go |
![]() the circle starts to fill up |
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![]() settling in for the solstice night vigil |
![]() the grass is a bit damp |
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![]() sitting the solstice out in comfort |
![]() not long now... |
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![]() it's been a long night |
![]() stone hugging |
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![]() shelter under the lintels |
![]() night watch |
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![]() time to turn off the 'ambient' lights... |
![]() the sky is changing colour |
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To Summer O thou who passest thro' our valleys in Beneath our thickest shades we oft have heard Our bards are fam'd who strike the silver wire: |
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Click
here to send us your solstice pics and
we'll post them up for all to enjoy! make
a Solstice wreath |
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Fun
places to be at the Summer Solstice 1. Stonehenge - in the magnificent circle with 30,000 others - celebrating the midsummer sunrise! 2. Avebury - in amongst the towering stones or standing on the surrounding bank for a panoramic view. 3. Ireland - Newgrange is a brilliant place to be, but you need to win a ticket to gain entry to this one, but you can still join others at standing stones around Drombeg, Beara and Kenmare to watch how they align with the sun on the 21st. 4. Orkney, Scotland - week long festival of music, literature and drama at the St Magnus Festival - watch the midsummer sunrise from the amazing Ring of Brodgar. 5. Sweden - 'Midsommar' is celebrated traditionally - often wearing traditional folk costumes - around the Majstång, a tall maypole covered with flowers, and fun solstice parties with lots of vodka are held in Gotaland and the Oland islands. 6. Finland - 'Juhannus', Finland's Flag Day is also celebrated on the same day, so Finnish flags are displayed all around the country from Midsummer's Eve to the evening of the following day. Bonfires (kokko) are lit and maypoles are danced around - originating from old rituals of fertility, cleansing and the banishing of evil spirits. Homes are decorated with flowers and birch branches. 7. Reykjavik, Iceland - many gather to celebrate the midnight sun on the longest day of the year. The solstice comes after a month of endless sunshine, during which the sun never sets. Feasting and partying continues through the early hours of the midsummer morning. 8. Denmark - St. John's Eve is celebrated the night before the Summer Solstice - bonfires on the beach, by lakes and in parks with picnics and songs are traditional. 9. Poland - 'Noc Swietojanska', St. John's Night on midsummer's day it is traditional for the men to dress up as pirates, and for the girls to throw Solstice wreaths made of wild flowers into the Baltic Sea, lakes or rivers. 10. Latvia - 'Jani' is an important national holiday, celebrated with bonfires, drinking beer, singing and jumping over the bonfire wearing wreaths made of flowers for girls and oak leaves for the men. It is also traditional to attach small oak branches with leaves to cars. At the North Pole, and everywhere north of the Arctic circle (66'30" degrees north latitude) the Summer Solstice means 24 hours of daylight - a good reason to party! |
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Winter Solstice 2007 - 22nd DecemberThe
midwinter sunset can be seen between Stonehenge's uprights - the
largest trilithon |
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