PREPARED STATEMENT READ OUT AT TODAYS ROUND TABLE MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES Winter Solstice Proposal for the arrangements of The Winter Solstice 2014 King Arthur Pendragon LAW /|\ BACKGROUND You need not look far to see ‘What works and what does not’ drawing on the experiences of Winter Solstice 2012 and Winter Solstice 2013. In 2012 for the first time the Managed Open access was extended to 12:00 pm. This Worked….. In 2013 for the first time the Authorities took it upon themselves to ‘park’ those attending in what they considered an orderly and workable fashion. Utilizing the former A344 (now a private road) rather than as has always been the case in the past allowing those attending to organise their own parking on By-way 12. This did not Work….. PRESSURES BROUGHT ON BY THE LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE For the past year we have tried to make use of the limited time available at Equinox and Winter Solstice by utilising the ‘Satellite’ system employed successfully at the summer solstice whereby I have held ceremony at the ‘Hele’ stone in tandem with the ‘main ceremony’ in the centre circle. This has been useful for my Order as we have managed to get through a lot of the Ceremonial business of our Order that would have been left ‘undone’ had we been forced to via for time in ‘centre circle’. Both ceremonies have out of respect for the wishes of others present been as ‘inclusive’ as possible and finished in good time for others to have time alone in the centre circle for their own personal observances. On the down side it has meant that those attending the ceremony at the ‘Hele stone’ have been unable to attend ‘the ceremony in centre circle’ and visa-versa. A situation that we find both unacceptable and unnecessary given the success of winter 2012 when an extension was granted. ENGLISH HERITAGE’S NORMAL OPERATION. It has often been argued that EH would and should prefer to get back to their normal operations by 09:00 am after the dawn ceremony/ies and for that reason time has at times other than Summer Solstice been limited. THE PROPOSAL A simple and workable solution to these conflicting uses of Stonehenge and the increased demand for ‘longer Access’ and increased attendance, it should be remembered That at the first managed open access Summer 2000 we had approximately 6000 in attendance, a similar figure to what we now expect in Winter. Would be as follows….. 1 That we are allowed to oversee our own parking ‘and that of those pilgrims attending’ as has prior to last winter, always been the case and seen to work in the past. 2 An extended time frame be put in place, access until Mid-day as worked and proved successful in 2012. 3 In order for EH to open up as usual for their normal business it is suggested that we revert to what has worked in the past and combine in ceremony in centre circle and vacate by 09:00 am and that those Druids such as I who have ‘unfinished business’ and ceremony to perform retire elsewhere in the ‘Triangle’ to conduct their own ceremony as I do at the Hele stone. And those pilgrims wishing to remain in the environs of Stonehenge (but not in the centre circle) are allowed to do so until Mid-day. This is in my view and that of my Order a workable proposal that would suit all parties, in the spirit of compromise. It is not ideal by any means, but is a way forward that we feel can have the maximum support from ALL interested parties and Stakeholders.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 19:11:02 +0000
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