When June comes around the Summer Solstice is never far from my thoughts.
This year was my fourth visit and I must say, unfortunately, the least enjoyable. Too many people, over 30,000 they say, overly aggressive security guards and an unmanned police drone flying around and annoying everyone. You would think the police had better things to do with their resources? In the past I have arrived in the evening and secured a parking spot in the well organised car park. This year I arrived at 3.30am to find the road to the car park blocked off and no obvious alternative available. I ended up parked on a road island two or more miles from the stones, not a good start!
For the first hour or so I was ready for the walk back to the car. The crowds were such that I never expected to get anywhere near the stones – and the action. Action for me at the Solstice is a varied selection of interesting folk having a good time, good to be around and great to photograph. In my previous three years there I have seen one (not very good) sunrise, this year it never appeared at all, not that many seemed to notice. By 6 am the crowd had thinned out considerably, the sun made a brief appearance and I was in to the end.
The center of attraction is the stone circle, not for any mystical or pagan reason but because that’s where the best party is! It’s here that the drummers beat out their rhythms surrounded by dancers and others fueled by the excitement, onlookers crowd the surrounding fallen stones for a better view – and to be viewed. It takes me a while to squeeze through the crowds to a good spot where I stay for the next hour or so.
Photographically speaking, 2010 was not the best! Two cool grannies, an attractive young lady in a tatty top revealing her boobs, a few great faces and not much else.
I am in the process of creating a new gallery of my favourite images, it’s not finished but worth a look. I’ve called it Solstice People and you can see it here.
