HW: Free Festivals

[M Holmes]

Alastair Sumner writes:

> Ok, I've just been doing a bit more research when I should be working and
> I've found some very interesing stuff. This page mentions the festival site
> that formed at Cholderton Woods where there were about 2000 people. The
> year is 1988 so I think this is probably the first year I went.
>
> http://www.greenleaf.demon.co.uk/h880808.htm

> I was quite a few rows back in the crowd facing the hele stone and I
> remember the anarchist flag being hoisted up and the guys on top of the
> stone. Then I remember objects being hurled at the police and the police
> charges into the crowd. You couldn't really see what was happening, just
> the person in front of you turn around, so you turned around to and ran for
> fear of being stampeded.
>
> Now this is the most interesting bit for me.
>
> 'Meanwhile the charge continued in the field to the North where I saw a
> group of youths throwing stones at the police as they retreated. This was
> the only retaliation I witnessed during the advance. As it seemed the
> advance was going to persevere I and some others removed ourselves down the
> back road to Amesbury. I had begun to be concerned about my property at
> Cholderton and wished to return there before the police.'
>
> If that was the only group of youths throwing stones then he is referring
> to the crowd of people I was amongst during the dispersal of the crowd.
> Although I didn't actually throw anything, I did observe it including a
> laughable attempt to stampede a herd of apathetic grass chewing milk cows
> into the police lines. The violence was fairly minimal though.
>
> I also remember looking over to the road and seeing the tail end of a
> confrontation there, police shoving people back. I think this is probably
> what is being descibed here. I remember the screaming and shouting caught
> my attention.
>
> 'When we had been driven past the fork of the road at Stonehenge Bottom
> there was a pause. We were now on the A303 towards Amesbury and it was
> before dawn but getting light, perhaps about 4.20AM. It seemed to me
> incredible, because it was not justified by anything the crowd were doing,
> but a line of attack was now forming across the dual carriageway to
> continue the charge. This was sudden and forceful and on (I think) three
> occasions the crowd on the road began to run. This was frightening as they
> threatened to knock us down or drive everyone into a stampede. I spent some
> effort shouting "Don't run! Walk! Move slowly! Don't panic!" as I saw the
> situation as potentially dangerous.'
>
> This description is so exact that I am sure it was 1988 when I first went.
> The following year there were much less people and even more police. I
> think very few people even got within a mile of the stones.

Yes, I think you're right. My "peace and Shove" piece must describe
the same thing you've uncovered from 1988. That fits in with me missing a year at Glastonbury if I was at
Glasters in 1987 and 1989. Come to think about it, when we finally
escaped through Police lines to Amesbury, I'm sure the others were all
talking about "a party in the woods" which I guess accurately describes
the Cholderton one.

Please amend my previous descriptions by one year.

FoFP