I heard an interesting radio programme a few months ago about auditing war memorials. The gist was that . . . → Read More: Salisbury, England News: Museum grant, Race for Life, Coward at the Playhouse and Desert Island Salisbury]]> Salisbury Race For Life entry opened

Registration is now open for the 2012 Race for Life which is on July 1st.

• Spire FM – News – Salisbury Race For Life entries opened

Audit of Wiltshire’s War Memorials

I heard an interesting radio programme a few months ago about auditing war memorials. The gist was that although the main civic war memorials are relatively ‘safe’, smaller war memorials such as those in workplaces are often in danger from re-development or neglect. The purpose of the audit is to give these some level of protection.

• BBC News – Audit of Wiltshire’s war memorials to be carried out

South Wilts Sports Ground project completed

The Wiltshire Council website says that:

“A £1.3 million project to transform sporting facilities in south Wiltshire has been completed in time for 2012 – the Olympic year of celebration.

The five year project to bring state of the art sporting facilities at the South Wilts sports ground at Skew Bridge, Salisbury has now been completed.”

• Latest News | Wiltshire Council

I can confirm that the new Astroturf is very nice indeed, but it hasn’t actually improved the quality of my game at all.

Thieves take gas pipes from Salisbury homes

• BBC News – Thieves take gas pipes from Salisbury homes

Salisbury Oxfam Gallery – Future: Unknown

Sad to see the Oxfam Gallery is shutting down. The last exhibition is called ‘Future Unknown’.

• Salisbury Oxfam » News » Exhibition: Future: Unknown

Bus from Amesbury to Stonehenge?

I’ not entirely sure about this, although I fully support the aim of getting more people to visit Amesbury. I wouldn’t have thought many people would arrive at Amesbury by public transport en route to Stonehenge.

• Community bus could take tourists from Amesbury to Stonehenge | The Bluestones – a novel

Salisbury Playhouse ‘Design For Living’

I went to see Noel Coward’s ‘Design for Living’ at the Playhouse last week – it’s very good.

There’s a review in ‘The Stage:

• The Stage / Reviews / Design For Living

Salisbury Museum Secures £100k Grant

The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum has got a £100,000 grant from the DCMS-Wolfson Fund – DCMS is Department of Media Culture and Sport. The money is to go towards a new ‘Archaeology of Wessex’ gallery.

• Museum Secures Grant from DCMS Wolfson Fund | News | About Us | Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum

Historic Salisbury photos

I love looking at old photos of Salisbury. I found some I hadn’t seen before on the BBC website:

• BBC – Wiltshire – History – Historic Salisbury photos

Desert Island Salisbury

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of my favourite non-sport-related radio programme, this is a list of all the castaways I can think of who have some Salisbury connection.

The links take you to the Desert Island Discs page – which will either be a list of what’s been chosen, or the show itself.

• Michael Crawford – actor, born in Salisbury
• Sir Cecil Beaton – photographer, lived at Broadchalke
• David Mitchell – grew up in Salisbury
• Virginia Wade – went to school in Salisbury
• Leslie Thomas – lives in the Close, and wrote an interesting looking book about the Cathedral
• Terry Pratchett – lives near Salisbury and wrote the foreward to ‘Salisbury in Detail’
• Vikram Seth – lives near Salisbury
• Edward Heath – lived in the Close
• Ralph Fiennes – went to school in Salisbury
• James Lovelock – worked at the Common Cold Research Unit, lived for a time I think in Broadchalke or Bowerchalke
• Joan Baez – no Salisbury connection I know of other than that she’s playing at the City Hall fairly soon

Nobody, as far as I can see, chose Salisbury writer William Golding’s desert island novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ for their book¹.

Image from Amazon

Footnotes

1. BBC – Desert Island Discs – Find a castaway : Search for “Golding”

For Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Salisbury residents will be able to explore the fascinating history of their city – all under the roof of a medieval tent.

The Salisbury Area Board will be celebrating the city under the roof of a jousting tent . . . → Read More: Salisbury, UK News: Medieval tents, Magna Carta, Shine 4 Wiltshire and Songs of Praise]]> Salisbury Medieval Tent for Diamond Jubilee

The Wiltshire Council website says that

For Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Salisbury residents will be able to explore the fascinating history of their city – all under the roof of a medieval tent.

The Salisbury Area Board will be celebrating the city under the roof of a jousting tent to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee event at the Cathedral Close in early May.

If you want to be involved.

Anyone wanting to contribute ideas to the Salisbury medieval tent project and/or attend meetings of the working group should contact Marianna Dodd on 01722 434696 or email marianna.dodd@wiltshire.gov.uk

• Latest News | Wiltshire Council

Update: According to Jane Scott’s post the theme for the event will be the Magna Carta and Democrary.

Wiltshire Council Leader on Salisbury Olympics Shindig

Couple of interesting bits from Jane Scott’s blog. Jane Scott is leader of Wiltshire Council:

“Shine 4 Wiltshire”; where local bands, orchestras, choirs, entertainers and dance groups who live in Wiltshire have been invited to link to a YouTube video displaying their talent. The performance must be suitable for a family audience.

Entries will be placed on the council’s 2012 Celebration Facebook page, following the deadline of 26 February, for people to view and vote for their favorites. The act with the most votes will perform alongside a national headline that the Olympics Committee (LOCOG) will stage on the 11 July in Hudson’s Field in Salisbury.

….and that:

The headline act will be announced on 14 February, so I will update you all as soon as we know!

• Jane Scott’s blog: Monday 16 January 2012

Sarum College – Poetry Evening and Songs of Praise

Sarum College (which I think is typically known as ‘the Theological College”) has a poetry and prose evening on the 22nd February. The poems are from the Write to Life group, which is part of the Freedom from Torture organization.

• Write to Life: An Evening of Poetry and Prose on 22 February | Sarum College, Christian Education and Conference Venue in Salisbury, England

Also, Sarum College features on Songs of Praise at the end of the month – it’s part of a feature on modern hymns.

• Sarum College features in Songs of Praise 29 January | Sarum College, Christian Education and Conference Venue in Salisbury, England

Old Sarum Primary School officially opened

The school had it’s official opening last Monday.

• Welcome :: Old Sarum Primary School, Pheasant Drive, Old Sarum

Trussell Trust Online Shop

The Salisbury-based charity has a new online shop

• URL Blocked By Policy

Review of Salisbury Museum’s “Hardy’s Wessex”

There’s a piece on the new exhibition at Salisbury Museum here:

• Artists view West through Thomas Hardy’s eyes | This is Dorset

…it makes the point that the King’s House, which now houses the Museum, features in Jude the Obscure.

Salisbury MP John Glen on executive pay

• John Glen MP: Executive pay must become a new component of corporate social responsibility Comment

Old Sarum Members Tour

On the 2nd March, Julian Richards is doing tours of ‘the Accursed Hill”. The tours are for English Heritage members only, and cost £30.

• Old Sarum | News by Chance | The Modern Antiquarian.com

Old Sarum Half Term Family Fun Trail

• BBC – Things To Do: Half Term Family Fun Trail

The following buildings got commendations:

…and . . . → Read More: Salisbury News: Switchover, Civic Awards, the Moon and ‘Spoons]]> Salisbury Civic Society Awards

There’s a short account of the Civic Society’s Awards Ceremony on their website.

The following buildings got commendations:

• Sixth Form Centre, Bishop Wordsworth School
• Park and Ride Building at Petersfinger, Salisbury
• Workshop at Holt Cottage, Teffont Evias
• Junior Ranks Dining Centre at Bulford Camp
• Bridge at Gurston Manor, Broad Chalke

…and the following received awards

• “The Sleepers” and “The Sidings”, Tollgate Road, Salisbury
• Alabare Place, Salisbury
• “Treetops”, Stapleford
• Residential Development, Clements Lane, Mere

More details here:

• Salisbury Civic Society

Stonehenge and the Moon

I was interested to find out that there was a proposal to include Stonehenge on the insignia worn by astronauts on the last expedition to the moon:

• Stonehenge, Apollo and the Last Man on the Moon

The Sarsen Trail – May 6th

Registration is open for the Sarsen Trail, which is a sponsored walk/run/cycle/dog-walk which finishes at Stonehenge. There is the option to run from Avebury to Stonehenge. Routes include areas not normally open to the general public

• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust | Home | Sarsen Trail

Digital UK – Postcode checker

The re-tuning days for Salisbury seem to be on the 7th and 21st of March. It’s probably worth checking for your address, and possibly worth checking nearer the time too.

• Digital UK – Postcode checker

Welcome to Salisbury Cathedral DVD

There is a new ‘Welcome to Salisbury Cathedral’ film

• Recent Press Releases – Salisbury Cathedral

Wetherspoons to Open in Amesbury

The Salisbury Camra forum has a post which says that Wetherspoons may be opening a pub in Amesbury

• Wetherspoons to Open in Amesbury? – Salisbury CAMRA | Forums | General Chat

Wilton Eco Park – Public meeting on Saturday 14th January 2012

The Wilton Eco Park Project is holding ‘The Great Green Challenge’ public meeting on Saturday 14th January 2012, from 11am -1pm at the Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton.

• Wilton Eco Park – Public meeting on Saturday 14th January 2012 | WilCAP – Wilton Community Area Partnership

‘Fisherton Sarum’ in British Railway Modelling magazine

Local Railway Modeller Graham Muspratt is featured in the current issue of ‘British Railway Modelling’ magazine. As you might guess from the name, his ‘Fisherton Sarum’ layout takes ‘inspiration from an actual location [Salisbury station] rather than being an exact scale model’

• Article on Fisherton Sarum published in British Railway Modelling magazine – RMweb

How this works is perhaps illustrated by this blogpost, where Graham discusses how the actual water tower at Salisbury influenced his model.

• A view from the line #4 The water tower a presence and pressure… « grahammuz

Saisbury Museum – Landscapes of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex is now on

• What’s On – Landscapes of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex: Works by Dave Gunning, David Inshaw and Rob Pountney | Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum

Jethro Tull at Salisbury Cathedral

The Christmas concert by Jethro Tull raised £22,600 for the Cathedral. The money is earmarked for work on the Chapter House.

• Recent Press Releases – Salisbury Cathedral

Traveller sites set to expand

• Gypsy and Traveller News: Traveller sites set to expand – Salsibury

Salisbury City Football Club – February half-term coaching days

• Salisbury City Football Club » February half-term coaching days

Salisbury restaurant hygiene – scores on the doors

I saw this in the Salisbury Journal.

The link below should take you to a list of places in Salisbury which serve food, and how they’ve been rated for hygiene. If
the link doesn’t work, then go to the Wiltshire Council website and search for ‘Scores on Doors’

• Scores on Doors | Wiltshire Council

The Journal quite understandably listed the places which didn’t do so well, but in a spirit of New Year positivity – congratulations to all of these 5-star establishments: Amblescroft, APA, Ask, Avon House, Beechly Dene, British Legion, Britz, Bupa, Burger King, Byways, Cathedral School, Chick O Land, Coach and Horses, Co-Op, Costa, Dominic Pizza, Dunraven, Exeter House, FooDoo, Friends Provident, Gala bingo, godolphin, HPA, Il Ristorante Alpino, Inwood House, JC’s Catering, Kings Head, Leaden Hall, Little Manor, Marks and Spencer, Milford House, Nisa, Orders of St John Care Trust, Ox Row Inn, Parkwood, Pat and Anne Catering, Pemboke Park, the Police Station, Pumpkin, Rethink, Rose and Crown, Masonic Lodge, Salisbury Sandwich, Sarum Academy, Sarum Foods, Sgts Mess, Shakeaway, Snack Packers, Strade, Stratford-sub-Castle Primary School, Tesco, The Griffin, The Hub, King’s House Cafe, The Old Cottage, The Royal George, Toybox, Truly Scrumptious, Voyage Care, Websters, West Cornwall Pasty Company, Westacre Service Station, Wig and Quill Inn, WOs and Sgts Mess

I didn’t manage to get up to Bramall Lane, but I very much enjoyed the Wiltshire Radio and . . . → Read More: Salisbury news: big beasts, Blades, and the art of Cranborne Chase]]> Salisbury City at Bramall Lane

Sadly Salisbury didn’t manage to get a result in Sheffield but given that the Blades are over 80 places above Salisbury in the league tables, we gave them a good game.

I didn’t manage to get up to Bramall Lane, but I very much enjoyed the Wiltshire Radio and Salisbury City FC Twitter coverage.

• Salisbury City Football Club » Whites defeated at Bramall Lane

John Rose has some great photos from the game:

• Wedding, Portrait, Event, Commercial and School Photographer: Sheffield United FC v Salisbury City FC at Bramall Lane, Sheffield in the FA Cup 3rd Round

On the bright side, Robbie Matthews is rejoining the Whites

• Salisbury City Football Club » Fans’ favourite rejoins the Whites

…and Salisbury have another huge fixture this coming weekend. They are meeting York City in the FA Trophy this Saturday. The FA Trophy is the FA’s cup competition for non-league clubs.

Fixtures-Jan-2012.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Salisbury District Hospital Psychology Project Needs Volunteers

Volunteers are needed at ‘Odstock Hospital’

The volunteers are all trained to help people with cognitive and communication difficulties and are able to help patients by increasing stimulation and interaction through memory puzzles, discussion groups and reading, along side group and individual work.

• Award Winning Psychology Project Needs Volunteers – Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

Art in the Shadow of Cranborne Chase

The next exhibition at Salisbury Museum will include stuff by Lucian Freud and Augustus John.

The exhibition is themed around “artists living and working on Cranborne Chase from the 1920s to the present day”.

• Circles and Tangents: Art in the Shadow of Cranborne Chase | Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum

Carnbourne Chase is broadly the area between Warminster, Shaftesbury, Salisbury and Wimbourne Minster¹

John Glen – a big beast?

A blogger on the Guardian website discussed the lack of ‘big beasts’ at Westminster. He does though identify Salisbury MP John Glen as a possible ‘junior beast’²:

On the Tory side the leadership is finally using the talents of John Glen, the MP for Salisbury who once held the coveted post of director of the Conservative Research Department. Glen, who is wrongly overlooked in profiles of the 2010 intake, will be a serious contender for high office in the next decade.

• UK moves from ‘Nice’ to ‘Nasty’ decade – Tory intellectual Jesse Norman | Politics | guardian.co.uk

Lecture on the Saxons of Wessex in Shaftesbury

• The Wandering Archaeologist: Lecture on the Saxons of Wessex in Shaftesbury

BBC News – Council urged to support Wiltshire Heritage Museum

• BBC News – Council urged to support Wiltshire Heritage Museum

Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page

I collect these links on the Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page. If you’d like to have these link show up in your Facebook newsfeed throughout the week, then click on the ‘Like’ Button below

Footnotes

1. Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB : Discover the Area
2. In the peculiar jargon of political journalism, I think this is a compliment

Most importantly, for those of us not making the trip up to Yorkshire, Salisbury FC’s page gives coverage details:

The F.A. has a page on the tie, reporting Darrell Clarke as . . . → Read More: Sheffield United vs. Salisbury City]]> I’ve collected a few links about tomorrow’s 3rd Round FA Cup tie…

Most importantly, for those of us not making the trip up to Yorkshire, Salisbury FC’s page gives coverage details:

• Salisbury City Football Club – Whites vs Sheffield United – Coverage
  
  
  
  
  

The F.A. has a page on the tie, reporting Darrell Clarke as saying

“That’s the beauty of The FA Cup,” he added. “The underdogs have a chance. It’s 11v11, and I’m sure, I’m just hoping on the day, we’ll do ourselves justice.”

The Independant has a nice article headed A day in the sun for plain old Salisbury. It’s a long-ish piece – something I found interesting was that:

the bottom line is that, combined with a good run in the FA Trophy, their seven games in the FA Cup – presuming tomorrow to be the last – will have brought the club £100,000.

As a Chelsea and Salisbury supporter I found this really interesting.

• A strip off the old block! – Sheffield United – The Star
  
  
  
  
  

….I never knew Salisbury’s Daniel Webb was the son of Chelsea’s David Webb.

Some other links:

• Wilson wary of the joker – Sport – Sheffield Telegraph
  
  
  
  
  

• Danny takes no chances with Lowton – Sheffield United – The Star
  
  
  
  
  

• Daily Echo
  
  
  
  
  

I only just saw this news item on the Spire FM website – falcons have nested at the Cathedral. I don’t know if they are still there.

The Druids Lodge Confederacy

I came across this the other day. It’s . . . → Read More: Salisbury, Wiltshire News: Falcons, bustards, salmon, sewers and the Druids Lodge Confederacy]]> Peregrine Falcons at Salisbury Cathedral

I only just saw this news item on the Spire FM website – falcons have nested at the Cathedral. I don’t know if they are still there.

• Spire FM – News – Peregrine Falcons nest at Salisbury Cathedral
  
  
  

The Druids Lodge Confederacy

I came across this the other day. It’s about the ‘Druids Lodge Confederacy’, also known as the ‘Hermits of Salisbury Plain’. The Druids Lodge was a racing stables in the early 1900s which specialized in buying out of form horses then transforming them into animals which, in the right race, would win at large prices. Fascinating stuff…

• The Apprentice Jockey: Druids Lodge
  
  
  

Telegraph article on the Bustards

The Telegraph reports that:

the Great Bustard Group, the RSPB-backed charity leading the reintroduction scheme, has documented evidence of birds roaming widely across south western England.

Although most stay within about 10 miles of the original release site, there have been sightings as far away as northern France.

More at:

• Great Bustard flies again across South West – after 180 year absence – Telegraph
  
  
  

Extinction fears as salmon disappear

According to this article, the River Avon is becoming less habitable for salmon….I’m slightly ashamed to say that I had no idea that there were salmon in the Avon.

• Extinction fears as salmon disappear | Christchurch People
  
  
  

New book on The Hills of Warminster

• The Hills of Warminster are alive – with a new book! | Warminster People
  
  
  

Rehearsals for Design for Living at Salisbury Playhouse

• Rehearsal Blog: Design for Living « salisburyplayhouse
  
  
  

Salisbury’s sewers to get a makeover

• BBC News – Salisbury’s 100-year-old sewer system is to be renovated
  
  
  

Approved Traders List

Wiltshire Council is warning about cold-calling tradespeople

• Watch out for scams (From Salisbury Journal)
  
  
  

Age UK Wiltshire maintains a list of registered traders

• Traders list
  
  
  

Art of Healing Exhibition at Sarum College

• The Art of Healing Exhibition Opens 28 January | Sarum College
  
  
  

Cathedral grant

Salisbury Cathedral has received a grant from the Cathedral Fabric Repair Fund.

• Christmas Cheer for Cathedrals – Twelve cathedral grants announced | Church News Ireland
  
  
  

A peregrine falcon in the wild:

Local TV for Salisbury….but not yet

The Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has . . . → Read More: Salisbury News: Insulation, TV, Art in Wiltshire and the Jubilee]]> Wiltshire Warm and Well

Grants are available from Wiltshire Council for home insulation. People on low incomes can have the total cost paid but ‘everyone is entitled to at least a partial grant’

• South Wiltshire Agenda 21 » Wiltshire Warm and Well
  

Local TV for Salisbury….but not yet

The Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has identified 20 towns or cities which will be ‘pioneers’ for local TV services. Salisbury isn’t on the list of 20, but it is on a secondary list of “a further 24 areas identified for a future round of licensing of local TV services”

• First 20 UK towns and cities in line for local TV service announced | Media | guardian.co.uk
  

Wiltshire Council survey - what matters to you

• Tell us what matters to you in your area | Wiltshire Council
  

World famous artists at Wiltshire Museums

Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre¹

has a post on major works of art in the counties museum.

Salisbury Museum is mentioned in the context of the Constable exhibition:

• World famous artists at Wiltshire Museums
  

...but the post links to a very good BBC site which has more detailed lists and very good reproductions of paintings at:

• Salisbury Museum
  

• Salisbury District Hospital
  

• The Guildhall
  

• Salisbury Library
  

I wonder if this could be extended to cover works held in private hands which the public have a legal right to see. My understanding is that over the years people have avoided death duties on works of art by declaring that they will display them to the public on request.

Stonehenge Chamber of Commerce Chair

John Todd was re-elected as the Stonehenge Chamber of Commerce chairman

• John Todd Re-elected as Chamber Chairman | stonehengechamber.co.uk
  

Salisbury Cathedral and Handel's "Messiah."

A nice account of hearing the Messiah at the Cathedral last week

• Devizes Days: Salisbury Cathedral and Handel's "Messiah."
  

Royal Jubilee party in Salisbury

• Spire FM - News - 70K plus to be spent on Jubilee party in Salisbury
  

FA Cup Third Round Ticket Information

Come on you Whites!

• Salisbury City Football Club » FA Cup Third Round Ticket Information
  

Nether Wallop women publishes book to help community

Given the amount of typo's on my website, I should be the last person to point on out on somebody elses website, but I did like the headline that started 'Never Wallop Women'. It's since been corrected

• Spire FM - News - Never Wallop women publishes book to help community
  

Walking

I found this on walking in the New Forest:

• Walking
  

Stonehenge Winter Solstice

I posted details that I got from English Heritage about the Solstice access here:

• Stonehenge Winter Solstice 2011 « Salisbury and Stonehenge
  

Stonehenge and Pembrokeshire

It seems that a link between some of the stones at the Henge and a site in West Wales has been established. I'm not entirely clear what this changes in terms of our understanding of Stonehenge, but here are some links

• BBC News - Stonehenge rocks Pembrokeshire link confirmed
  

• Scientists locate exact source of Stonehenge stone - Telegraph
  

• Stonehenge Thoughts: Does Stonehenge really make all men mad?
  

• Scientists discover source of rock used in Stonehenge's first circle - News - Archaeology - The Independent
  

• Sarsen.org - Tracking the Sarsen route to Stonehenge: Bluestones theory is now frozen out | The Times
  

• Bluestones – proof for human transport to Stonehenge? « Mike Pitts – Digging Deeper
  

Footnotes

1. I think I usually call them the Heritage Centre - apologies!

I was lucky enough to go and see ‘Jack In the Beanstalk’ at Salisbury Playhouse last Friday. I thought it was great – spectacular production, all the traditional elements in place but with some fun topical and local references.

Anyway, I found a couple of reviews which share my opinion. ‘Whats On . . . → Read More: Salisbury, UK news: Giant-killing, Hardy’s Wessex, Dads Army]]> Salisbury Pantomime Reviews

I was lucky enough to go and see ‘Jack In the Beanstalk’ at Salisbury Playhouse last Friday. I thought it was great – spectacular production, all the traditional elements in place but with some fun topical and local references.

Anyway, I found a couple of reviews which share my opinion. ‘Whats On Stage’ gives it a 4-star review:

• Whats On Stage – Salisbury Panto Review
  
  
  

• The Stage / Reviews / Jack and the Beanstalk
  
  
  

Salisbury City in Cup Third Round

In other giant-killing news (!), Salisbury City beat Grimsby Town in extra-time of their 2nd Round Replay. They’ve reached the Third Round of the Cup for the first time in the club’s 64 year history.

There are match reports here:

• Grimsby Town: Mariners crash out of FA Cup | This is Grimsby
  
  
  

• BBC Sport – Grimsby 2-3 Salisbury
  
  
  

Salisbury FC have also launched a ‘half-season ticket’ which allows entry to home league matches for the rest of the season:

• Salisbury City Football Club » Half-season ticket announced
  
  
  

Funding for Salisbury youth projects

Wiltshire Council has released some money to fund young people’s projects in the Salisbury area

• Latest News | Wiltshire Council
  
  
  

Sketches of Salisbury Cathedral

I stumbled across these watercolours of the Big Church.

• Sketches of Salisbury Cathedral – Blue Sky Inking
  
  
  

Wiltshires Dads Army

A great post from the Wiltshire and Swindon Heritage Centre on the Wiltshire Home Guard. It’s got a photo of the Redlynch division.

• Wiltshires Dads Army
  
  
  

Thomas Hardy’s Wessex at Salisbury Museum

Three artists are exhibiting at the Salisbury Museum in the new year. The exhibition runs from 14 Jan 2012 until 14 Apr 2012

• What’s On – Landscapes of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex: Works by Dave Gunning, David Inshaw and Rob Pountney | Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum
  
  
  

The artists are:

Dave Gunning, David Inshaw and Rob Pountney

Mayor of Salisbury’s New Year’s Eve Party

• Salisbury City Council – Mayor of Salisbury’s New Year’s Eve Party
  
  
  

Stonehenge Walk

A solstice-morning walk from Larkill to the Stones.

• SALISBURY PLAIN HIVE INFORMATION: Stonehenge Walk
  
  
  

More on lighting up Stonehenge

Further comment on Lady Pakenham’s thoughts:

• Why illuminating Stonehenge is an unenlightened idea | Ian Vince | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
  
  
  

Large shaggy clumps at Stonehenge

While looking for something else entirely I found this report by the National Trust on ‘nature conservation’ at Stonehenge.

• w-stonehenge_eval-8.pdf (application/pdf Object)
  
  
  

The doc includes this comment:

Of particular note were the large shaggy clumps of Ramalina siliquosa, which may be due to a build up of salty deposits on the surface of the stones.

I presume that the clumps are these, that I photographed during the last Winter Solstice:

Stukeley’s map of South Wiltshire

Robert John Landon has a reproduction of Stukeley’s map of South Wiltshire on his website. It’s worth looking at:

• The Stonehenge Enigma: Stukeley’s drawing points the way
  
  
  

Stonehenge lit up, temporarily

This is fantastic – local-ish light-and-photography artist Marcus Bowyers Briggs had special access to the stone circle and created these images:

• Stonehenge photography Hampshire
  
  
  

Next year’s Civic Society Programme of Events has been published on the website. There are some interesting talks – Pugin, Constable and the Meadow Road murder.

The Lantern Parade is on the 15th December. . . . → Read More: Salisbury news: Civic Society, the Boy Bishop and more on Stonehenge]]> All the Salisbury and Stonehenge news that’s fit to link to…

Salisbury Civic Society

Next year’s Civic Society Programme of Events has been published on the website. There are some interesting talks – Pugin, Constable and the Meadow Road murder.

• Salisbury Civic Society

Salisbury Christmas Lantern Parade

The Lantern Parade is on the 15th December. If you haven’t been before, it’s very good.

• Spire FM – News – Salisbury Christmas Lantern Parade

Salisbury Pantomime – Ivor G Bogey speaks out!

I enjoyed a post by one of the actors in this years pantomime, which is Jack and the Beanstalk. Mr Bogey, otherwise known as Tim Treslove, relates how he first saw pantomime at the old theatre in Fisherton Street.

• Opening Week: Jack and the Beanstalk « salisburyplayhouse

Boy Bishop of Salisbury

An ancient, and slightly dotty, Salisbury Christmas tradition is that for one day in December a chorister becomes Bishop.

• Spire FM – News – Boy Bishop appointed

Salisbury’s Saint Osmund is Saint of the Week

The Catholic Herald has nominated Osmund as ‘Saint of the Week’.

• The chaplain to William the Conqueror who established the Sarum Rite | CatholicHerald.co.uk

A new history of Alderbury & Whaddon

A second comapnion voluime on the history of Alderbury and Whaddon has been published. It’s available on Amazon here:

• Amazon Link – A companion volume to Alderbury & Whaddon: A Millennium Mosaic, the general history of the villages

….and there’s more detail on the Alderbury History society website here:

• A companion volume to Alderbury & Whaddon: A Millennium Mosaic, the general history of the villages.

A Thousand Sheep

A new-ish blog from an artist involved with the Riverbourne Community Farm.

• A Thousand Sheep

Salisbury and Stonehenge on Facebook

If you’f like to see these links show up in your Facebook news feed, click the like button below.

Lighting up Stone-henge

The debate about floodlighting Stonehenge rumbles on.

King Arthur Pendragon is against the idea – arguing that it would make the Henge like a theme park.

• BBC News – Stonehenge lit up ‘will make it theme park’ claims Druid

Dennis Price, on the other hand, who maintains an interesting website called Eternal Idol, is broadly in favour

• Stonehenge, Lady Mimi Pakenham and the ‘Age of Enlightenment.’

In the end, it’s English Heritage that will decide and according to EH it’s not going to happen

By artificially lighting Stonehenge at night, this ancient relationship between the stones, moon and stars would be lost and it would stand in our way of imagining what our ancestors had in mind when they raised this remarkable monument. Therefore outside of some special occasions, we do not light up Stonehenge at night.

This approach is also informed by some serious safety issues. Stonehenge was lit up at night for a period in the 1970s and early 1980s but that practice was stopped due to an increase in road accidents caused by vehicles slowing down to observe the monument. As there is even more traffic today on the A303, that risk cannot be ignored.

There’s more from English Heritage here:

• Lighting-Up Stonehenge at Night | English Heritage

The two main ‘stories’ were the discovery of . . . → Read More: Stonehenge news: cursus pits, floodlights, and the Solstice procession]]> This is a roundup of this week’s news about Stonehenge. Most weeks recently I’ve done a single post of links and news about both Stonehenge and Salisbury, but because it’s been a busy week for the Stones it seems worth doing a separate one for the Stones.

The two main ‘stories’ were the discovery of the ‘cursus pits’ and the suggestion that Stonehenge should be floodlit at night, but first something less uncontentious…

Solstice procession from Stonehenge to Amesbury

As related in a series of posts last December, I’ve walked overnight from Salisbury to Stonehenge for the winter solstice and I really, really enjoyed it. A much more civilized alternative is being offered at Amesbury. A lantern parade is going to walk from Stonehenge to Amesbury on the evening of the 21st. There will be mulled wine and mince pies at the end.

• Salisbury Journal – Ancient tradition to be recreated in Amesbury

Salisbury and Stone henge Facebook page

I store these links on the Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page. If you’d like to have these link show up in your Facebook feed often with little thumbnail pictures throughout the week, then click on the ‘Like’ Button below

Stonehenge and the cursus pits

The first that I heard of a new discovery at Stonehenge was this report in the Independent.

The Independent reported that a research team from Birmingham and Vienna have been using X-ray and other techniques to survey the Stonehenge landscape. The team found:

two great pits, one towards the enclosure’s eastern end, the other nearer its western end.

When they modelled the relationship between these newly-discovered Cursus pits and Stonehenge on their computer system, they realised that, viewed from the so-called ‘Heel Stone’ at Stonehenge, the pits were aligned with sunrise and sunset on the longest day of the year – the summer solstice (midsummer’s day). The chances of those two alignments being purely coincidental are extremely low.

There’s a lot more detail ind the Independent article

• The Independent – Secret History of Stonehenge Revealed

A couple of Stonehenge bloggers that I follow gave mixed reactions.

Robert John Langdon titled his post ‘It doesnt get much dumber than this’:

• Robert John Langdon – It doesn’t get much dumber than this

Brian John headlines his piece ‘Secret history of Stonehenge revealed — again, and again, and again….. ‘, and writes that it’s difficult to tell whether there is anything new in the ‘discoveries’.

• Brian John – Secret history of Stonehenge revealed — again, and again, and again…..

Mike Pitts took the step of writing to the Birmingham University press office asking for more detail. The press office sent him some pictures which are now on his website at the link below.

• View from the Heelstone « Mike Pitts – Digging Deeper

Mr Pitts writes of ‘geophyscial anomalies’ rather than pits and makes what seems to me to be the fairly key point that:

These anomalies have not been excavated or cored, so we do not know what they are, or how old they are.

Interestingly, there’s a list and description of all the recent or ongoing surveys of Stonehenge and it’s lansdcape. There are six of them.

The Novacaster forum also has a good post:

• Novacaster.com article

Finally, on the pits/anomalies I found this page on the University of Vienna website (I think). I can’t read German, so I don’t know what the text says, but there are some great photos of the surveying work.

• University Press Release

Floodlighting Stonehenge

The other big Stonehenge news this week¹ was the media discussion of whether it should be lit up at night, as Salisbury Cathedral and other tourist attractions are.

As far as I can see this started with a letter to the Times by Lady Mimi Pakenham.

She argued that:

The magic of Stonehenge could be shared every evening with all who pass, many of whom can’t afford a ticket²

The Telegraph reported on this, and quoted Clive Ruggles, a professor of archaeoastronomy, who said:

Lighting up the monument would cut the visual connection between the monument and the starry night sky at a stroke³

The BBC has a page on the discussion, with, at the time of writing 367 comments:

• BBC News – Should monuments be lit at night?

Is it going to happen? The Salisbury Journal quotes ‘an English Heritage spokesman’:

“Stonehenge was lit up at night for a period in the 1970s and early 1980s but that practice was stopped due to an increase in road accidents caused by vehicles slowing down to observe the monument. As there is even more traffic today on the A303 there are on a purely practical level some serious safety issues to consider.

“Since the 1970s, our understanding of the critical relationship between the monument and the moon and stars overhead has increased, so another important consideration is whether introducing light onto the monument and into the World Heritage Site will genuinely enhance people’s appreciation and understanding”⁴

Danger – Engineers at Work!

Finally, I enjoyed this collection of pictures of people attempting to move Stonehenge type rocks

• Brian John – Danger – Engineers at Work

Footnotes

1. It’s great that Stonehenge can make the news, given that it doesn’t really change much
2. The letter is now behing the Times’ paywall, so I can’t link to it. There’s an extract on The Telegraphs website at Stonehenge ‘should be lit at night’ campaigner claims – Telegraph
3. Stonehenge ‘should be lit at night’ campaigner claims – Telegraph
4. Should Stonehenge be lit up at night? (From Salisbury Journal)