midsummer mayhem

On a trip to Wiltshire to visit a music festival we found ourselves at a loose end on the evening of 20 June. Being only 20 miles away from Avebury we thought a meal at the Red Lion in the centre of the village would be a good idea. An unexpected police presence greeted us and it suddenly dawned on us (pardon the pun) that it was the summer solstice. As the sun began to set, crowds arrived to celebrate – woad-wearing musicians, pagans in campervans, torch-wielding dancers and elaborately decorated thespians – and drums were beaten, pipes blown and flowers scattered. The food at the Red Lion was great too!