summer solstice 2018

19th—22nd June 2018
Wiltshire

This year I got a train to Bedwyn, then cycled along the Kennet & Avon Canal to Honey Street (The Barge Inn is now closed, sadly), then on to Alton Priors. Saz jammming at the "laughing spring", in the tiny, magickal All Saints church and beside the ancient yew tree in the churchyard. Headed up Golden Ball Hill via Knapp Hill, which was positively swimmming in orchids. I went for a night walk to Adam's Grave (the neolithic barrow), sat jamming up there in the warm, thick summer air before heading back to sleep under my favourite gnarled hawthorn. Weird, inexplicable animal noises and fog that night. In the morning I cycled up The Ridgeway, walked along The Wansdyke a bit, played saz in the Sanctuary, chatted with a Canadian woman there who had a solstice birthday. Down the West Kennet Avenue into Avebury proper, I found found Stef in the stones. We went to the launch of a new Wooden Books compendium called Megalith upstairs at the Henge Shop, then headed up Windmill Hill for a while. Back down to meet recent Canterbury friends Emilia, Cam and Olivia and partake of the rather wild festivities — lots of drumming, but I also stumbled upon a surprising hiphop jam in the stones (someone had smuggled in a tiny active speaker-type PA with a couple of mics, no prerecorded beats, just young heads beatboxing and spitting bars, a nice fusion of cosmic goddess culture and "urban" hiphop vibes, really tapping into the bardic potential of the genre). There were some nice jams that night with Nathan Vibration and his friend Steve (I particularly enjoyed playing "John Riley"). Not much music at sunrise, just a bit of noodling...nice jam with Nathan at sunset though.

The next day I showed Emilia around Silbury Hill, Swallowhead Spring, Waden Hill, the Avenue, etc., ending up in the stones with Alex from Wales, Stef's percussionist friend Arran and a fast-talking, quick-thinking young Avalonian called JJ, collectively percussing, rhyming and sazzing over MiniRig dancehall beats at sensible volume (some nice video of that has since surfaced). Then back up the hill for more music that night (can't remember much except that we played til quite late and that Pok came up and did a bunch of songs, including his "A303" (to the tune of "Country Roads": "A303/won't you carry me/to the hills/where I feel at ease", etc.). Back to Bedwyn the next day via the Tan Hill Way, passing the Giant's Grave en route.