Briton Hailed the Sun with Bulgarian Gadulka at Stonehenge

Two women dance at the Stonehenge ancient monument in Wiltshire, England, 21 June 2009, to witness the sunrise in celebration of the Summer Solstice. Tens of thousands of Summer solstice revelers celebrated the longest day of the year. Photo by EPA/BGNES

A 50-year-old Briton played on his Bulgaria fiddle as a record number of people descended on Stonehenge to mark this year's summer solstice.

Estimates suggest 36,500 pagans, musicians, Morris dancers and others travelled to the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

"I've been playing the Gadulka, a 13-string Bulgarian fiddle in the circle, its been magical," musician Nick Wells, 50, from Surrey, told Channel 4.

"Everyone has been very peaceful and I am surprised I have not seen any trouble at all. It is nice that people can get so close to the stones but to me it is almost sacrilegious to touch them."

English Heritage and Wiltshire police had been expecting the biggest ever crowds and extra officers were drafted in to patrol the site.

But the event was a peaceful one with just 25 arrests for minor public disorder and drug-related offences, a Wiltshire police spokesman said.

 

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