Cheers and boos: Solstice penny drops, Wales rolling in cash and The Ancestor goes on tour

Solstice penny drops?
Has a campaigner for open access to Stonehenge just put his finger on how the summer solstice celebrations should be run?

“The popular 2012 winter solstice managed access was a real success, IMO, and showed the way forward”

So why could it be considered a success and the way forward? Could it be because 5,000 people is a safe, manageable number whereas 25,000 isn’t (and 35,000, as happened a couple of years ago, is plain ridiculous)?

Wales rolling in cash
It seems that PAS in Wales has only recorded about 240 artefacts in a year. That’s about half an artefact from each of about 500 Welsh detectorists. Sad innit? “Maybe that’s all they find” observed a passing porcine aeronaut launched by the National Council for Metal Detecting.

But for once, let’s not fret about the massive loss of historical knowledge that the figures imply. Instead, let’s fret about the cost. It costs the best part of £200 for each of those artefacts. Not for the actual artefacts you understand, just for recording them. It’s lucky there’s such a lot of spare Government cash around in Wales (although, confusingly, The National Museums of Wales have just proposed a restructuring programme to save £2.5m, with 23 job losses. “Quite right” snorted the NCMD spokespig, “we have to prioritise spending”.)

The Ancestor goes on tour
It has been announced that The Ancestor will be appearing at Glastonbury music festival this year. It is understood that Keith Richards,  Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts will be there too.