Wayne from Wallasey’s FIRST visit to Wilts

Yesterday we opined that Wiltshire’s landscape shouldn’t be open for “taking”. Today we thought we’d highlight Wayne from Wallasey’s first visit to Wilts. The year is 2005, the place the Marlborough Downs, North of Avebury. You can see the White Horse on the left and on the right, those are detectorists’ cars.

.

.

The spot is overlooked by The Ridgeway, the White Horse, 2 Iron Age forts, and countless bronze age barrows but Wayne wasn’t there for that he was there for stuff. 480 people lined up and rushed forward (“like the start of the Grand National,” said the press), to grab what they could of our history to take home.

Sadly they may be back if lockdown is loosened further (a 700-person “Near Marlborough” rally is already planned). PAS has abandoned its Guidance for Rallies as it was universally flouted so isn’t it time they told the Minister what they must surely think privately: rallies are damaging, toe-curling, displays of cultural philistinism which bring international shame to both PAS and the country and if they don’t come back for years it will be far too soon!

.

.

__________________________________________
More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
__________________________________________