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Dear All,
Colin has kindly offered to continue our tradition of attempting to watch the sun rise on the shortest and longest days of the year, from a local landmark. See below for a message from Colin. Bookings will open at the same time as bookings for all other walks, as soon as we are given the go-ahead from the LDWA National Executive Committee. At this time I'll send an email and add all the contact details to the website.
Many thanks to Colin.
Anne Brown
Dorset LDWA Walks Secretary
dorset.ldwa.walks@gmail.com
The last LDWA walk I lead was on the Winter Solstice. I was worried that, due to COVID restrictions, we would not be able to do the walk but people would still be able to enjoy Christmas; a clear discrimination against Druids. However in the end we were able to go on our walk and Christmas was cancelled. Now we have a roadmap to unlocking the country with the proposed end to all restrictions on 21st June. It is interesting to note that the Summer Solstice this year falls on the 21st June. Due to these two reasons I have concluded that Boris Johnson is obviously a Druid. It would certainly make sense of his interpretation of pandemic science. For example his belief that it is fine to shake hands with Coronavirus patients in hospital; as long as you do it during a waxing phase of the moon.
To celebrate the Summer Solstice this year, and the end to COVID rules, I will be leading a walk to watch the sunrise on the Solstice. The walk will start from Sutton Poyntz, park responsibly on the road in the village and meet at SY705836 outside the Public Library (well old phone box containing a book exchange).
The walk will start at exactly 0431, which is the precise time of the Solstice (i.e. when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer). We will walk up to Chalbury Hill Fort to watch the sunrise, which will happen at about 0457. I have not seen the Summer Solstice Sunrise from here before, but I have calculated that on the Solstice, when the sun rises furthest North, it will emerge from behind the largest and highest of the barrows on West Hill. There is no way of knowing if this fact had any influence in the positioning of the barrow or the hill fort, but the significance of this fact would certainly not be lost on the Durotriges who inhabited the fort.
We will then walk to Dorchester where we will stop for breakfast in one of the many eating establishments. The exact location will be decided nearer the time when it becomes clear what places will be open and at what time they open. The cost of breakfast will be subsidised for all Dorset LDWA primary group members. After Breakfast we will make our way back to Sutton Poyntz, the total distance will be about 18 miles.
It is hoped that this will be the first LDWA walk that you can just turn up for, as there will be no restriction on numbers. However, in case the unlocking roadmap does not run to plan, I will be taking a list of walkers and if the numbers have to be restricted places will be allocated on a first registered basis. Therefore if you would like to go on the walk please let me know.
Colin
Dorset’s Chief Druid.
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