Battle of the Beanfield 20th Anniversary

That's an entirely relative concept though. People simply don't perceive themselves in that way as much as they used to. After all, so many more people have cars, TVs, phones and consumer gadgets. But furthermore, unemployment's the lowest it's been in decades (yeah, the jobs are all shit, but they don't generate the same feeling of alienation that a fortnightly trip to the dole office used to). The gap between rich and poor may well be increasing, but there's still fewer people living in poverty than back in the 80s. The sense of desperation that used to exist simply isn't there on the scale it once was. Hell, everyone I used to know was signing on and blagging their way from one giro to another. Where are they all now? They've all got jobs. Nobody's rich, but nobody's impoverished either.

I'm not saying we're living in some kind of New Labour economic utopia, but we're sure as hell not in the Thatcherite Tory nightmare that we once were. That doesn't make everything rosey, but it has to be taken seriously as one of the motivating factors behind the decline of the counterculture. And by counterculture, I'm not simply talking about activism, but about sections of society who were so disenfranchised that they felt compelled to try and find different ways of living.

 

I agree with what you're seeing as percieved affluence, as opposed to real affluence. I still think that society is generally worse off though in so many ways, just the type of poverty has changed to something much more subtle ... maybe it's living in the inner city and being more aware than I was then that makes me think this.

Saying that though, I remember being in the dole in the 1980's and having to spend all day there ... the last time I was in the DSS (couple of months back) I only had to wait half an hour and they didn't 'lose' my files ... maybe it was just a good day for them.

As for unemployment being lower .. I think this can be used as another example of political lies. I was UB40 at 16, we could still claim in those days. In about 1987 the tories kicked everyone under 18 off the dole, put all the 18 year olds on training schemes and completely changed the benefit system ... straight away the figures were reduced. Labour accused the tories of fiddling the books ... but they never reverted the figures back when they came to power.

Anyway ... I wonder what would have happened if there was no criminal justice act, no beanfield and no ban on free festivals etc. Would the convoy have carried on growing or would they have just killed themselves off? I guess there's no way of knowing.

 

I thought for a while that maybe working and living in the country had coloured my perception of Britain's affluence, but then I remember poverty being worse even here ten years ago. Also, whenever I go back to Liverpool, the affluence there is incredible. Whole derelict urban wastelands have been regenerated. Yeah, it's not all that simple, but I'm still convinced that on balance poverty has been reduced.

I remember signing on as 'personal issue' and having to queue for a giro. That was quite an experience. I fucking hate the DSS.

Oh fuck yeah, the unemployment figures have been fiddled to hell and back for years. However, the underlying rate of unemployment has certainly reduced since Labour came to power. Again, it's not all great - many of the jobs that have been created are shite - but it's an improvement. Hell, if I can get a decent job, anyone can

The traveller scene was starting to disappear up its own arse before the CJA etc. hit. I saw a number of problems at the time. Of course these are all generalisations, because the traveller community was made up of individuals just like any other section of society:

1. Ravers were being encouraged to attend festivals. They were seen as a source of income as drugs could be sold to them. This increased the urban hardcore criminal element attending festivals. It also attracted more police attention, culminating in Castlemorton that was just too fucking big for them to ignore. Also, the rave sound systems were driving out the smaller stages and destroying the 'festie band' culture. All well and good on one level, but the intimacy of the events was suffering. The family feeling was on its way out. I knew many travellers who'd have been happy if the rave scene had never existed.

2. The increasing harshness of the Tories was disenfranchising more and more urban youth. As a result, you started to get a large element of people who were entering the travelling scene not out of choice, but out of lack of choice. Back in the day, people became travellers because it was a good lifestyle. It was something that they actively wanted to do. By the 90s, people were going on the road because they had nowhere else to live. Traveller sites were becoming more like refugee camps that communities. I still remember going to a site near Glastonbury - two miles of vehicles strung out along a farm drove, and the whole place riddled with smack. Which brings me to....

3. Drugs. The traveller community (generalising again) fell in love with drugs too much. What started out as acid and pot moved swiftly on to pills, coke and smack. You can't sustain a viable alternative lifestyle whilst off your face.

4. All the above led to more crime in general. More crime meant more police and local council attention. Which in turn, meant more pressure on the travelling community and a less viable lifestyle.

Now I don't think you can point to one group of people, be it police, travellers, ravers... whatever.... and say that they were responsible for the death of the scene. I mean, a lot of problems the travellers brought on themselves, but then many of those choice they were pushed into making. But in the same way, the authorities were also pushed into some of the choices that they made. Who wants to tolerate a smack site on their front door? But then what ya gonna do but stick a needle in your arm when society has fucked you up the ass and thrown you out for scrap? One big fucking vicious circle if you ask me. But yeah, I don't think the CJA or anything else killed the traveller lifestyle. It was a product of a particular point of our social history that had simply had its day - in much the same way as the hippy movement of the 60s. Sometimes things aren't killed off, they just die. I'd love to find a culprit, coz I miss those days and I'd love to have 'em back again. But sometimes you gotta stop picking over the corpse and just move on.

 

Beanfield 20 year ago, this year.

Here is a great pile of links, to show you something of what happened to us on the 1st June 1985.

Stonehenge:

Stonehenge: http://tash.gn.apc.org/stones1.htm
Solstice Ritual: http://tash.gn.apc.org/solst_0.htm
Beanfield: http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean.htm
Injunction Papers: http://tash.gn.apc.org/stonehenge_papers.htm
My cell notes: http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean-notes1.htm
The Story so far: http://tash.gn.apc.org/history.htm
Travellers: http://tash.gn.apc.org/trav1.htm
All Systems: http://tash.gn.apc.org/allsystm.htm

and some streaming video at:

http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Operation_Solstice_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Forgive_our_trespasses_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/NewAge_Trav_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Post_Bfield_Newsnight320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/sevendaysStoneyX_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Stonehenge_Pilgrimage_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Stonehenge86_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Stonehenge93_Seye_320x240.wvx
http://tash.dns2go.com/Vtape-WVX320x240/Trashed_320x240.wvx


some indymedia entries:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/01/304020.html

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/299693.html












also:
this is a group, about stonehnege events stuff.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stonehengeentertainmentsdiscussion


I think that covers much of it, a bit scary!! BUT, i hope no one is put off association with 'my sort' and that young folks might stick up more for themselves, and take some of this 'scene' back. I hope so.

very best

Tash
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Email: tash@gn.apc.org
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<ends>

 

Wotcha Tash. Wasn't Mo your ex missus from years and years back? Remember her vaguely from Liverpool.

 

Great info and photos Tash... thanks

Love Clairexxx

 

PDF Beanfield flyer for this momentous occasion

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2005/03/306792.pdf

 

Does anyone know if anything is planned for this ... apart from just turning up and being there? Is there any festival or anything happening?

 

Yeh what's going on with this.. I wanna come too

 

As far as I['m aware there are quite a lot of bods going down but nothing is likely to be organised....a bunch of fucking hippies after all!!

People will just turn up in the Savernake Forest area and eventually take a site. I imagine there'll be a mobile number given out nearer the time.

 

http://www.phreak.co.uk/stonehenge/psb/stonecam.htm

 

Miles of Rural Delight... I shall be there with bells

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/4574859.stm

and


First published on Thursday 26 May 2005:

Police on stand-by to halt illegal forest rave

POLICE leave has been cancelled for the weekend because of fears of a mass invasion of Savernake Forest to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the notorious Battle of the Beanfield in June 1985.



Information has been received by the police that attempts will be made to repeat a huge rave that occurred over a the May Day bank holiday weekend in 2003.



The police, Forestry Commission and Savernake estate were taken by surprise when between 800 and 1,000 revellers invaded the woods, shattering the peace for residents over an area as far away as Ramsbury for a three day period.



The Battle of the Beanfield happened on June 1 1985 when police clashed in a field in Cholderton with a convoy of hippies that had left their camp in Savernake Forest and headed for Stonehenge.



Police are anxious to prevent any major invasion of the forest this weekend. Leave has been cancelled for local officers and reinforcements will be on stand-by.



Police said they have the go-ahead from the Earl of Cardigan and the Forestry Commission to thwart any attempts to hold a rave.



Officers who monitor the internet for information about illegal events have found an advertisement for a Vintage Bus and Club gathering in Savernake Forest on May 31 "recreating a bygone era of classic camping in Wiltshire. If you are interested in converted coaches or simply driving old trucks and trailers then our event may interest you".



Police believe the wording is a euphemism for a rave gathering.



On Monday Insp Jerry Dawson, the Marlborough sector commander, called a meeting of town and parish councillors and land agents at the police station.



He appealed to members of the public to be vigilant and report immediately to police any signs of a gathering being set up in the forest.



Insp Dawson said: "This holiday weekend is seen as a potential target and we will have dedicated police units on stand-by throughout."



The inspector said genuine visitors to the forest and picnickers would still be allowed in. "It must be clearly understood by anyone thinking about coming to the area with the intention of setting up a rave or festival that they are not welcome," he said.