As I meandered my way along the roads departing Plymouth, and passed Home Park, I was really enjoying listening to the purr of my motor. I hadn’t felt to stick my tunes on yet, as I was in a bit of a contemplation mood… and mode… and state of mind. As the wheels of my chariot… I mean Maestro!!! 🙂 …. rolled across the cobbles… I mean the tarmac!!! 🙂 …. the tickety tickety of my British made engine reminded me of the chitty chitty of another famous British car…. but I was thankful there was no bang bang!!! 🙂 It didn’t matter though because that song came into my head and, for the remainder my journey out of Plymouth I happily…. and most unapologetically!!!!!! 🙂 …. banged out that tune…. with full cockney vocal overtones and with a big smile on my face!!! :-)… and I couldn’t give a fuck who saw me because it made me feel so happy in the moment…. and in my car!!! 🙂
Anyway, this jovial “song and drive” continued until I encountered, and turned onto, the fabled “Devon Expressway”…. counterpart to more mythically named “Atlantic Highway”!!! Well, I say it’s fabled, but I’m sure the naming of these great arterial roads have more to do with the tourist industry than any myths and legends!!! And, personally, I prefer referring to them as the A38 and A39… but today I was on the “Expressway!!!”… so it was on to pass Lee Mill!!! :-)…. then I cracked on my Ash CD and searched for an angel interceptor track!!! 🙂 Cool as!…. and we were back on….. track!!! 🙂
I was really looking forward to the adventure ahead and a great deal of anticipation and excitement was welling up inside of me. Although Stonehenge had been a constant in my life – since the first year of my birth, after passing the Stones while travelling to and from London or Essex, on annual holidays to Cornwall or visiting family in Devon (my Granddad was Devonian and from Canonteign, Dartmoor), and, for as long as I can remember, always looking out for them as we drove along the A303 – but I’d never, ever, been inside the stone circle itself or even touched one of the stones. So I knew that this Vernal equinox was going to be a very special one to me. To be fair, I’d never even consciously marked any equinox or solstice sunrises before and I wondered, beyond wonder, what it was going to be like. And so, as Ash’s Intergalactic Sonic Seven’s CD continued to play on the Maestros stereo my thoughts journeyed along with me. It’s an amazing drive along the West Country roads.
I arrived at Stonehenge in the late evening and after the sun had set on the horizon behind me. I turned into the Drove and slowly made my way driving along the track from the A303. There were a number of small gatherings, fires and vehicles strewn out, indiscriminately, along the Droves edges and I carried on until I found a spot which was away from any other people… and…. luckily… I found a spot which was along the part of the byway by which I always parked when I stopped for short breaks on journeys to and from the West Country or to and from London (and vice-versa…!? 🙂 ). “Nice touch!” I thought, as I parked up.
I got out of my car and approached the fence – which creates a boundary between the land donated to the People (and given from the National Trust to the control of English Heritage) and the land that still remains a free domain for the public to access via Common Law and the County Council of Wiltshire – to view the Stones, in the twilight, from a distance. It was so wonderful to be there and I said a Prayer of gratitude and thanked God that I had made it!!! Then I walked along the rest of the byway and turned right into the A344 and followed the fence along to the Heel Stone. I then stood on the raised turf, by the pathway, so that I could see over the fence and view the Stones from above it. I loved being in that place and I always felt so wonderful being there, giving the Stones my undivided attention and feeling their love and sending them my love as well. It was part of my adult life routine and ritual, and so I continued, by remembering my own family and sending them my love too, and then by saying a Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, by the Heel Stone, as I always did and do.
After a number of minutes, standing there and feeling the world go by, I made my way back to my car. I felt very well as I walked and returned, as I always did and always do, and it was nice to say hello to others who I passed, or whom passed me enroute. I wondered whether I should make the effort and join in with one of the small camp fire gatherings, but then the loner inside of me kicked in and I decided that I wished to experience this whole experience on my own and in my own way. So I just went back to my car, brushed my teeth, put down the passenger seat of my car, said goodnight to the Stones and got in my sleeping bag ready for sleep…
… but then… after half an hour of twisting and turning, sighing and moaning, kicking and stretching… I thought “Fuck this!!!”…. and jumped out of the car, put up the passenger seat, and “laid” down in the back seat… and then… after quarter of an hour of twisting and turning, sighing and moaning, kicking and… stamping!…. I thought “Fuck this!!!”…. and jumped out of my car, put down the backseats, and laid half across the backseats and half across the boot… but then… after 5 minutes of twisting and turning, sighing and moaning, kicking and stretching…. I thought “Fuck this!!!”…. and jumped out of the car, put up the backseats, then put down the passenger seat and got in my sleeping bag…. not so much ready for sleep…. but at least “rest assured” that there was no more comfortable sleeping position available to me!!!! Gor Blimey… what a palaver!!! 🙂
Lots of Love,
Miller
The Adventures of Miller 