The Stonehenge Giant – “The Ancestor” – Incoming News Reports
June 21, 2010 - 1:24 pm
I’m still trying to gather my thoughts, as well as all the pictures, from last night’s visit to the Solstice Celebrations at Stonehenge, but I’ve just found this link to a BBC interview with Michelle and Andy, my friends who built The Ancestor, the colossal metal statue that captivated so many people over the weekend.
As you’ll see, the interview with Michelle and Andy was conducted a few weeks ago, but The Ancestor was intended to enhance the 2010 Solstice Celebrations, not to draw more people there by being advertised beforehand; more to follow when I’ve woken up properly and got myself organised.
This mention of The Ancestor just in from This Is Hampshire news.
And now there’s this detailed account and a truly fantastic photograph of The Ancestor in the Daily Mail.
And now another fantastic photograph of The Ancestor on this BBC news slideshow.
Update: A mention of The Ancestor on the Heritage Key site.
Update: Some film of The Ancestor at Stonehenge on this ITN News clip.
Update: A wonderful clip of The Ancestor on YouTube with visuals by David Whiting and music by Heretics.
Update: A mention, but strangely, no picture of The Ancestor on the official English Heritage site.
Update: Another YouTube clip showing The Ancestor at night at Stonehenge.
Update: A brilliant photo of The Ancestor welcoming the dawn at Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2010.
Update: A mention in the Andover Advertiser (identical to This Is Hampshire release)
Update: A brief film clip of The Ancestor in The Telegraph, but strangely enough, no mention in the text or in the commentary.
Update: A superb photograph of The Ancestor in The Guardian.
Update: Wonderful picture and review of The Ancestor on Heritage Key site.
Update: A syndicated mention of The Ancestor in the Romsey Advertiser.
Update: A syndicated mention of The Ancestor in The Basingstoke Gazette.
Update: An atmospheric photo of The Ancestor in The Huffington Post.
Update: More photos of The Ancestor on this YouTube clip.
Update: Superb photo of The Ancestor in The Vancouver Sun.
Update: more fantastic photos of The Ancestor on The Megalithic Portal, kindly contributed by Angie Lake.
Update: A great page on The Ancestor from Amesbury Visual Artists.
Update: A great write-up and photo of The Ancestor in the Salisbury Journal.
Update: A very enthusiastic review of The Ancestor by the Wiltshire Scouts, many of whom helped out with his presentation to the world at the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge.
Update: Some truly stunning photos of The Ancestor at Stonehenge taken by Angie Lake.
Update: This lovely write-up of The Ancestor by Travelrat.
No mention of The Ancestor, strangely enough, but a very good report from Meridian News on the Summer Solstice 2010.
Photograph of The Ancestor ‘under construction’ at the top of this post by kind permission of Michelle & Andy.
6 Responses to “The Stonehenge Giant – “The Ancestor” – Incoming News Reports”
I’ve got a few photos of the Solstice if you want them Dennis, including the sculptor, Andy, during the evening event led by Frank. (Hi again Frank, it was nice to finally say ‘Hello’ in person.) Have some pics of Frank doing his thing in the Ancestor area, too.
I’ve put some up on Megalithic Portal website if you want to see them.
Sorry I missed you Dennis. It’s hard to pick out faces amongst all the thousands there, but I was fortunate to meet Neil Oliver at dawn and got a photo of, and with, him.
My pal and I explored Amesbury and Bulford after we left as she used to live there, and when passing Stonehenge going west, looked out for the Ancestor, but he’d gone.
It was wonderful weather for the event and the crowds (though huge)were smaller than usual, making a much more laid-back and good-natured atmosphere I thought. A policeman who chatted while we were in a queue on the approach from Shrewton (had to be diverted around the countryside this time as we got there earlier than usual), said that last year’s ‘drone’ spy-camera was going to be used, but maybe they held back and found it wasn’t needed.
A belated Happy Solstice to all of you!
Angie – I just checked out your photos. They’re lovely! I especially liked the one of The Ancestor taken from behind, greeting the dawn, because you were able to catch the tremendous emotion expressed in his upraised arms. Very powerful photo.
My apologies to anyone and everyone, but EI’s like a madhouse at the moment and I’ve forgotten what sleep is. Thank you all for writing in and please rest assured that I’m playing catch-up as best I can, with a view to presenting the best possible and most interesting material here. Otherwise, I wish you all another wonderful day.
My first thought when I saw the Ancestor was ‘WOW’. What a fantastic vision, congratulations to all involved. What will happen to the Ancestor now? It seems a shame in a way that he won’t always be there!
Thanks very much Aynslie, that’s very kind of you. Have added a few more tonight but they haven’t come up yet.
A more direct link might be this:
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=a312&file=index&do=showgall&gid=691
or this:
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=157&mode=&order=0
If anyone has trouble viewing any section of the Megalithic Portal, I’d recommend registering. It’s easily done and a great website – especially for researching where to visit a good site on your holidays (almost worldwide coverage now), and contributing new images and reports is a useful hobby.
Meg P and Eternal Idol are my two favourites for stones’ news, though Dennis is more of a ‘Stonehenge’ specialist.
Care to comment?
I would sincerely like to thank Andy and Michelle for being so generous as to accept our invitation to bring the Ancestor to Stonehenge on behalf of my Druid Grove and the thousands of people who wandered over to see him throughout solstice night. And Dennis, for all that you have done for this project from first introductions through to being there with us on his big day.
Andy and Michelle have created something truly remarkable as a work of art, which is beautiful and inspirational, which tells a story and which has certainly now made history. One of the most interesting things to watch was how the public interacted with him. Some girls posed for photo’s touching his bum…apparently he has a very nice one! And most people stood before him raising their arms towards the sun.
We held a ceremony of blessing for the Ancestor at 6pm on the 19th for Andy & Michell and the 40 or so others from the Amesbury and Durrington community, which included students, cubs, scouts, brownies etc and I doubt that ever before has the Amesbury community been so involved with the Stonehenge Druids.
In my view, Andy and Michelle’s greatest achievement with the Ancestor has been to bring people together. I hope that the effects of this community effort will be lasting.
It remains to be seen what the Art world will make of the Ancestor. He has not been created by highbrow artists from some international school of art, neither has he been grant funded. He is folk art of the very highest calibre, by the people and for the people, and he is simply magnificent.
I’m wishing Andy and Michelle every success in the future, and I hope that showing the Ancestor at Stonehenge will help them to achieve their long term dream of teaching others how to create beautiful things from metal. I admire Andy and Michelle greatly for their gifted work, but even more so for their selfless devotion to their craft and unassuming generosity of spirit.
We held sunset and sunrise circles beneath the Ancestor at Stonehenge, and told people during ceremony that we must become more like our ancestors in many ways. This was clearly understood by those who shared the circle; it was as if the ancestors were with us.
Frank