'It evokes hope' Thousands gather at Stonehenge to mark winter solstice

It was a little chilly, with a strong wind whipping at the robes of the druids, and cloud meant the sunrise was a soft blur rather than a spectacular blaze.

- Steven Morris

But the thousands who turned up on Salisbury Plain yesterday morning to mark the solstice at Stonehenge relished the moment when the sun climbed again after the longest night.

"I always try to come if I can get time off," said Jane Clark, a care home worker from Bristol.

"For me it's a lovely, mellow celebration, a time to reflect, think about the year that's almost gone and the one coming up. It's also wonderful to think we've turned a corner and are heading towards spring and summer."

The winter solstice at Stonehenge used to be a much more modest affair, especially compared with the hedonistic excesses of its summer equivalent. It was, of course, hugely important for the druids and other pagan people for whom Stonehenge is a temple, but not such a draw for "civilian" visitors.