THE BATTLE OF THE BEANFIELD

Reaching this view point over looking Angelzarc reservoir on my midweek bike ride amidst a group consisting of two dog walkers, three 6th formers hot boxing in a nova and myself in full winter Lycra was the most intriguing of conversations intertwining. Not only because of its counterparts. A motocross biker still helmet adorned muffling his words but still resonated with each heart felt explicit and the other a Chris Waddle mullet, smugly perched on the bonnet of his Mercedez soft top both late 40s. There conversation mimicked a sword fight each attacking the other with their know it all lunges. After several one up man ship chirps of the good old days and modern thrift full banks the dialogue landed on a common anger.

BIKER " remember the battle of the beanfiled."

MULLET "OH yes"

BIKER " Brutal that was kids women and children got it of the pigs"

MULLET " Thatcher she just didn't tolerate owt different"

As my intrigue heated up my well hill urned sweat was turning to ice so i left the couple interlocked in the mutual hatred for former priminister taking a mental note from the encounter to research this said battle.     

         

''What exactly did these people do wrong other than chose an alternative way of living? They didn't fit into the ideals of our so-called civilised society!''

 
From scanning the Internet 1985 was a bit civil war zone in good old blighty. All sorts of groups were kicking off and all against the common enemy many just call her the bitch but her proper name is Margaret Hilda Thatcher.

The Battle of the bean fields was basically thatcher trying to squeeze all freedom out of the common people of England blood thirsty from the minors strike she locked on to the gallant bands of bikers, hippies, stoners punks, squatters, anarchists as well as bikers, hippies, drug fiends and freedom activists that had for years past frolic around Stonehenge for the annual Stonehenge Free Festival.

The stringent lady had realised that by Common Law, if the festival ran for this 12th year then a right to have the fair/festival would be forever guaranteed. So intent with spoiling the party she recruited the most vile and inhuman set of police barrage to stop the convoy of revellers from getting any where near the Henge and by any means possible. And they did prove that with mass police brutality. Wiltshire cringed as men, women children, dogs, vans alike got the same baton treatment. The strong arm of the law was in full affect with stories of windscreens smashed all over women as they held up their baby's and asked to surrender and Salisbury hospital littered with children as young as twelve with head wounds.

All though many the stories iv read could be sensationalised and only those who were there to witness the event will know the true extent to what went on but the story of the brutality has withstood time. Therefore it baffles me that Thatcher post battle publicly gave the police all got commendations what a tool. Bring back the Free Festival i say.