I have always understood that the month of January was named after Janus, the two-faced Roman God. It is a good choice; one face looks back saying goodbye to the recently passed year while the other looks to the future.
But June? I have never heard of Junus!
‘Flaming’ June is apparently also known as the month of the European Monsoon according to weathercast.co.uk and the recent past has certainly supported this interpretation of it as a mercurial month: June 2018 the driest on record; June 2019, well yes, it will very likely be heralded as the wettest.
In the middle of the month I spent over a week trying unsuccessfully to dodge the downpours when apparently several standard months’ rain fell. On Salisbury plain, where Stonehenge lies, there is nowhere to hide! Good humour always prevailed however and of course the sun soon returned. One evening was so wild that my two guests and I had the iconic circle to ourselves with only the security guard for company, when some usually extremely timid brown hares put aside their fears and came in to try and shelter with us.
For the rest of the time we had much glorious weather, the sort to make even the most pessimistic among us happy. And then to finish the month off it even got too hot for some, reaching 33°c (91.4° Farhenheit) on 29th.
I am not going to write a long post but I hope that the pictures might, as they say, speak a thousand words. They are all taken by me during June 2019 which, despite the capricious weather, was a wonderful month for Oldbury Tours. Whatever the weather this part of England is a joy to share with people. Do come and let us show you around: www.oldburytours.co.uk
The photos include several of Stonehenge from dawn until dusk and in all weathers in date order. Among these are the following: a view to Adam’s Grave, the hill-top Neolithic Long Barrow near Alton Barnes; Avebury stone circle; cows resting at West Kennet Avenue; a Great Bustard at Stonehenge; the Red Lion pub, Avebury; re-imagined Neolithic houses at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre; West Kennet Avenue; inside West Kennet Long Barrow; West Kennet Long Barrow; Avebury; Silbury Hill; the head of Uffington White Horse; Wayland’s Smithy; parked at the Royal Crescent, Bath; a moonlit stone on West Kennet Avenue; at West Kennet Long Barrow; two of Avebury on the summer solstice; a view to Silbury Hill; on West Kennet Long Barrow; four more at Avebury; a poppy field near Avebury; a field of daisies near Silbury Hill; one at the Avebury Cove; and two at Littlecote House.