Inflatable Stonehenge arrives in Marlborough (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Inflatable Stonehenge arrives in Marlborough

10:14am Friday 29th June 2012 in News

Despite strong winds and persistent rain, the inflatable replica of Stonehenge created by artist Jeremy Deller for Glasgow International Festival went up as planned at Marlborough Common this morning (Friday).

The life-size replica of the Wiltshire monument is called Sacrilege and will be visiting about 30 venues nationwide with Marlborough being the only town in Wiltshire among those selected.

And just like a bouncy castle it will be there all day today, until 6pm, for people to clamber about on...a unique opportunity to climb all over Stonehenge and bounce off the standing stones which, of course is banned at the real monument 24 miles away.

The inflatable was co-commissioned by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s office with the Glasgow festival and it will be erected at the London 2012 Olympic site before the games start.

Marlborough mayor Edwina Fogg and local archaeologist Mike Pitts, who has been involved in Stonehenge excavations for many years, were instrumental in persuading Boris Johnson’s office to include Marlborough as one of the UK tour venues.

All 16 schools in the Marlborough community area were invited to send their children along to play on the inflatable.