Wally (anonymous)
Encyclopedia
In 1974 a group of new age travellers
were encamped near Stone Henge, to help hinder the process of eviction by the landowners they all gave their name as Wally of Wessex, "Wally being a conveniently anonymous umbrella for vulnerable individuals"
The name is said to be inspired either someone calling for a lost dog at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival
, or someone calling a lost sound engineer at the first Glastonbury Festival. The cry was picked up by others and lead to random shout of "Wally" being heard at rock concerts all over Britain.
New age travellers
New Age Travellers are groups of people who often espouse New Age or hippie beliefs and travel between music festivals and fairs in order to live in a community with others who hold similar beliefs. Their transport and homes consist of vans, lorries, buses, narrowboats and caravans converted into...
were encamped near Stone Henge, to help hinder the process of eviction by the landowners they all gave their name as Wally of Wessex, "Wally being a conveniently anonymous umbrella for vulnerable individuals"
The name is said to be inspired either someone calling for a lost dog at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
, or someone calling a lost sound engineer at the first Glastonbury Festival. The cry was picked up by others and lead to random shout of "Wally" being heard at rock concerts all over Britain.
Further reading
- Wally (from Weely), Pseudo Dictionary, 17 July 2006. An alternative theory that the cry of Wally started at the Weeley FestivalWeeley FestivalWeeley Festival was a British rock festival that took place in August 1971 near the small village of Weeley outside Clacton in Essex.-Details:...
. - The Weeley Festival. Clacton On Sea. Essex. August 27-29 1971, The Archive: a history of UK rock festivals, Last update Oct 2007. Refutation that the cry of Wally started at Weeley, and that it started the year before (1970) at the Isle of Wight Festival.
- Inside Out Extra: WEELEY - LET IT ROCK!, BBC, Wednesday April 21, 2004. More on the origins of Wally debate.
- Isle of Wight Festival - History, BCC Hampshire, Retrieved 2009-01-26.