Glad you had a good time,sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up.
In your earlier post we covered all about the access to the Stones...... English Heritage do allow special viists on guided tours , but they do ask the visitors not to actually touch the Stones!
Like Chas I went many years ago where there was absolutley free access and that was great, but sadly with the increased number of visitors and possibility of damage , certain preventative measures have to be taken to protect it...