Good old Guy Fawkes. Thanks to his botched attempt to blow up the House of Lords and King James 1st with it, we get to celebrate November 5th with fireworks and bonfires, which stems from the celebrations that occurred after the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
In keeping with British tradition, it has absolutely bucketed down with rain all day. That’s such a shame for those that have built bonfires ready to set alight tonight, The weather has literally put a damper on everything as it so often does, but where there is a will there is a way, and it will take more than a bit of rain to put people off their celebrations tonight.
I remember a couple of years ago on bonfire night, myself, Mr Grump, Miss Hap and a friend of hers decided to climb right to the top of the nearby Downs by candle light with a load of other people,where we would be rewarded with a spectacular bonfire and firework display once we reached the summit.Mr Grump was going to catch up with us halfway up as he had not finished work yet….
Me and the girls waited with all the others at the starting point, but soon realised that we were at somewhat of a disadvantage as most people had sensibly bought lanterns, and torches etc, we of course had nothing! Never mind, we could just tag along with people who had a light in order that we could see where we were going. In theory this was a good plan, however in practice they were pretty fit people, striding along up the hill, and it didn’t take long for me to lag behind, puffing and panting. We waited for the next group with lights and started the long climb again, but I was totally out of condition, and was concerned that I was going to have a heart attack, with all the wheezing and blowing, stopping and starting.
At last we made it to the top, just as Mr Grump caught us up (He had been really crafty and parked his van on the road about halfway up the downs, cut through the fields that were cordoned off for the ‘experienced walkers’) and was with us in record time! It was a beautiful sight right out across the downs where the whole town could be seen. Different coloured fireworks lit up the sky and it was a wonderful sight t behold and well worth the effort.
Tonight though for our family, we will not be venturing out, As I sit here by my back door, I can hear the whizzes, bangs and pops of a few locals letting off the odd box of fireworks The dog gives an occasional bark to show her displeasure at the noise , but she is surprisingly unafraid, As I have just returned from the doctor’s with a throat infection, fever, and a week’s worth of antibiotics we have decided to stay in the warm and dry.(That’s what you get for giving up smoking)!!!
I remember when I was young, you very often used to see a group of kids (usually boys) with a rickety old trolley which had a lumpy, home-made effigy of a Guy sitting drunkenly in it, with a sign asking for ‘A penny for the Guy’. You don’t see that so much now though which is a shame. Some of those ‘guys’ were pretty good, normally made with someone’s dad’s old jumper and trousers stuffed with newspaper so it would burn better on the bonfire.
As for the fireworks, well we had never heard of Health and Safety back then. The Dads would be out in the garden letting rockets off out of milk bottles! Everyone would be ooohing and ahhing especially when the ‘Catherine Wheel’ was lit. Oh this was the showpiece,… Hammered in to the back fence it would start to turn very slowly , then speed up, twirling around and around shooting wonderful sparks and colours out as it went, then… Bang,,,it took off where it was not hammered in properly and everyone would be ducking and diving to avoid getting hit!
Things then calmed down with sparklers.Little kids would be waving them around in the air making pretty patterns with the glowing ends.Then the food which would normally be a huge warming stew or jacket potatoes cooked in the fire, plus other winter goodies….Ahh, yes, those were the days…Now though organised displays which people are encouraged to attend, charge and arm and a leg for 30 mins of fireworks which you can barely get anywhere near, and if you are lucky a measly hot dog or burger which are flabby and tepid!
Rhyme and No Reason! 
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