Fireworks, Guy Fawkes, Bonfire Night

[sime42]

1 hour ago, peds said:

November 5th isn't a thing this side of the border obviously, but when we are in the UK at the right time, we try and see the display at Kenilworth Castle (my local).

 

This year, we will gather whatever scrap wood we currently have in stock and have a little bonfire, jacket potatoes, hot apple juice, and sparklers.

 

Yeah, not November 5th, but we were at the Derry Halloween parade last night which was a giggle. 40,000 people turn up I think, costumes semi-mandatory.

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Guy Fawkes night was great, big fire, community spirit, kids running round.

But people weren’t spending enough money, so Halloween gets moved in, costumes, corporate themed nonsense, the word ‘spooktaculer’

Makes me sick.

 

Maybe they do Halloween better there over in Ireland. It looks and sounds more community spirited than what we get here. Kids roaming round the streets begging/threatening for sweets, clad head-to-toe in plastic crap doesn't have the same feel as the old bonfire parties I remember as a child. And I'm not even going into the pumpkin aspect!

 

The Grinch is early this year!

 

 

[peds]

Well, they did invent it.

 

They were carving these things long before pumpkins made the trip across the Atlantic...

 

 

No spooky turnips carved in this house this year, but we do have a watermelon in the lineup (unfortunately, a drip of juice extinguished the tealight)...

 

Edited November 1 by peds

[Steven P]

8 minutes ago, peds said:

It was a highlight all right. There were some great displays, but what made it was this cluster of evangelicals behind us on the tannoy all throughout yelling about Jesus, eternal life, how silly we all were for celebrating a festival of death. Funny stuff!

 

So All Hallows Eve.. the Christian festival where we celebrate the dead, and today being All Saints Day.. I think they should read up on their own customs!

[peds]

Ah, but like all the best Christian festivals, it was stolen from the pagans anyway... the druids were doing weird and spooky things on the same date hundreds of years before Jesus was doing his thing.

 

There's a few neolithic tombs here (and Britanny, and Scotland, I think... don't quote me) that light up on or around the date that would become all-hallows.

 

 

Edit: one of the worst hangovers I have ever had was celebrating Day of the Dead in a packed town square on the Cape Verde Islands, everyone dressed as skeletons, or at least in black-and-white only. The local spirit, grog (neat, strong, and medicinal, not the rum-and-water cocktail with which it shares the name, is f*cking violent. So yeah, Halloween is what a community makes of it.

Edited November 1 by peds

[Mark Bolam]

We’ve just had our village display cancelled due to council intervention.

Gutted, I ran the bar.

We never had fire though, just a pro 17 minute display that paid for itself every year.

 

My Dad was a Parish Councillor in Northumberland when they tried to close down Elsdon bonfire on the green.

 

He basically said F-off townies, it’s always happened, always will.

 

Huge fire, no guards, great display by my young farmer mates (who have been trained).

How it should be.

[Dan Maynard]

9 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

We’ve just had our village display cancelled due to council intervention.

Gutted, I ran the bar.

We never had fire though, just a pro 17 minute display that paid for itself every year.

That sounds a bit like our village display, which has been pre sold ticket only for the last couple of years - maybe some of the same restrictions. Did used to get a bit chaotic with Clive trying to take money from everyone turning up on the night, in the dark.

 

I think crap plastic costumes and especially the amount of plastic crap draped around peoples houses does ruin Halloween for me. Maybe it's because we have an American airbase nearby but it's been quite American that way for years round here, certain houses lead the decoration charge and that starts the trend.

[openspaceman]

9 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

 

 

 

 

Lovely picture, Mum enjoying the display, older child staying close and fascinated but little one a bit afraid and huddling up to mum

[sime42]

Firework display Chinese style.

 

 

 

 

[Mike Hill]

7 hours ago, sime42 said:

Firework display Chinese style.

 

 

 

 

Practicing for Taiwan?

[dan blocker]

Does anyone know any descendants of Guy Fawkes? I’ve got an idea 🤔