It appears they did indeed blow it up, as they've been doing to assorted effigies of public figures of all stripes for many years: https://twitter.com/MWStory/status/530280695453589505 More power to 'em.
Growing up at the top of the Old Kent road, between Peckham and Deptford, and a lot of bomb sites, bombfire night was always an occasion to look forward too, big fires were got ready on the bomb sites, and the only way to generate firework money was "Penny for the Guy" the street corners were awash with Guys tied onto trolleys or in prams, it was soon learnt the better the guy the better the money, Never saw it as begging or in fact asking for money you seemed to think you had earnt it,--------- 60 years ago a different world-------- OH AND NOT SO MANY BEGGARS ON THE STREETS THEN
Quiet Fireworks Softly-softly for serene celebrations. Fireworks specially chosen for those who don't like their fireworks noisy, or whose situation and consideration for others puts a limit on the decibels. whatever next fireless fires
Richard Dawkins calls for quiet fireworks for the sake of his dogs ... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2821112/Bonfire-night-goes-WEEKS-s-hell-pets-says--RICHARD-DAWKINS.html
old Dicky boy is right there and they have got louder over the years as manufacturers have improved their ‘gunpowder’. Presumably, though, other people enjoy them or the manufacturers wouldn’t put them in
Lewes can boast no fewer than seven Bonfire Societies, six of which hold their celebrations on the same night (5th November, or when the Fifth is on a Sunday, 4th November). The remaining society, Nevill Juvenile, holds its night on a Saturday a couple of weeks before the Fifth. Each Society has something different to offer. Nevill Juvenile Bonfire Society, (green and white hopps) for instance, is specifically for children. South Street (brown and white hoops) used to be a juvenile society too, but has mutated into an adult one. Waterloo (red and white hoops), while an adult society, is perhaps more family-oriented than some others, while the Cliffe (black and white hooped tops), Commercial Square (black and yellow hoops) Southover (red and black hoops) and Lewes Borough (navy and white hoops) societies cling proudly to their respective ancient traditions. All seem to favour baggy-ish white trousers. Many Bonfire Societies have their own individual dress codes, and often supporters have yet another form of dress. Ninfield, for example, have black and white face paint, often in skull form, whilst supporters dress as Puritans (just like me, pure!). Rich, you're being very cheeky and the P.O.'s at Lewes Goal will soon have you in cuffs! Warder you mean, cheeky? There's a whole world of hidden histories to be found delving into Bonfire Societies! Why not join YOUR local one and find out more?
Kevin, I would join if I were local but throwing the Pope in a river wouldn't make me popular here in Belgium. I did manage to make it to Staplecross a couple of weekends back. I enjoyed a pint of Harvey's but was disappointed now that the drop-downs have been banned. All rather quiet really.
Rich, sorry, that was meant as a general question, not to you specifically! I was encouraging forum members in the title counties, not those who have moved further afield! Ah! drop downs - now they are discharged safely in wheeled oil drums and the like, for crowd safety. Lewes had several unfortunate incidents over the years (as presumably did the Battel Bonfire Boyes with their Battle "rousers" which were bird scarers, making a god almighty racket when they went off!
Sorry, Guys!!!! PO = Prison Officer as I am sure you worked out. When we (my mate and I) did a private firework show a few years ago we had some 'live' left over from the Millennium display on the Thames, mainly 4 and 5" shells so it was a good show. We started with a maroon (RNLI use them to notify lifeboat crews if they have a 'shout'). When my ears had recovered after a few seconds we could hear car alarms going off for miles round. And that was before we hand fired and reloaded the shells from cardboard mortar tubes. We don't use steel tubes in case of a misfire - cardboard is a bit more forgiving than steel. There is something very satisfying about the thump of the shell launching that you can feel in your chest.
I am sorry to hear that Guy Fawkes has gone down of recent years and Halloween has gained popularity in the UK and Oz. I like nationally peculiar holidays, and I hate to see our own supplanting them. I attended a Guy Fawkes' party in Hampstead about 15 years ago and had a great time. Also, Gunpowder Plot SHOULD ne'er be forgot. As the French say "La republique et tourjours en danger," and seldom more than now what with Islamist murders and bomb attacks etc. We've got them and so do you. Remember, remember the Fifth of November.
Don't be too hard on yourself, TTH. Halloween has simply filled an existing vacuum. We used to use the guys to collect funds for buying fireworks but the authorities knocked that one on the head as long ago as the 1970s (I think) when they banned first under 16s and then under 18s from buying fireworks (which used to be displayed oh-so-enticingly under the glass-topped counter of the village toyshop). https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law They banned first 'jumping jacks' (Brilliant !) and then bangers...It's even illegal to have sparklers on the street now, FFS. Quite frankly the kill-joys saw the festival off without any outside help and the old British makes like Brocks, Standard and Paynes with their reasonable predictable devices gave way to Chinese explosives that showed no evidence of a quality control system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks_law_in_the_United_Kingdom The powers-that-be are also uncomfortable with people crowding round bonfires so have done all they can to encourage only public displays. The trouble is that standing behind a rope fifty yards from the warmth soon looses its appeal. We have to be protected from ourselves. Rich (who once set a rocket off in the hearth and then ran outside to watch it exit the chimney....it didn't )
Ah ha Chinese explosives or known locally as fireworks Just make sure you wear sturdy gloves and safety glasses And keep them away from the unleaded until required Don't forget the aeroplanes they were great light blue touch paper and run ha ha Light up the sky with standard fireworks