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Bonfire night

W

Wendy

Guest
I used to love bonfire night. Ours was organised like a millitary operation. We lived in Four Oaks at the time my mother said it was like living in the country, quite a way to the shops! Anyway the land opposite our house was unused and we were allowed to build a bonfire there. My brothers would start collecting weeks before, the local council would bring round chopped branches on a truck for our fire. With all this wood it was built realy high. The neighbours would put together for fire works and food which would be cooked by various ladies from the street including our Mom. The guy was made by my brothers out of Dad's old clothes, this was kept in our entry which scared the life out of any family that visited, as they always went "round the back". When the night arrived Dad would string off an area to let the fireworks off, and he would build a frame for the Catherine wheels. My gran and the old lady from next door would have a special place to sit on two deck chairs with blankets to keep them warm. The food was wonderful hot potatoes, sausages,toffee apples and the adults would have a sort of mulled wine us kids had pop. The atmosphere was so lovely, with all the neighbours friends and family together. It was only on one night NOVEMBER 5th whatever night it came on..............not like today starting in september:| I have such wonderful memories of our Bonfire night untill they built houses on the land and that was the end of our bonfire night celebrations.
 
Moma P - You said you don't understand the concept of Halloween. Well to me it has all the fun without the dangers of the fireworks. We had a few accidents when I was a child in our neighbourhood even as an adult at organized bonfires. At a St Andrew's bonfire at the farm a rocket dropped into a box of fireworks, wow that moved everyone. Mr Haycock who lived opposite on Uplands Road made a stick for a rock and it went straight through his window setting light to the curtains. Having said that I loved Bonfire night and really missed it when we left England.

Here, all the neighbours mix on Halloween and go to each others houses. It is a great way of meeting new people that have just moved in. :) With winter on the way everyone takes advantage of it.
There is great care taken for the safety of the children and a great time is had by all. Hope this helps you understand it better.:) Mo
 
Halloween

I think your way of celebrating sounds much more civilized Sakura. The little ones have an adult to accompany them, it's some of the bigger KIDS who get cheeky, im always worried i shall end up with an eggy mess on my door
 
Moma P, my recollections of Bonfire Night are very similar to yours in just about every detail. The right of way behind our house was large enough to accommodate a decent size fire. When we had our own bonfire later on
my father put nails in the fence for the Catherine wheels.
A couple of people brought carved turnips with evil faces to honour All Hallows Eve on Oct 31st. The food was always great same menu as Moma P.
Kids from other streets used to try and poach the wood from the bonfire
on the right of way and git chased away by the boys who usually built up
the wood supply.
 
With bonfire night fast approaching, reminds me of collecting stuff for our bonfire. If any house had a tree in their garden, we would ask if we could chop a few branches off the tree, & the answer was usually," sod off" We knocked on one door & no one was home, so we decided to help ourselves to a few branches. It would have been a surprise to the owner when they got home to find their tree had been pollarded! EE, i were a right bad un back then.
 
I have a vague memory of a bonfire night in the 1950s. We were on waste land that led to Witton Allotments, and now is North Park Road. Suddenly the fire brigade turned up and started to put it out, much to the annoyance of the grown ups.

However the hose was turned on the children of which I was one. I have been told that my mother had to dragged from the fireman!
 
Just found this thread about Bonfire night.Did anyone ever remember making a Fire Can to light your 1d bangers with.We would take a Tate & Lyle syrup tin knock holes in it put a length of wire to carry it and have your little fire to light your Bangers and keep your hands warm.just keep putting bits of wood on to keep it alight.Good times childhood.
 
I have never been a fan of Bonfire night, it is a most traumatic time for most animals although its origin is both political and anti-Catholic much of that has, fortunately, been forgotten. However when it was just a one or two day affair, the loud retorts from the 'bangers' now seem to go on for a week at least.
Halloween, like many of our traditions, has been hijacked into something that it never was intended to be and highly commercialized. There are dangers as I see it and one is that when 'trick and treat' knock a door the household dog can attack what it considers a threat. Luckily my home is somewhat screened from the road - funnily enough like the Munsters house :grinning: - so we never get a knock on the door. We also make sure that no lights show on that side of the house.
I have not been pestered by electioneering folk, but I notice the energy people are doing their rounds now the weather is better and days longer. Usually nice people, trying to earn a living, but a hindrance all the same. ;)
 
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