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Looking forward to seeing fireworks on November 5th, bonfire night in the UK. Also known as Guy Fawkes night when he tried to blow up the houses of parliament several centuries ago. Children say the rhyme “remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot”. Nothing to do with the American General Election thankfully! And something people actually enjoy X
Just looked at my Barometer, it’s dropped to 957 millibars which is the lowest I’ve ever seen it. The pointer has dropped all the way down to “stormy”. And yet fireworks are going off all around us. It will be bonfire night, or Guy Fawkes night in the UK tomorrow. (Remember remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot). This was in the reign of James 1st when Guy Fawkes and fellow plotters tried to blow up the houses of Parliament by getting gunpowder into it’s cellars. The British people celebrated the failure of the plot by burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes and letting off fireworks.
So the weather isn’t good for it tonight. I doubt there will be many bonfires because of all the rain we have been having. But the fireworks are crackling and banging all over the place, and it’s not even the 5th yet!
Tomorrow is November 5th, Bonfire night, Guy Fawkes night. He tried to blow up the houses of Parliament several centuries ago. There is a rhyme. Remember remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
Apparently gunpowder had been stored under the Houses of Parliament and a group of people intended to blow it up, but the ringleader, Guy Fawkes was caught. Traditionally children collect money to buy fireworks by making a ‘Guy’ out of scraps and wood, and asking for a ‘penny for the Guy’. This usually happened after Halloween.
So tomorrow night I’m expecting lots of bangs and whizzes. The cats will be in. I’ll have the TV on to drown out the noise. Hopefully everything will be OK.
The apple tree shimmers in the wind, shadows envelope it and suck out the colour from the leaves. The sky shades from dark brown to black as the clouds flit by. Sulphur Street lights making orange highlights.
Overhead a firework flashes, the whizz bang startles me… Laughter from excited children in a neighbours garden…. No bonfires on bonfire night, but fireworks for the week before. Some so loud the cats jump and startle. Frightened by the sparkle of unexpected explosions.
So many people seem intolerant of pet’s needs. They don’t seem to care how frightening it is for them. I tell mine that it’s only a loud noise and to be calm. I think if I talk quietly to them it helps…
Ker-ak another rocket flies overhead. Meanwhile I wait for a clearing in the sky. A meteor shower is due. No chance, it stays cloudy, more rain and cloud forecast…
And yet, fireworks are going off outside. I feel so sorry for the stray cat living outside in our shed. I hope he’s tucked up out of the cold in the cat box we got him. We tried letting him into the house today because it’s so cold, but our cats objected strongly. They started yowling at him. And as they won’t let me take them to the vets to be inoculated I dare not let him stay inside.
It’s not good to have half an hour of loud fireworks. It’s even scaring the cats inside.
And yet in one country at least they have introduced silent fireworks. Surely we should do the same.
Remember remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot….
That’s the rhyme we learn as children in the UK to remember the date of the gunpowder plot when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up parliament in the reign of James 1st I think? Hopefully no one will try to do the same thing again.
There is a party mood around this time of year. People build bonfires and place effigies of ‘Guy’ on them. (Children go out and collect change from people by making their own Guys and asking for ‘a penny for the Guy’.).
Fireworks are set off to celebrate. Nowadays people tend to go to organised displays. There sometimes are private bonfire parties and you can buy very big fireworks. However there are quite a few injuries every year with burns being a major factor.
I remember spinning Catherine wheels, volcanoes, bangers, rockets and roman candles and other old favourite fireworks from my childhood. My best memory was writing my name with a sparkler (a metal stick with a burning chemical on it that sparkled when you waved it about when it was lit).
Food was jacket potatoes cooked till the skin was flakey and black, with lots of butter and salt. Fried onions and sausages and tomato ketchup.
We always built the bonfire high over several days. We didn’t know you were supposed to build it on the day as hedgehogs could be hibernating under the pile of wood.
Good memories. Now I stay in and keep the cats safe and secure.
X
Mallaband-Brown