Bommie night!!

[TANGODANCER]

Was going to my daughters for the annual kids sparklers and fireworks etc, but had to call it off. Our dog (eighteen month old Shit-zu) goes mental when he hears bangers. Had to shut the dog-flap off because he races round the garden howling like a banshee. Twice last night he jumped up on my knee, something he rarely does, and his heart was going like a trip-hammer. Kids round here have been firing them off for a fortnight but the last couple of nights have been a nightmare. Not looking forward to tonight at all. Not a killjoy, but I wish they'd keep fireworks for a couple of nights around the date.

Local shop tell me they'll be selling them till the 10th. Celebration of November 5th or just another industry bent on making as much money as they can and bollox to the consequences?

[WhiteArmy]

We colected for about 4 months once , i think it was about 1976, our bommie was at the back of Pedro's on halliwell road.

There's a park there now but at the time it was spare land where they knocked a mill down, the central pole was a telegraph pole, backed up with a base of 3 piece suites, then completely surrounded with solid wooden doors. We still had around 20 settees and chairs as back up and tons of them wicker basket things they used to have in the mills, we had a golden rule - no tyres allowed.

The modern reclamation guys would have had a field day if they'd been round then.

We went up to the organised one at Walmsleys they had that year near the cooling towers and ours was bigger.

Fantastic memories, great lads, still mates to this day 30 years on.

[TANGODANCER]

We colected for about 4 months once , i think it was about 1976, our bommie was at the back of Pedro's on halliwell road.

I lived just across Halliwell and a bit higher up than Pedro's (Gladstone street) and most of the bonfires were in the back streets then. They had a good one down at the bottom of Weymouth Street around a telegraph pole but things were very parochial then and the fires were jealously guarded. My dad always officiated at ours and insisted in letting all the fireworks off. We lived very near to two shops which always gave us a goodly supply of carboard boxes to get them going, and the greengrocers gave us old onion, potato and orange boxes. Rarely saw many chairs or settees as they were hard come by.

Weirdest fire I ever went to was about ten years ago, in the garden of a guy from Harwood. He had a chipshop near Manchester University and was worth a mint. Supplied t-bone steaks and wine as refreshment, and, when well-pissed, climbed over his neighbours garden and nicked a couple of ladders to keep the fire going. The night ended in disaster for him (and hilariously for us) when he put his wife's antique rocking chair on the fire for a joke and it set alight in grand style. Their scrap was the stuff of legend and an excuse for a lot of hurried departures.

[Bwfc in the bloodline]

anyone know of any displays on 5th?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Took the Barnettas to an astonishingly good display at their school last night. Man, would've been great stoned.

Oh - Enfield's dad for Prime Minister!

[Dujon]

Pity about the pooch, TANGO. Unfortunately many dogs react to fireworks and thunder in that manner, poor buggers, so I sympathise with your dilemma.

Where I live fireworks are now banned unless you obtain a licence for a 'public display'. "Black Market" devices are though inevitably available and used - particularly as the A.C.T. has no such restriction and allows them to be sold to anyone and everyone. The result of course is much discomfort to the general populace and many dogs that bolt and thus finish up in the local pounds.

Like you I'm no killjoy. I like fireworks, particularly the pretty ones, and used to have a bit of fun with my children (when they were young) letting them off in the back yard. Bonfires were verboten though - too much risk of starting a serious bushfire. The school which they attended (primary) did have an annual bonfire/fireworks display but always had the local bushfire brigade tankers on hand in case of problems.

[TANGODANCER]

Pity about the pooch, TANGO. Unfortunately many dogs react to fireworks and thunder in that manner, poor buggers, so I sympathise with your dilemma.

Where I live fireworks are now banned unless you obtain a licence for a 'public display'. "Black Market" devices are though inevitably available and used - particularly as the A.C.T. has no such restriction and allows them to be sold to anyone and everyone. The result of course is much discomfort to the general populace and many dogs that bolt and thus finish up in the local pounds.

Like you I'm no killjoy. I like fireworks, particularly the pretty ones, and used to have a bit of fun with my children (when they were young) letting them off in the back yard. Bonfires were verboten though - too much risk of starting a serious bushfire. The school which they attended (primary) did have an annual bonfire/fireworks display but always had the local bushfire brigade tankers on hand in case of problems.

Can understand that Dujon. Have a lad in L.A and they've twice been evvacuated in the last three years due to the same. Once went to a firework event in Spain; phenomenal display but ended up with a dozen fire engines attending when they set a nearby forest on fire.

Ref the dog; was a nightmare both last night and this evening until the wife put him upstairs (he can climb up but not down since he broke a leg). Seemed fine until I went up for him when he calmed down a bit, but the poor little sod was absolutely shivering with fright. Just brought him down and hope it'll soon be over. He's going bananas as I write.

[CrazyHorse]

One time many years ago - I think it was about 1990, my mates Dad threw a bonfire party for his friends and family, and me and a few others were invited along too.

It was the usual thing, loads of booze and hotdogs and stuff to eat; quite enjoyable. Anyway his Dad had spent a small fortune on fireworks but in particular was this HUGE rocket that took pride of place which he intended to set off as the finale. I seem to recall that the rocket alone cost him £100 (and this was in the days when £100 was a lot of money ). All throughout the evening he's getting more and more pissed as he sets off the smaller fireworks and periodically he pickup the rocket and sniff it, trickle it and even talk to it. It was obvious he was dying to set it off and he could hardly contain his excitement about how good this rocket was going to be.

Eventually the time came to set it off, the build up complete and he puts on Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" as a build up to light it to, and typically he even started doing a bit of Rocky shadow boxing to the music just to get the last bit of anticipation built up to the maximum and then he lit it whist we all did a countdown from 10.

The blue touch paper burnt through, the rocket sparked into life and whoosh, up it goes into the air. Up, up, up into the air, then disappeared behind next doors house. I'm sure they had a lovely view of it but we saw nothing.

The disappointment was written all over his face and I swear he had a little tear in his eye. As did I, though mine was through laughter.

[cophilie]

I'm going to watch this display this year.
http://www.tarbarrels.co.uk/


On some official trips, you have to sign forms saying noone can be held responsible if you die.

I heard a rumour you had to get tickets for that,is that true or can you just turn up?

[Little Green Man]

I'm going to watch this display this year.
http://www.tarbarrels.co.uk/


On some official trips, you have to sign forms saying noone can be held responsible if you die.

I heard a rumour you had to get tickets for that,is that true or can you just turn up?

And if you get a taste for it, you can follow it up at New Year in Northumbria.

http://www.north-england.eu/tar-barrels.htm

[chris]

I'm going to watch this display this year.
http://www.tarbarrels.co.uk/


On some official trips, you have to sign forms saying noone can be held responsible if you die.

I heard a rumour you had to get tickets for that,is that true or can you just turn up?

I hope not - I'm just turning up.

[Bruce Rioja]

And if you get a taste for it, you can follow it up at New Year in Northumbria.

http://www.north-england.eu/tar-barrels.htm

Unique Pagan ceremony, eh. What time do they burn the virgin?

[Bruce Rioja]

Unfortunately for me there are a family of scutters that live about six doors down from mine. You know the type, Ford Transit parked in the street, 16 year old daughter has just spawned either a Kyle or a Charmaine. Anyhow, for three nights running now I've had to listen to this lot setting off loud fireworks. Perhaps you should have to fill in a questionnaire prior to being sold fire works other than 'how old are you?'

Name Guy Fawkes' home town?
In what year was the gunpowder plot?
Who was on the throne?
What was Guy Fawkes' religion?

That sort of thing. You see, it appears to me that Bommy Night is now nothing more than some sort of right for scutters to disturb the peace. There are no bonfires going on round here, no children collecting wood, no black peas, no parkin, no treacle toffee, just dog-ends with noisy fireworks!

[Little Green Man]

Just get yerself some Bombay Mix, a couple of Kingfishers and pretend it's Diwali.

[TANGODANCER]

Unfortunately for me there are a family of scutters that live about six doors down from mine. You know the type, Ford Transit parked in the street, 16 year old daughter has just spawned either a Kyle or a Charmaine. Anyhow, for three nights running now I've had to listen to this lot setting off loud fireworks. Perhaps you should have to fill in a questionnaire prior to being sold fire works other than 'how old are you?'

Name Guy Fawkes' home town?
In what year was the gunpowder plot?
Who was on the throne?
What was Guy Fawkes' religion?

That sort of thing. You see, it appears to me that Bommy Night is now nothing more than some sort of right for scutters to disturb the peace. There are no bonfires going on round here, no children collecting wood, no black peas, no parkin, no treacle toffee, just dog-ends with noisy fireworks!

Believe it or not, I had a similar conversation with the wife at teatime based on my question: "Just what the hell are they celebrating? Half of them have never heard of Guy Fawkes."

Are they celebrating Fawke's attempt to blow up Parliment? Unlikely.
Are they celebrating him getting the chop from the gunpowder police? Less likely.
Why do we need fireworks two weeks before and one week after the 5th of November?

I'm all for tradition but this once seems well outdated...even to me. It'a now just a classic example of giving kids another excuse to annoy the shit out of everybody......as if they needed one.

Final question: What's the betting somebody near you loses an eye, gets badly burned and gives the firebrigade a reason for seeing the fifth banned altogether.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

What's the betting somebody near you loses an eye, gets badly burned and gives the firebrigade a reason for seeing the fifth banned altogether.

Wouldn't need to be banned altogether; you could just stop having fireworks on open sale, organised displays only. I'm sure Standard would have a fkn wig-out but they'd have to be a rather generous donor to the governing party once public opinion's got its gander up.

On the other point, twas always a point of confusion to me why we burned effigies of Catholic dissidents while explosively delighting in their intention.

[Dujon]

There are no bonfires going on round here, no children collecting wood, no black peas, no parkin, no treacle toffee, just dog-ends with noisy fireworks!

Parkin and treacle toffee, now that takes me back a bit. An't 'ad them for years. Must dig out a recipe and get the missus to knock some together (I wouldn't be game as I'd probably start a bonfire in the kitchen).

Final question: What's the betting somebody near you loses an eye, gets badly burned and gives the firebrigade a reason for seeing the fifth banned altogether.

Which is precisely the reason they were banned in this state, TANGO - mainly the injury problem. Even though we still have rebellious citizens, not all of whom are youngsters, who flout the law my understanding is that the injury rate has reduced dramatically since ban came into effect. I suppose that's an obvious result, but it's sure as heck a good one.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

People's domestic fireworks are never much of a spectacle anyway - banning open sale and only allowing licensed organised displays is definitely the way to go.

I did have to explain to somebody back in England that the reason I hadn't seen a single firework in the past week, and wouldn't be seeing any tonight, is because nobody ever tried to blow up the Dutch parliament building in Den Haag on the 5th November, or indeed on any other date...

[chris]

I'm going to watch this display this year.
http://www.tarbarrels.co.uk/


On some official trips, you have to sign forms saying noone can be held responsible if you die.

I heard a rumour you had to get tickets for that,is that true or can you just turn up?

I hope not - I'm just turning up.

Well it's great fun - just slightly suicidal. The barrels are lit, and then they run straight at the crowd, and keep changing direction, seemingly trying to put as many people in danger as they can. I'm amazed it's allowed to go ahead in the current health and safety world, but is a brilliant event.

[Bruce Rioja]

Parkin and treacle toffee, now that takes me back a bit. An't 'ad them for years. Must dig out a recipe and get the missus to knock some together (I wouldn't be game as I'd probably start a bonfire in the kitchen).

If you want to drop me a PM, Dujon, I'll gladly sent a bag of treacle toffee over to you. I'm not sure that Parkin was designed to withstand long-haul (actually, my mother's probably would but that's another matter altogether), so yeah, just let me know and I'll happily oblige.