Remember, remember, the 5th of November

bobo the clown · Post by **bobo the clown** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:04 am

I watched some film on TV local news of some kids in Liverpool using Roman Candle’s as if they were pistols. Chasing each other & firing them at each other. I can think of a 1,000 reasons why that’s a silly & wrong thing to do, but equally couldn’t hep but laugh.

It took me back to the “great” (??) days of my youth when bonfire night was a massive adventure & each gang had their own ‘bommy’ in their own area. As soon as the September holidays (remember them) ended and nights began to draw in local youths would start collecting wood and other combustible waste from everywhere & anywhere they could. Inj fact, it was a great opportunity for locals to dispose of stuff they wanted rid of.

Groups of kids manhandling a settee down back-streets was a common sight. Dragging lopped-off tree branches, even the occasional stump (apologies to Simon Farnworth). Mattress’ a plenty were hauled across fields and, in Horwich at least, old railway sleepers were liberated from the loco works. These were especially good as they were usually soaked in oil from years of trains rolling over them.

A more effective way of collecting wood was to wait till another gang were not guarding their collection and, quite simply, raid it. On one famous occasion as we stole wood & trees etc. From ‘Beanies’ gang’s bommy we met Beanie’s gang coming the other way doing exactly the same to our own.

Eventually, every area had its wigwam shaped piles of wood arise. Normally with a den inside and small fires would be set each evening alongside them. Too dark to play football the local kids would spend their evenings sitting around these, chucking potato’s onto the small fires and, when charcoal black on the outside and still rock-hard within we’d eat them and agree, unconvincingly, that they were fantastic and way better than anything ever made in a conventional oven.

Fireworks would be bought from local corner shops. I imaging it wasn’t good practice, but in those days I doubt there were specific laws preventing the sale to minors. Pocket money and cash gained from standing outside pubs with a set of rags tied into a vaguely human shape as we asked passers by for “ ... penny for the guy, mister”. My dad called this begging and banned me from doing it. On one famous occasion he was stopped, asked for a penny for the guy. He stood, looked at the ramshackle heap of rags, rubbed his chin & finally agreed that it was worth a penny. He gave a coin to the delighted kids ... and then promptly picked the Guy up and slung it over his shoulder, telling the following hordes that he had agreed a price and that it was now his !! I was with him ... can you imagine the shame ?

Fortunately this wasn’t the occasion when our best effort at a Guy was employed. Still in rags, but our Guy being unusually realistic. So realistic that, after some time it got up & walked away with the rest of us.

Each year there were tales of tragedy as somewhere in the UK some children were burnt , sometimes fatally, as they got trapped in the den inside the bonfire as it caught fire. Each year someone was hurt & burnt by misuse of fireworks. Each year some over enthusiastic kids got carried away and victimised some poor old sod and set fireworks through letter boxes. I imagine fires could start from this, but even if not, it must have been pretty intimidating to them. For all these reasons the laws and indeed cultures changes. Private bonfires became rarer and I think now are actively illegal. Safer and way better organised, but it’s a culture change which I regret. Admittedly I regret it with 10 digits on my hands, and 2 eyes, and no burns to show.

The morning after (which, incidentally, was always the 6th of November as bonfires were lit on the 5th, not some adjacent weekend, there was a smell peculiar to that day. The smell of lingering woodsmoke, find spent fireworks on streets, the TV news telling of the number of casualties.

Miss it ?? Yes, I do. Glad my kids are not exposed to such dangers ... of course. Regret the loss of an odd community building culture, yes. Especially as it seems to have been replaced by the alien culture of hallowe’en, which had, simply, zero impact in these earlier times. That said, some years ago I spent a bonfire weekend in Sussex & realised that there, where the culture was different than in Lancashire, it remained a deeply anti-Catholic event, where the Guy was actually dressed as the Pope ! I was stunned and had no idea that it was like this there.

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:17 am

we used to have bommies in Bennets Lane backstreet and met all the tar between the cobbles - it's a miracle we didn't burn back gates down - and the fences...

the next morning while the embes were still hot we'd ride our biks through them and end up melting the tyres...

we never checked for hedgehogs - and we always chucked on aerosol cans - petrol - anything slightly daring

I'm amazed I'm alive to tell the tale.....

todays bommies are 200yds away in a school field behind a fence with a cordon of safetey officers... you can't roast a jacket potato in the embers cos the fire-brigade has blasted it all to feck before anyone goes to bed....

pah... humbug... and what happened to parkin?

Zulus Thousand of em · Post by **Zulus Thousand of em** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:24 am

thebish wrote: and what happened to parkin?

Bugger parkin! What happened to black peas?

Little Green Man · Post by **Little Green Man** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:40 am

thebish wrote: pah... humbug... and what happened to parkin?

Currently plying his trade with Preston North End.

Unless you were referring to the oat and treacle-based comestible - in which case you can get a slab of it from Asda for a keenly priced £1.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:53 am

Ive always been fascinated with this gunpowder plot, the Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby story! Even this morning I quizzed our dorris on it like I have done on the same day for years, but she never knows, even though I inform her again, every year!

This morning she came out with the genius theory that Guy Fawkes started a fire on Pudding Lane, and that’s why we have bonfires today! WTF!?

It’s a great story, and a shame most people know nowt about it except for fireworks, treacle and black peas! Surprising its never been made into a feature film?

seanworth · Post by **seanworth** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:11 am

General Mannerheim wrote:Ive always been fascinated with this gunpowder plot, the Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby story! Even this morning I quizzed our dorris on it like I have done on the same day for years, but she never knows, even though I inform her again, every year!

This morning she came out with the genius theory that Guy Fawkes started a fire on Pudding Lane, and that’s why we have bonfires today! WTF!?

It’s a great story, and a shame most people know nowt about it except for fireworks, treacle and black peas! Surprising its never been made into a feature film?

Also surprised it hasn't. Well it was back in 1923 but with all the crap that gets made these days, surely this story is well worth an updated remake.

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/94116/G ... s/overview

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:20 pm

Ban the bloody fireworks, sick of the dog going mad.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:35 pm

General Mannerheim wrote:Ive always been fascinated with this gunpowder plot, the Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby story! Even this morning I quizzed our dorris on it like I have done on the same day for years, but she never knows, even though I inform her again, every year!

This morning she came out with the genius theory that Guy Fawkes started a fire on Pudding Lane, and that’s why we have bonfires today! WTF!?

It’s a great story, and a shame most people know nowt about it except for fireworks, treacle and black peas! Surprising its never been made into a feature film?

Too historical innit? Can't have kids having fun and learning at the same time, that won't do. Films must be about explosions, and school about targets.

Whilst not a feature film of the Guy Fawkes story, the excellent V for Vendetta references it a lot.

superjohnmcginlay · Post by **superjohnmcginlay** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:35 pm

Get rid of the dog.

boltonboris · Post by **boltonboris** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:38 pm

Prufrock wrote:
General Mannerheim wrote:Ive always been fascinated with this gunpowder plot, the Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby story! Even this morning I quizzed our dorris on it like I have done on the same day for years, but she never knows, even though I inform her again, every year!

This morning she came out with the genius theory that Guy Fawkes started a fire on Pudding Lane, and that’s why we have bonfires today! WTF!?

It’s a great story, and a shame most people know nowt about it except for fireworks, treacle and black peas! Surprising its never been made into a feature film?
Too historical innit? Can't have kids having fun and learning at the same time, that won't do. Films must be about explosions, and school about targets.

Whilst not a feature film of the Guy Fawkes story, the excellent V for Vendetta references it a lot.

Indeed it does, good film!

Jakerbeef · Post by **Jakerbeef** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:46 pm

Why do dogs go so mad? Obvious answer but is it just the noise? Do they pick up the smell too or even the concussion? (unlikely maybe)

Mind you they go mad at the hoover too so God knows.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:49 pm

boltonboris wrote:
Prufrock wrote:
General Mannerheim wrote:Ive always been fascinated with this gunpowder plot, the Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby story! Even this morning I quizzed our dorris on it like I have done on the same day for years, but she never knows, even though I inform her again, every year!

This morning she came out with the genius theory that Guy Fawkes started a fire on Pudding Lane, and that’s why we have bonfires today! WTF!?

It’s a great story, and a shame most people know nowt about it except for fireworks, treacle and black peas! Surprising its never been made into a feature film?
Too historical innit? Can't have kids having fun and learning at the same time, that won't do. Films must be about explosions, and school about targets.

Whilst not a feature film of the Guy Fawkes story, the excellent V for Vendetta references it a lot.
Indeed it does, good film!

cracking Film!

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:55 pm

Raven wrote:Ban the bloody fireworks, sick of the dog going mad.

my dog is currently quivering under my desk - and will probably remain there until christmas - then will emerge briefly - only to be sent scurrying back on New Year's eve...

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:17 pm

Can we just have a quick hands-up of those that were at Burnden Park, 24 years ago tonight, for the epic Bolton 0 Darlington 3 on a night that made today's weather look rather tropical.

Zulus Thousand of em · Post by **Zulus Thousand of em** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:10 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:Can we just have a quick hands-up of those that were at Burnden Park, 24 years ago tonight, for the epic Bolton 0 Darlington 3 on a night that made today's weather look rather tropical.

Me,, and you've brought the memories flooding back.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:14 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:Can we just have a quick hands-up of those that were at Burnden Park, 24 years ago tonight, for the epic Bolton 0 Darlington 3 on a night that made today's weather look rather tropical.

I think v Zenit St Petersburg at water-polo might compare favourably.

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:33 pm

TANGODANCER wrote:
Bruce Rioja wrote:Can we just have a quick hands-up of those that were at Burnden Park, 24 years ago tonight, for the epic Bolton 0 Darlington 3 on a night that made today's weather look rather tropical.
I think v Zenit St Petersburg at water-polo might compare favourably.

were you there at the Nov 5th West Brom away game Tango? 5-1 win if I remember rightly..... 5th November 1888

I wasn't at the Darlington 3-0

but I was at the 5th November Charlton Away game - we won - but I can't remember the score - who needs fireworks!

enfieldwhite · Post by **enfieldwhite** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:37 pm

Zulus Thousand of em wrote:
thebish wrote: and what happened to parkin?
Bugger parkin! What happened to black peas?

I stocked up with Parkin and Black Peas whilst on my last sojourn to the North West. I shall be ingesting them on Saturday along with 'tater 'ash and sticky sausages.

I always do a few fireworks for friends (and their kids). Bugger the organised bonfires.

We used to have our bommies in Back Eskrick St and stored the wood in the back yard until about two hours before dark, on the the night, to stop the theiving sods from Frank Street getting at it.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:44 pm

thebish wrote: were you there at the Nov 5th West Brom away game Tango? 5-1 win if I remember rightly..... 5th November 1888

I remember it well.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:35 pm

Raven wrote:Ban the bloody fireworks, sick of the dog going mad.

Count me in. Ours is doing my head in right now. Daft thing is, when you take him for a walk he just ignores them.

Connect with your social network account

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Who is online