it's bonfire night!

I’ve just got home, I’m soaked to the skin, I have a thumping headache and I stink of smoke! But I’ve had great time, and when I’ve got out of these wet clothes, taken a couple of aspirins and poured a stiff drink, I’ll come back and tell you about it! In the meantime here's a 30 second video I took inadvertantly - my camera was in movie mode by mistake! Don’t go away.

I’m back. I can’t believe it was a year ago I wrote about my annual visit to the Lewes bonfire celebrations. November 5th is the biggest date in the English calendar outside Christmas, and it’s the day we remember the gunpowder plot of 1605 when Guy Fawkes placed explosive barrels in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament in London in unsuccessful attempt the blow the buildings up. And this morning, the Yeoman of the Guard will have gone down to the cellars to carry out the ritual search for gunpowder as they have done on November the 5th for centuries.
All over England cities, towns and villages will have held bonfire night tonight when an effigy of Guy Falkes will have been be placed atop a bonfire and burned, followed by lavish firework displays.
.And the ancient county town of Lewes near me tonight held the biggest bonfire night in the country. Tonight as well as the burning of the Guy, we witnessed the annual burning of the Pope to commemorate the murder of the protestant martyrs who were tied to crosses then set alight in Lewes in 1640.
.Last year I wrote at length about the Lewes celebration, and rather than go over it again, I’ll place a link at the foot of this piece. Suffice to say, tonight saw the biggest Lewes Bonfire night ever which featured the seven rival Lewes bonfire societies, 26 village societies, fourteen separate processions with 8000 participants, and a crowd in excess of 60,000 to look on in the pouring rain!

To view Lewes 2007 click here .

More photos here

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