Remember Remember

Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night

5th November

Only 4 more days to Bonfire Night - a decidedly British celebration and one of my faves - although I wish they'd tried to blow up parliament in Summer cos it's too bloody cold in November. So for you foreigners, heres the lowdown on Guy Fawkes Night

Stars in the frosty night sky, piping hot baked potatoes, and the delighted gasps of children as golden fireworks explode in the heavens - there's nothing quite like the magic of Bonfire Night.

Bonfire Night celebrates the capture of 13 men, as they attempted to blow up Parliament and the King in 1605. The intention was to kill King James I and wipe out everyone in government. They chose the only day the Monarch attends Parliament for the State Opening. The group were Catholic extremists who wanted to return England to the Catholic faith. The 13 were not led by Guy Fawkes but by Robert Catesby, but as Guy Fawkes was caught with the 36 barrels of gunpowder he is the one most remembered.

One of the conspirators had a friend in the Houses of Parliament and sent a letter to him, warning him to stay away from the House on the day the attack was supposed to take place. The letter was intercepted and handed to the king. Meanwhile, Guy Fawkes and friends, having formulated their plan, known as the 'Gunpowder Plot', had rolled 36 barrels of gunpowder into the cellars of the Houses of Parliament, and were waiting for the king to arrive when guards broke in and arrested them. They were tortured and executed by being hung, drawn and quartered. It is still tradition for the Yeoman of the Guard to check the basements of Parliament on the day the Queen officially opens Parliament.

Every year since then , their capture has been celebrated by burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on huge bonfires and by having fireworks. Children make life-sized effigies of Guy Fawkes which are called Guys, to put onto the bonfires. The English have been burning effigies to mark Guy Fawkes' treason for almost 400 years. The tradition started in 1606, the year after the Gunpowder plot failed. In these first bonfires, called 'bone fires' at the time, it wasn't an effigy of Guy Fawkes that was burned, but one of the Pope. It was not until 1806, two centuries later, that the people started burning effigies of Guy Fawkes instead.

Children make a Guy by stuffing some old clothes with newspapers, craft a head out of material, and either draw a face on it or buy a special cardboard Guy Fawkes mask. Some enterprising kids use their younger brothers and sisters instead! For a few days beforehand children are pushing guys around in prams, push chairs and go-carts, saying 'A penny for the guy'. Adults then give them money - how much depends on how good the guy is. The money is then spent on sparklers, or at least it would be, if children were still allowed to buy fireworks in the UK, so it is spent on sweets instead.

Fireworks that are sent up on Bonfire night have really evocative names like, Roman Candles, Mount Vesuvius and Golden Shower (There’s a joke there somewhere but I won’t go there). There are also Catherine Wheels that spin and Sparklers that children write their names in the air with.

These days there are 3 ways to spend Bonfire Night

1. The cheapskate way is to sit your kids in front of the window and let them scour the sky for the fireworks.

2. You can take them to an organised Display – Probably the safest option and the one always recommended. But, its November, it’s freezing. The kids moan they are cold, they can’t see and the food is horrendously expensive. It’s also really noisy once the fireworks start so if your child hates bangs, they start screaming and you end up going home.

3. My choice. You buy some fireworks and Sparklers and have your own display in the garden. We have friends round. The kids can laugh as you light the fireworks and run like hell and if it’s cold you can nip in and out of the warm house. We cook some hot-dogs, burgers and jacket potatoes and eat them indoors in the warm.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.

By god's mercy he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?
Burn him!