Nov 5th Bonfire Party ?

[Nature's Babe]

For those of you on allotments if there is some weedy bits that need clearing why not consider a joint bonfire. One of the best bonfire nights I can remember was on our old allotments, we pooled the fireworks, and all contributed something for the food, some music if someone can play the guitar or similar, we were still singing and dancing round the bonfire well after midnight, if you run out of onions etc to go with the barbeque burgers and sausages you are in the right place, and potatoes in foil cooked in the embers are great. Just an idea, time enough to plan one, good to have fun together as well as work there.

[Beryl]

Nice Idea Nature's Babe but just a word of caution, not all allotments are permitted to have bonfires or are resitricted to certain times.

Beryl.

[Bren]

Chance to have a bonfire would be fine with the amount of rubbish we have.
But no fires allowed on our site, a hefty FINE if we had one.

Bren

[Nature's Babe]

Ah, that's sad. as a regular thing probably not good, but once a year it would be good to get rid oof rubbish.

[alan refail]

Hi NB

How near to Lewes are you?

[Nature's Babe]

A fair way Alan , right on the Kent border, Rye is nearer to us and they have a good bonfire celebration too.

[Elaine]

We're not allowed bonfires either due to having a school on one side and houses on another, who regularly report us to Environmental Health department. All was well until one inconsiderate plot holder lit a huge reeking bonfire (no idea what he was burning but it was thick, black smoke) when the wind was blowing in the direction of the school. Most of us have small fires in our incinerator bins now and again but we make sure the wind is blowing in the opposite direction to the buildings.

There were several bonfires on the site last November 5th but there were no recriminations.....they could hardly complain on that night, when the air is full of bonfire and fireworks smoke already!
Cheers.

[Mike Vogel]

We would probably be able to get away with this on our plot, as long as the wind is from the south or south west. Otherwise it would blow the smoke into people's houses. I am in 2 minds anyway about Nov 5: it's a great tradition celebrating the creation of warmth as the colder weather sets in, but the darker side of it is the commemoration of the burning of Catholics after the gunpowder plot and, though I am not a catholic, I dislike those overtones. The idea that we are celebrating the salvation of parliamentary democracy is really a myth put about to justify the continuation of the tradition. Was there an older winter fire tradition before 1605?

[alan refail]

Hi Mike

Celtic bonfires had been celebrating the coming of the darkness on 1 November for many centuries before 1605. And then Christianised as All Saints.

Check out Samhain.

[Mike Vogel]

Ah, I thought there'd be something like that. I doubt they burned people, though, in effigy or otherwise - far too civilised.