Friday 6 November 2009

Remember Remember the 5th of November

Last night was of course Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night, or Fireworks Night. It's Guy Fawkes Night to me though as it is all about Guy Fawkes.
In my youth (the 1970's) we kids/teenagers used to build giant bonfires in the week building up to Guy Fawkes Night. We would go around people's houses knocking the doors and asking them if they had anything for the bonfire and they'd always give us old clothes, piles of old newspapers and the like - we always ended up with at least one settee by the way! We also used to go into the local woods gathering fallen branches etc.
And then there was the Guy. A clumsy bag of rags cobbled together with an old hat plonked on top for good measure. We'd do 'penny for the Guy' and with the cash we'd get we'd buy fireworks.
Each housing estate in my home town had it's own bonfire and the night of Nov 4th we would have to keep guard of the fire because lads from the other estates would come to set fire to ours prematurely! We were no angels in that respect either.
There was only one 'organised' (by the Scouts) event in the town.
How times have changed.
In my town (and most others I fear) there are no unofficial bonfires. Health and safety.
There are now actually no 'official' bonfires in my home town. Too expensive insurance.
What we have now is a firework display provided by the local council (very good as it happens) and a Chinese lantern procession. What?! Chinese lanterns!!
What the hell has that got to do with Guy Fawkes night?
Last year we had a display by Romanian fire dancers!
No mention this year or last of Guy Fawkes. Do kids know what it's about (5th Nov)?
Another British tradition disfigured by trendy left wing 'inclusive' multiculturalism I'm afraid.
And this is in not particularly multicult or 'right on' Wales - I can't imagine what's going on in some of the inner cities (I can and have read about it actually).
All these little things are adding up to the eventual complete erosion of our traditions and way of life.
This is not a rant against ethnic minorities but against the mainly WHITE liberal British hating people who have somehow seized power without any of us actually noticing!

1 comment:

Jeannine said...

Chinese lanterns??? That is really bizarre.

In my neck of the woods, there have been fireworks each night for the past three nights, but I haven't seen any bonfires or Chinese lanterns (or Romanian fire dancers).