Bonfire night

[Donald the Great]

Re: Bonfire night

It used to be celebrated in Australia when I was a kid. Never missed Bonfire Nite. One of the male residents selected a spot for the bonfire and us kids would then spend all day collecting old wooden junk and anything else that would burn. When we were finished there was a huge pile just waiting for the torch. Each of our fathers would bring along the fireworks and they would be set up for the evenings entertainment. Come nite fall and our dads would lite her up. There were all sorts of firework displays including everyone's fave the Kathrine Wheel. Oh what joy this was for us kids as the rockets were lit and flew skyward as the other firewords were given life.

[Mulletino]

Re: Bonfire night

It's not celebrated here in Australia.

[staffslad]

Re: Bonfire night

I am not sure if Australia, Canada and New Zealand celebrate 5th November, but the programme I recall had displays from european countries and was shown around Bonfire Night. Probably mid-70s. I specifically remember missing it one year as we went to a friend's house to their bonfire.

[Richard1978]

Re: Bonfire night

I thought Bonfire Night on the 5th Of November was mostly a British thing, & maybe spread to some other Commonwealth countries.

Many other countries have firework displays for other important occasions.

[staffslad]

Re: Bonfire night

In the 70s there used to be a fireworks competition shown on TV on or around Bonfire Night. I think there were displays from different countries. It strikes me now why would overseas countries have displays on Bonfire Night? Australia, New Zealand and Canada I could understand--if they celebrate Bonfire Night at all--but I think they were European countries.

[Twocky61]

Re: Bonfire night

All of us residents on our close had a communal fireworks display at the end of the close where more houses were being built

Re: Bonfire night

I remember when I was young one person would invite all the families around, with everyone contributing some food & a box of fireworks.

thats what we did. great times back then and a good community spirit.

[Richard1978]

Re: Bonfire night

I remember when I was young one person would invite all the families around, with everyone contributing some food & a box of fireworks.

[staffslad]

Re: Bonfire night

I don't think it is quite the same without your own bonfire. We used to have one every year on our garden, or if we were at a friend/relative's house they would also have one. Speaking for myself, I am not a fan of organised bonfires and displays. Yes, they may be more spectacular, but I prefer my own. Even the last few years when my son was young enough to want to stay with us for Bonfire Night and we didn't have a traditional bonfire, we still put a pile of old wood and bits and pieces in an old metal dustbin and lighted it so we had a fire. You can't do that now most people have plastic wheelies.

[darren]

Re: Bonfire night

Bonfire night is still common here.

I watch from my bedroom across the road as the huge bonfire burns tons of people watching it and a bit too much drink is consumed.

Wood tyres etc burning.

Re: Bonfire night

I miss fireworks night.

same here. it was the one night of the year were everyone in the neighbourhood used to get together and have a good time. i think the last bonfire that we had was back in 1993. there's nowhere to have them since the council started going mad building houses here. there and everywhere.

[Mulletino]

Re: Bonfire night

Nah but we used to strap pipes to our BMXs and use them to launch mini-rockets.

One year we got a big box of Bangers from a mate of my dad's who used them in their reenactments (some boat thing), some were damp so we got all th gunpowder out of those and genied it, massive pile it was.
Some we put inside our Airfix kits and blew them up, the rest got saved for Fireworks Night in a neighbour's garden where we were lighting them and throwing them in the fire, seeing who could hold onto it the longest.

We bought boxes of them and chased each other round the common firing them at each other. Then made a bonfire with all the aerosol cans we'd collected in the preceding months and had to stand round it facing outwards while the cans exploded and wizzed past us!

Fireworks night we also used to take my dad's shotguns into the garden and fire them into the air.

Last one we had in a mates' garden (about 2003) we had all sorts of issues, rockets falling over and launching at us all, the catherine wheel falling off the fence so my mate tried to stamp it out but the nail went into his shoe so he came hopping down the garden with it spinning on his shoe! XD.

I miss fireworks night.

Re: Bonfire night

did anyone make banger guns ?

[zabadak]

Re: Bonfire night

Not the same since bangers were banned!

[staffslad]

Re: Bonfire night

Anyone remember those fireworks that would rise vertically then shoot across horizontally? We called them helicopters but not sure if that was their actual name. I think they were banned quite a while ago. Also, I used to love that distinctive smell when opening a box of fireworks.