@@jules.8443 ha! We knew it!

Halloween and Bonfire Night are often kind of lumped together. Traditionally in the days leading up to November 5th kids would make a "Guy", which is a straw-filled effigy of Guy Fawkes, put it in a wheelbarrow or stroller, or on a home-made cart, and go door-to-door with the request "Penny For The Guy?" And people would give them some coins as a reward for making a good effigy. Sadly this doesn't happen anywhere near as much these days as it did when I was a kid in the 1970s! Nowadays very few people have a bonfire of their own, but instead attend a large one organised by the local council, usually on the weekend nearest the 5th, with a big firework display. Foods we eat around this time (traditionally) are toffee apples, cinder toffee (honeycomb), treacle toffee, hot dogs (with proper British sausages, not the hot dogs you have in the US!), Parkin Cake (look it up), and marshmallows toasted on the bonfire.

I knew some parts of this, but it was great to learn more details. And hot damn, they sure didn't believe in half-measures back in those days

For modern Guy Fawkes celebrations. Link to video of the Lewes bonfire 2019. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ndx9nLx_nqiropc.html

When I was a kid, it seemed as if most families would have a bonfire party in the back yard, or go to a friends, as the big public displays weren't as common... We'd have saved up scrap wood and fallen leaves and burnable refuse, old cardboard boxes etc., for the bonfire, our parents would have purchased copious amounts of rockets and firecrackers, and 'sparklers' (length of steel wire half of which was coated with an incendiary compound that sparkled when burning) for the kids to wave, and there would be sausage rolls and baked potatoes (hard core was baking your potatoes wrapped in tinfoil, IN the edges of the bonfire), and candy. Kids also made an effigy out of old clothes, and would do the "penny for the guy" begging routine to raise money for firecrackers and candy. On Bonfire Night, there would be a constant fusillade of bangs and shrieks, so it sounded like the Somme in 1916, and the air would smell of sulphur. Since then, concerns about 'safety' and 'terrorism' have severely curtailed Bonfire Night celebrations.

Thank you Andrea! ❤🇺🇲

yep, all over the UK

The fog the night after is fantastic too! We used to play hide and seek the following night in the local park, big open space but you couldn't see more than 5 foot in front of you cos the fog was so thick.

it's also celebrated in New Zealand, bizzarely

A lot of people actually don't celebrate it. It's awful for pet owners because animals are petrified by it, and people with certain conditions/health problems. It's mostly a family event if anything.

Remember the sparklers and the tv adverts about safety regarding, not the bonfires, but the fireworks and sparklers?

We feel your pain on July 4th. Poor animals suffer

Same, my poor cat gets terrified. There was a petition going around last year for licenced events on the 5th only and to ban individual sales of fireworks 👍

@@bethwilliams5579 I had a westie dog that was deaf and she loved bonfire night so much,the people next door always had a bonfire and fireworks for their kids and she was so taken with watching them that she got invited over

@@lilyliz3071 lol....

My psycho cat tries going out of the window to get a closer look

Remember carrying a pocket full of bangers!!! Health & safety would go bonkers!!😂😂😂

🤣

True, Channel 4 News.

Yep he is an idiot who needs to retire.

He is, I can vouch for that

He knows nothing

We also celebrated Guy Fawkes night here in Australia when I was a child. These days it’s banned due to fire risk -although I can’t recall any fire happening from the 5th November Bon Fires

@steven you I presume you are from the north east, as I am from cheers wor lad

i used to love it as a kid going around the neighborhood asking people for old wood,we called it chomping im interested to know did you have a word for it.

Also an 80s kid, but we only bothered with Guy Fawkes Night if it happened to fall on a weekend. Bonfire, barbeque, and some shitty fireworks from the corner shop. I made a Guy once, but because it was made of old clothes and newspapers, it burnt away disappointingly quickly.

Did your parents forget the Parkin.?

What is Parkin?

@@tangowhisky14 no we had that as well, and if we had been good we would get cinder toffee as well

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow it’s a type off cake I’ll send you a link so you can see it

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a5loitWCqJzRfnU.html

We have Sparkers here. Thanks for sharing all that info!

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow the biggest bonfire night celebrations are normally held in Lewes, Sussex, kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j6yHZc-dudTIooU.html

As teenagers armed with axes and bowsaws we'd venture into the woods behind our council housing estate and fell sycamore, silver birch and oak trees. Debranched, cut to 20 foot lengths and hauled back on our ten-man-gangs shoulders with the smaller kids bringing the branches. Probably 50 or 60 neighbours would come together on the night and our bonfires were so solid they would still be burning a couple of days later. It took a couple of weeks from finding the big centre pole to finally cramming all the kindling in on the 5th of November, lookouts checking that the rival gangs from the next estate weren't stealing logs or setting it alight. We dug holes and put broken bottles in or pieces of wood with 6 inch nails protruding and covered them to deter their night time raids. It was gang warfare during this period with the railway line as the boundary, using catapults, throwing arrows and the occasional airgun but mostly just running battles which all came to an abrupt end when one of my friends was knocked out by a large projectile to the head which resulted in a a nasty wound. Remember there were no mobile phones in those days, we managed to revive him and get him home and his mum and dad took him into their three wheeled Robin Reliant to the hospital in the city. After that his mum started a one woman campaign that virtually killed off all that stuff, though she was helped by the woods being cleared for a small new housing Many an effigy of Guy Fawkes was sat outside peoples gates with either youngsters or a scribbled note asking, "Penny for the Guy ?", which was to buy fireworks for 5th November. All the kids came to the bonfire with whatever fireworks they had in an old biscuit tin to prevent accidents. The most feared firework on those (fairly well managed) nights was the Helicopter, we all had to move right to one side for that one as it would fly in such a haphazard circular action that it was later banned.

I used to do that then have to ask an adult to buy us fireworks then the hooliganism began lol Best for Penny for the Guy was the Off Licence or Ciggy Shop.

@@lotuselise4432 Off Licence or as called round these parts; the beer off, though pronounced bare-off ! *Off licenses* were like a convenience store that was allowed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off those premises, normally ones home. They normally only opened at lunch and in the evening following the local licensing laws we used to have for pubs.

@@matthewhale2464 This may be regional. I've not seen it in decades. That covers where I've lived in Leicestershire, Northants and Beds. The last time I remember penny for the guy was in Norfolk and was about 40 years ago as well.

For our non-British friends "bangers" = sausages/hot-dogs in this context :)

@@ftumschk 🤣🌭🌭 .... Two peoples separated by a common language ( W. Churchill)

Pie and mushy peas are still my favourite, especially steak and kidney pies. My mother once tried to make bonfire toffee but didn't cook it right and ended up with fudge! Needless to say we scoffed the lot!

My wife has given me an earful for not mentioning toffee apples and cinder toffee!

The narrator also mispronounces Catesby - it’s not Cats by. It’s Kates by. It REALLY grates all through the video. Glad to see you delving into our history.

We really will make any excuse for a party 😄

I am in my 50's my brother 60 and we always had big local bonfires doing penny for the guy, toffee apples, toffee lollies and jacket tatties in the early 70's continued. Maybe it was just more popular further up north. I live in Durham

Hey Jenny. We used to do the same, I`m 62 and we always looked forward to Bomie Night. We used to stuff the guy with old News Papers. Where I lived, in Liverpool, there were loads of old houses, that were being Demolished ( slum Clearence from the war ) so Firewood was always in good supply. The various streets would Guard their Bonfire Wood with a passion and we would mount regular raids on Neighbouring streets, to steal their Firewood. Happy Days 😜👍😊.

Hi Stephen, From what I remember there was a fair bit of "pinching" of firewood haha. Luckily we had a huge green area at the end of our street so I think all the surrounding streets contributed to the huge bonfire!

@@jennywaters5016 Ha ha, you`re right Jenny, pinching the opposition`s wood was like mounting a Commando Raid, sometimes we would try and set each others wood pile on fire. Happy Days 😊.

@@stephensmith4480 I seem to remember that one year a rival gang set fire to our bonfire on the night before ( the 4th, 'mischief night') but we were a resilient lot and next day had a bonfire bigger than ever, most of the big stuff we'd stored on our shed roofs!

@@woodentie8815 I know, It was amazing now I think about it. The same if any wood got stolen by a rival gang, especially the good stuff, like old doors and pallets. Everyone would rally round, it was like a military operation and you would Always come up trumps with more wood. Where I lived in the Tenement Blocks, there were two fires, one each end and they always seemed Huge, I lived on the fourth landing and when I was very young, I could only go to the fire with my Mum or Dad, or if it was Raining, which it often was, watch from above. We always had a box of Fireworks that were set off at the end of the landing, it seemed like the whole community was involved and the atmosphere was awesome. Unfortunately, you seldom get that community spirit today 😊👍.

Thanks, we will

I live near Lewes and it’s a massive, bonkers night :-) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fMmVltmf0c3ZaHk.html

Wasn’t it Richard Hammond lol?

Yup, Richard Hammond. Built a full size representation of the original House structure at the Spadedam military area up north. Prepared the equivalent amount of explosive and it did go with a heck of a bang. Not a lot left, lol.

That makes us happy! Thanks! ❤

I think it was honest intentions 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Best place to wait with a guy was outside a pub in the evening!

Every year my dad's oldest clothes were stuffed with straw and a mask added to a stuffed nylon stocking for the head. IT reminds me of a cartoon I saw once of some children coming indoors after the celebration to see the guy still sitting on the kitchen chair and shouting excitedly "that was a great guy we burnt this year, wasn't it dad? ....dad? dad?"

Not so - it's widely called Guy Fawkes Day as well

@@stuartbrittain7835 Guy Fawkes *Night,* never heard it called Guy Fawkes Day.

‘Standard Fireworks’ are the ones mentioned by Bob Mortimer on ‘Would I Lie To You?’. They’re the ones he lit indoors when he was a child and burnt his house down.

@@richardpoynton4026 Yes the ever slightly condescending attitude of middle class David Mitchell that working class Bob Mortimer even had " Standard " fireworks.

The honest intentions bit always annoys me lol.. I admit He was honest about the plot when he was caught, But i can't really consider a Religiously extremist motivated terrorist plot, conducted by skulking around in the shadows with the intention of murdering lots of people with no warning, not to mention anyone with the bad luck to be anywhere near the parliament building if had of worked.. all in order to put themselves in power. Nope can't really consider that anything other than horrific..

That's when kids could be kids. Halloween was just a hollowed out turnip with a candle in it. These days commercial Americanisms are wiping out our ancient traditions. Trick or Treat is just thuggery. 7 teenage lads threatening a single woman in her own home is not acceptable.

Thanks, that's actually the album tho

😆

Where he was James IV!!! Isn't history confusing? :-D

@@margaretnicol3423 James VI actually, but we get the idea :-)

@@Macilmoyle Idiot! My fingers slipped and I didn't check. :-)

The Catholic rulers also had 'inventive' executions. It's amazing what good people will do when they feel they have a god on their side (pararphrasing Christopher Hitchens).

Chilli con carne 😋

When ever I hear the name john snow my brain always follows up with a silent voice in my head saying "..... and Zeinab Badawi"

He was an olde doctor.

@@emdiar6588 . He was indeed. He created this fantastic chart/ street map of London marking all the cases of cholera in 1850 something. He then deduced that it was as a result of one street water pump. What a fantastic piece of detective work. Up until then it was thought to have been carried from the foul air from the Thames.

Pioneer in medicine. Should have been bloody knighted!

The doctor was John Snow rather than Jon Snow, but he definitely deserves a mention given his incredible discoveries regarding cholera

can vouch for this - my folks went to one of the events, got some video of it - any event they go to is inevitably compared to Bridgewater- and they inevitably lose to you guys!

We are well over due another Guy Fawkes!!

Halloween wasnt "celebrated" but it was marked as the witching hour and we used to hold sleepovers and tell ghost stories at the witching hour.

@@captvimes bonfire night isn't Halloween

@@philipwhatcott997 Never said it was

@@captvimes yes you did

You’re referencing England. Halloween originated in Scotland and went over to the USA. We have turnip lanterns which became pumpkins in America. It was the night when devils and imps walked the earth and got up to mischief so you could only go outside disguised as one of them: ghosts, skee weletonsvor witches traditionally .We call it ‘guiding’. In the US it became dressing up and causing the ‘mischief’. The guisers go from door to door in Scotland and must sing a song, say a poem or do a dance to be given a treat. (Which used to be an apple or some sweets) When I was young most family’s would decorate their house with cobwebs , spiders and other scary creatures and ‘dook’ for apples ( duck your head into a bowl of apples to grab one with your teeth) , hang treacle scones from string and try to be first to eat it with hands behind your back… and sit round the lit turnip lanterns telling the scariest stories. This is the tradition that carried over to the US and has come back over to England. We Scots have always celebrated it.

‘guisers’

@@sinnebeitaen2743 Well maybe. But I’m old enough to remember ‘bobbing for apples’ and eating confectionery off string without use of hands well before ‘Trick or Treat’ ever became a thing. And Yorkshire folk have marked the passage of a soul between Earth and one of the other places for a long long time at any time of year. See the ‘Lyke Wake Dirge’.

@@sinnebeitaen2743 ‘guiders’ always makes me think of ‘Up Helly-a!’. (Hope I’ve got that right!!).

‘Guisers’ - bloody auto correct!

Correct, when James came to the throne of England he was still James VI of Scotland but James I of England, the two kingdoms were still separate.

Oh my fucking god read a fucking history book James the 6th of Scotland was invited to be king of England Ireland and Wales uniting the kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland the political union of the parliaments happened latter,The treaty of Windsor in 1175 Ireland and Wales in 1267 FYI lord protector means king by another name right or wrong it's history that should be learnt and just so baffled people can get their head around it the queen is queen of Australia queen of New Zealand and queen of Canada barmy boris is NOT allowed to make decisions and never will be the head of state is the queen the same with Ireland and Wales who were not politically aligned but it was a United Kingdom the clue is in the name KINGdom same king or queen also guy Fawkes died getting off the cart due to his injuries sustained during his torture all his joints were dislocated plus numerous other injuries he is also the only man in history to enter parliament with honourable intentions FYI for the American cousins the British army officer (gen) George Washington would have gotten the same punishment for treason if caught as he broke his oath to his commander in chief

@@redrb26dett no, the Kingdoms weren’t united until the Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland were still independent states with separate governments until then.

@@keithorbell8946 yup, the king wanted a uniting and pushed for it for his whole life, but both parliament's refused until the Darion affair when Scotland went bankrupt owing huge debts to France and Spain, after that palms were greased in the English parliament and promises of debt settlement for the Scottish to bring about the act of union. and thus our union was born from one very stupid Scottish adventure to panama, bribery and the threat of french and spanish invasions of Scotland to recoup moneys owed. (money Spain all ready had as they took it from the Scottish in panama)

@@BadgerGirl The Darien Affair was 90 years after James became James I of England.

Play them this video 😉

It's still taught in primary school. It's part of the National curriculum!