- Bring out your Guys and show us your Bonfires
- This page is
dedicated to Guys, Bonfires, and Bonfire Societies worldwide.
- We are very interested in
your fires, Guys, and personal accounts click here to
learn of our search
- Select from this
table:
- Bring us
your Guys and Fires!
- We are interested in bringing
your creativity , and your organization to the attention of the world.
- Use this mail link click here to send us images of
your "Guy" and your Bonfire. Bonfire images may be before and during the
fire itself. We want to show the spectacular bonfire pyre's.
- You may send your images to us via ordinary "snail
mail" at:
- Center for Fawkesian Pursuits-PO BOX 268 Linthicum
Md. 21090 USA
-
to the top...
Descriptions
of Bonfires:
LEWES BONFIRE CELEBRATIONS 2001 The weather was fine
and unseasonally warm for November 5th in Lewes this year, and unlike last
year there were no after-effects of floods to be overcome. In retrospect
the various Bonfire Societies performed magnificently in 2000 in being able
to carry on as normal in spite of the flooding of the River Ouse which had
devastated the town so terribly just a few weeks prior to the celebrations.
With Bonfire Night falling on a weekday (a Monday) this year the crowds
were slightly lower than for the previous couple of years when the festivities
took place over a weekend, but this was actually an advantage for Bonfire
aficionados as it was far easier to get close to the various events. The schedules
were much the same as ever, with the South Street B.S.'s first parade (their
children's procession) setting off at 5.45 p.m., and the Cliffe B.S.'s famous
"Barrel runs" starting at 6.00 p.m. A foretaste of what was to come came
during the Cliffe B.S.'s first procession of the evening when the Archbishop
of the Cliffe delivered his opening oration, and made a telling comparison
between the terrorism of the Gunpowder Plot and the more recent terrorism
which took place on September 11th. The following Bonfire Prayers consequently
seemed to be recited with added gusto by the assembled crowd. Those taking
part in the various processions seemed to be as high as normal, though there
did seem to be slightly fewer bands involved than usual. One very nice touch
was that the fire engine paraded by "Ye Olde Cliffe Fire Brigade" displayed
a small U.S. flag on top. Probably this year's "Mammoth Grand Realistic
Tableau" was the most predictable for many years - certainly as far as the
Cliffe B.S. was concerned. Although Osama bin Laden's appearance on the streets
of Lewes during the Grand Procession was not unexpected, his circumstances
were something of a surprise - for there he was, three times life size, seated
on a Royal Dalton toilet with his pantaloons around his ankles, and with
the sign "Bindaloo" below him. As the tableau passed by, however, it could
be seen that he was being attacked from the rear by a giant American eagle,
and a slogan written on the back of the cistern read: "Who's in the shit
now!". This tableau must have been planned and constructed at very short
notice as international events developed, so the Cliffe's Captain of Tableau,
Mr. Brian Jarvis, and his team of workers deserve the highest congratulations
for constructing such a magnificent and realistic effigy so quickly. Certainly
other societies did not seem to be able to alter their plans in time, for
other tableaux on display that evening centred on the recent foot and mouth
epidemic and the crisis in the National Health Service. The Cliffe's decision
to start charging admission for entry to the Bonfire Site a few years ago
certainly seemed to be well vindicated, for the consequent smaller crowds
meant it was far easier to see the various effigies being exploded and consumed
by fire, and to hear the Archbishop's Bonfire Oration. As well as Guy Fawkes,
Pope Paul V and bin Laden, another "Enemy of Bonfire" condemned to fire in
effigy this year was a local photographer (believed to be a Roman Catholic)
who had evidently caused some trouble in the town during the previous year.
On the following day it was most pleasing to see that not only did an excellent
picture of the bin Laden tableau appear in the Brighton "Argus", but also
on the front page of the prestigious London "Times"! Furthermore, a few days
later it also featured in the popular BBC TV satire quiz "Have I Got News
For You". International events have therefore helped to place the Lewes Bonfire
Celebrations - and the Cliffe B.S, in particular - fully on the map this
year. - Alan Harvey
Lewes, Sussex, 1998
The
ceremonies this year were as good as ever - with unlike last year no
downpour to put a dampener on proceedings!
The Cliffe's Mammoth Grand Realistic
Tableau was one of their best ever. Entitled "Hard at Work", it
featured William Jefferson Clinton, which from a distance looked as if he
was clutching an enormous phallus. When the
tableau came closer, however, we could
see that he was actually sitting astride a cruise missile, with the
initials USAF clearly emblazoned on both sides
of the mighty weapon. Re- christened
"Captain Viagra", he was resplendent in U.S. colours and holding
a shield, whilst giant Viagra tablets tumbled around him. It was brilliant!
South Street's tableau was entitled "Smoking
Seriously Damages Your Wealth", and
featured Formula One boss(was Tony Blair, England PM,
and not Mr. Ecclestone. Tony was holding onto a rope around a sack
of cash, a little gift from Mr. Ecclestone
for services that might be rendered!!
correction by Kelvin Pope builder of the Tab) in a Jordan Racing Car
puffing away at a giant cigarette, with the
words "New Labour, Same Shit" painted
across his helmet. One new innovation this year was that it was made
"ticket only" at the Cliffe Bonfire Site;
this didn't worry the party which I
was with as it meant that we could have a look at some of the other
societies setting off for their bonfire sites,
before adjourning to the pub for a few
extra pints before the processions returned. One colleague decided
to patronise the South Street Bonfire celebrations
instead of the Cliffe as he usually
does however, and in a way this new "ticket only" policy could be
a good move as it will encourage more support for some of the smaller
societies. Incidentally, only a few years
ago it seemed to be only the Cliffe
who retained the tradition of burning (or rather exploding) an effigy
of Pope Paul V, but South Street also resumed
the tradition a few years back
(From Kelvin Pope:"As
for South Street burning the Pope, well we've always burnt the papal
effigy and will continue to do so, no matter what the pressures from the
so called holy men of England.THE ARCHBISHOP
OF ROME HATH NO JURISTICTION IN THIS REALM
OF ENGLAND.")
(and indeed their programme
was certainly the most fundamental in this
regard this year), and I was also most pleased to see that Commercial Square
did so as well this year. Also, although Waterloo
didn't appear to be carrying out the
actual tradition itself, their programme even so made some
very interesting references to the true meaning and traditions of Bonfire.
Only the Borough seems to have abandoned the
tradition almost completely therefore
- and it was interesting to note in this regard that some of their
leading officials were deemed to be "Enemies
of Bonfire" and had their giant head
effigies similarly exploded by the Cliffe this year! Before the events
of the 5th itself the RC archbishop of Arundel
and Brighton called for a "toning down"
of the anti-Catholic undertones, a remark which was taken up
by certain sections of the media, but most pleasingly this hysterical call
was more than adequately rebutted by Society
officials, and the traditional ceremonies
thus went ahead as normal! Alan D.H.
With helpful annotations by Kelvin Pope
From one of our Correspondents on
the ground at Lewes 1997:
As promised, a report on this year's Lewes Bonfire
festivities, to celebrate the 392nd Anniversary of the Discovery of the Gunpowder
Plot, and the 309th Anniversary of the Landing of William, Prince of Orange,
at Tor Bay. Alas, as all of you on the South Coast will know, it absolutely
teemed down with rain that evening, particularly during the mid and late
evening when the actual Bonfire ceremonies were due to take place, and as
a result the Bonfire sites undoubtedly became a complete quagmire, so we
decided not to make this further excursion. Even so both I and my colleagues
had a euphoric (if somewhat drenched) time watching the earlier processions
parade through the town. We managed to see the parades of both the Cliffe
and the South Street Bonfire Societies, but of course concentrated upon the
main processions of the Cliffe B.S. (the tar barrel ceremony, the remembrance
parade to the War Memorial and the Grand Procession on its way to the Bonfire
site). The Cliffe's "Mammoth Grand Realistic Tableau" this year was entitled
"A pat on the way back", and was on the theme of the sell-out and hand over
of Hong Kong. It featured a giant Chinaman (who actually looked more like
a gorilla - "King Kong"?) clutching a Communist Chinese flag and with his
arms grabbing and encircling a fantastically realistic model of the Hong Kong
skyline. During recent years the Cliffe have also taken to the idea of burning
further giant heads of personages deemed to be "Enemies of Bonfire", and
this year there were five of them. Alas three of them I did not recognize
(probably obscure local busy-body Lib Dem councilors), but one was a large
television screen labeled "television documentaries" (probably some Meridian
documentary which I missed must have been less than complimentary to the festivities)
and the other - for some obscure reason - was that of the obnoxious Brighton-based
negro boxer, Chris Eubank. The size of the crowds this year were naturally
slightly down on previous years because of the heavy rain (Radio Brighton
evidently estimated only 10,000, but as the Evening Argus had estimated 70,000
in 1996 and I didn't think they were that smaller, I would imagine that this
was probably a great under-estimation). It might have been my imagination,
but I thought that the numbers actually involved in the Cliffe's processions
(and indeed the South Street's also) were larger than ever, which of course
is a very encouraging sign for the future. All in all therefore a terrible
tragedy about the heavy rain - but there's always 1998 to look forward to
! Alan D. H. to the top...
- The Center For Fawkesian Pursuits-America's Only (?)
Bonfire Society!Linthicum,Md. 1997
It was a wet and sloshy night.....The fire the night
before struggled with the elements. The keg was ready to sustain and all
worked hard to keep the fire burning over the rocks in the pit. The Guys
were readied- photos soon! Tony Blair was the favorite with a few heads he
had taken in the recent elections in his chariot (a baby carriage) with its
wheel run over a stop sign! The Union flag fluttering from the sun cover-
he wore no poppy. Guy stepped out in his pink legs and short pants with black
coat and demonic grin- the children liked him the best. The turkey
made it into the ground on time and then we set to roasting potatoes and
baking bread and steaming the puddings. The rain had ended by the time
the crowd of some 30 had gathered. (the faux Fawkeses always deterred by
the traditional weather) Incense filled the air from the shrine built a top
the turkey pit which was presided over by the Jack-O-Lantern. As the crowd
drank beer and wine and ate peanuts the children ran amok in the fall leaves
wondering where their food was coming from. The Period music of Byrd
and Italian composers of the time filled the air mixed with English Style
brass band music and fanfares. Soon with the wife herself growing hungry
and the crowd demanding to be fed I was forced to begin the ritual of the
evening. The light was lit over the crowd and three teams were formed for
the chants. All did a fine job shouting at the top of their lungs to proclaim
the annual remembrance. The team representing Worcheshire did the best and
pounded the ground right well! It was then time to go over to the pit.
When all assembled the steamy earth was torn apart in search of the grand
bird! The steam rose up and the air was sage,wine and orange. The turkey
was excavated -well done! Just Right. All went inside conveyed by the rich
aromas of the earth oven. Carefully without loosing track of the least
grain of sand the bird of 35 lbs was carefully excavated cleanly from its
shroud of collard leaves and mesh wire. Not a speck of dirt was reported
this year! The new Fawkesians looked on in absolute wonder that a turkey
should be so well done in the pit. Plates of steamy succulent meat made their
way down to the assembled and hungry party. During dinner the crowd
watched a video of last years Lewes events complete with the Pope and the
jeers! With guests filled with turkey and good sweet beer- a honey
lager time for dessert was upon us. We all moved upstairs for the ceremonial
reading of the page from Dickens which described the Cratchet's Xmas pudding
as the pudding was slid from its pot. Success! The steaming pudding was placed
on its tray and ceremoniously paraded out into the yard along with brandy.
On the way a sprig of fresh ripened holly was picked and placed on it as a
crown. Then it was onward to the cast iron stove out back where the
chimney has carved in it a likeness of Guy which spouts fire from the eyes
nose mouth and beard. The brandy was heated then flamed then poured over
the pudding which became as blue as a police car light in the dark. The crowd
went wild and demanded several lightings! Then to the shout "behold the Pudding"
all passed by into the house to the dessert table which contained the hard
sauce, the saxon pudding and the cakes brought by the guests. As time
went on the weaker departed one by one. The bonfire raged in the pit as children
made somemores from chocolate graham crackers and marshmallows. Once the
children had had their sweets we gathered them together for the traditional
Fawkes day message. We talked of the bravery and dedication of those
who as plotters held their values high. Then we talked of the plot and the
meaning of Terrorism and the need to remember that taking the law into your
own hands is an unwise choice. We talked of Father Garnet and of the Jesuit
mission. We learned of his bravery in the face of certain death and torture.
But we also learned that he did not follow the law but relied too much on
his religion and the government of the church. We all were thankful that
the plotters were defeated and that the English government continued to improve
over the years and that we were relatively free of terrorism in our country.
One by one the children selected "corns" from the Jack-O-Lantern container
until one got the corn with the face of Garnet upon it- they got the
candy reward for listening 
to be passed out to all! Once the children had gone their way the music of
the Whisky Priests filled the air and the men worked on re-cycling the aluminum
out back! Then in the morning the job still not quite done.... resumed
again...Conrad Bladey, The Center for Fawkesian Pursuits, Linthicum,Md. 1997.
to the top...
From: DERRICK GIBSON-HARRIES (Northern Ireland)
Guy Fawkes is alive and well in Ulster, in a small way but most definitely
still surviving his annual immolation. From my, very slight, elevation on
the top of a drumlin I get tantalizing cloud reflected glimpses of other peoples'
celebrations, and free firework displays. As far as I can judge Aghagallon,
last Protestant moved out last year I was gratuitously told, celebrates Halloween.
Aghalee, two miles from Aghagallon, does much better with The Twelfth, Halloween
AND Guy Fawkes. There are several Guy Fawkes bonfires, all quite modest,
on my skyline each year. When I lived in Armagh, from Cathedral Hill one
could see for miles. It was obvious that many Guy Fawkes parties were small
back garden affairs in the Protestant areas on the edge of our vision, with
the odd bigger fire toward the horizon. I would disagree that "Most
British people" see anything even vaguely political about "Bonfire night,"
unless things have changed drastically since I last had a family bonfire
with my children in England. It used to be a child-led event. The children
scrounged the wood and other combustibles and bullied and cajoled their parents
into buying bigger and better fireworks than the children themselves could
afford. At school we were told that it was to celebrate the discovery of
a Papish plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and that to this day there
is a guard patrol through the cellars on November 5th, or was it 4th? But
we might just as well have been told that it was a "Luddite plot" or a "Flat
earth plot" for all it meant to us. It was just a fun thing, an excuse to
play with fire and enjoy being up late. A catharsis for the latent pyromaniacs
amongst us. I am a naive late developer and was well into my twenties before
realising any religious significance to Guy Fawkes, when I wondered why my
friends in Dublin did not appear to know about him! to the
top...
- Bonfire
Societies: Bonfire societies developed in the
19th century to serve as politically correct Victorian replacements for
the free ranging "people power" guys that would roam the streets on the
fifth of November. We hope that this page will help you find
and get involved with a bonfire society near you. Remember!
Bonfire Societies create good times for one and all and
maintain a very important tradition. Don't just turn up for
the fun! Contact them to volunteer and join in. No matter
what your skills are there is a place to help out!
- Click here to go to the menu of Bonfire Societies.
-
Bonfire
Societies:
For a general history and chronology of bonfire societies go
here just click it!
All others Click here
- The
Bonfire Societies of Lewes Sussex, England. It is hard to keep track of
ever changing links let me know if you find an error....
A very helpful Lewes Bonfire Page click here
Official Cliffe Bonfire Page
(Lewes) Borough B.S. Official site
click
here
Commercial Square B.S.
click
here
Waterloo B.S.
click here
LEWES BONFIRE COUNCIL:
click here
Neville Junior
click here
South Street
click here
Littlehampton
Bonfire Society
Littlehampton Bonfire Society
Bonfire Celebrations Organiser
Tel.: 01903 725149
46
Kent Road
LITTLHAMPTON
BN17 6LQ
Hastings
Bonfire
HASTINGS BOROUGH BONFIRE SOCIETY For the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society
web page click here
THE RYE & DISTRICT BONFIRE SOCIETY Web Page
click here
ICKLESHAM
Robin Hood BONFIRE Web Page
Click Here-
Battel-web page click here
(A good source for Sussex Bonfire dates)
Kent Edenbridge Bonfire Society For their web
page !
Fletching Bonfire
For their web page
click here
Eastbourne
click here
Barcombe
click
here
Crowborough
click here
Chailey
click here
Firle
click here
Merrie Harriers
click here
Newick
click here
Links are only as good as your efforts to update them. If
you change your web page address please let me know.
The Bonfire
List-Free!!!
The Bonfire e.mail list is designed for those involved
with bonfire societies worldwide. It is a good way to share information and
to keep in touch with one another. A good place to discuss the issues and
find suppliers,technicians and techniques as well. To subscribe to the
Bonfire list send an e.mail by clicking here. In the e.mail put
your e.mail address and the sentence: please subscribe Bonfire list.
You can also search for and join the Bonfire list at:
http://www.yahoogroups.com
Just click the
address to go there. Those who join the list will have access to an common
upload area and a calendar for listing events of interest. This is a great
tool- sign up today!
There are two other bonfire related lists available at
http://www.yahoogroups.com
Sussexbonfire
Guy Fawkes
to the top...
How do you celebrate Guy Fawkes Day? Send us pictures of your Guys and Bonfires-
before and after!Send us information concerning your bonfire society! Let us know!
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