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Sunday 6 November 2011

Remember, remember, the 5th of November for Handmade Monday


Hand made Monday  http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog  Do use this link and look at the lovely things on show today, well worth a visit.

Another 5th of November – I must be getting old as they seem to come round so quickly these days.  A trip down memory lane is called for I think.
My memorable bonfire years are the 1940’s,  Some describe as “The good old days” but I believe this title grew from the fact we didn’t know or have better to judge them by.  However, I digress.
Fires in the back garden, pretty fireworks, Roman Candles, Waterfalls, and the like. No such thing as Health and Safety, we all threw wood on the fire regardless.   It was part of the fun as we knocked on neighbours doors asking for something to burn and made our own Guy Fawks to stick on the top or push round the streets asking “Penny for the guy”.
I remember it was always so cold you had to stand fairly close to the fire to keep warm ending up with red faces. Dad threw potatoes in, we threw in loads of conkers and waited for them to explode and if the money stretched far enough we had marshmallows on sticks to roast. 
If you were extra lucky next door had better fireworks than you and you could watch them too. 
By the time I had children garden bonfires were a thing of the past but we did have community ones on the nearest piece of waste ground organised by a few Fathers and we pooled our fireworks.
Now it has changed again and although, obviously things are much safer for our little ones and more environmentally friendly, I do wonder who enjoyed it most, our home made fun or the youngsters of today with the more commercial, (pay to go) and very organised ones we have now.

17 comments:

  1. Home made definitely! There's always that feeling that something may go wrong, it's dark and wonderful and made of memories

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  2. Yes, I remember the back garden bonfires with a lot of nostalgia, too. My dad was a pub landlord and I remember us having a big bonfire one year in our back garden, pub regulars all invited & we raised money (for the scouts I think) - probably lots of people drinking, not a good combination at all!

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  3. Homemade fun any day, the simpler things in life and appreciation of the fun we all had. Just being together and laughing was worth far more than anything money could buy

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  4. Carol - I only have to smell a firework and I want tomato soup, sausages and fire baked potatoes. I can see my brother at the back bedroom window setting off fireworks on the window sill, desperately searching for milk bottle to stand rockets in and Catherine wheels that would fly off the fence. Happy days :)

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  5. It's amazing we survived the olden days! LOL We had fun, I suppose some people had dire things happen, but overall, we made it. And now everyone worries about every little thing. Oh well, we have our good memories (and when we share them, the kids look at us as if we are crazed!)
    Just like Halloween in the old days going house to house and getting candy from strangers with never a worry or 4th of July playing with sparklers etc. Or goodness I used to ride my horse without a helmet or without a saddle for goodness sakes. In fact, I used to get up when I was 11 years old, take a sack lunch I made myself, go to where we kept my horse, take him out into the desert by myself and ride all day, as long as I was home by dark no one worried about me! Can you imagine that today? :)

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  6. We were ya
    King about something similar last night at our firework party. Its a shame we have all become so insular and so health and safety obsessed too! I remember commu ity bonfires with fireworks and everyone bringing some food, potato pie, black peas and baked spuds. The kids these days don't know what they are missing!

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  7. I love firework! Yes I remember standing close to each other in a park to view firework and everyone in a rush to go home afterwards. Shame I don't go to the public anymore and can only hope that some of our neighbor would have a firework in their back garden so i can watch on my window too.

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  8. Carol, I think to subscribe to the blog, go to the bottom of the post (any of them I think) then click where it says subscribe and go to FEED and it will open a page and the on the right there will be choices, under ACTIONS click on "subscribe in mail". That should work. I hope. :) There are other options under subscribe, but I don't know how to use any of them.

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  9. Lovely post full of memories. The old days of family and community get togethers were definately more memorable than the commercial money making events of today however grand they be.

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  10. As much as I love fireworks I have to admit I'm a little bit afraid of something going wrong and getting burned so we've always gone to the professional displays, we still get to stand close to the bonfire and get the rosy glow but at least I feel safe! It does sound fun the old fashioned way though! x

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  11. I too agree we seem to be safety crazy nowadays. I too used to go off with my friends, we had a den on the downs and we would spend all day there no-one would worry.
    I loved bonfire night as a kid and my kids are lucky enough to be brought up in a village where backyard bonfires and fireworks are still the norm.

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  12. For the first time ever, I've not seen or heard a single firework this year! I have been worried as they really upset our little dog, but I feel a bit left out now!

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  13. Guy Fawkes Night was always a favourite, milk bottles half buried in the soil were used to set off the rockets, a Catherine Wheel on the fence post, hot potatoes, sausages, sparklers waved around in the dark making pretty pattens, a great post, it brings back so many good memories.

    Jan x

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  14. Looking back Bonfire Night when I was a kid was great, lovely sparklers, Catherine wheels, Roman Candles, all gorgeous. Baked spuds in the fire. The morning after it was great fun looking in the garden to see if any rockets had landed. Them were the days

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  15. For me it was Jumping Jacks that you threw into the fire and big catherine wheels that Dad nailed to the fence post. They seemed to whiz round for ages and ages. Certainly think out bonfire nights were a lot more fun and carefree. Hugs Mrs A.

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  16. I would have loved family firework nights like that! We are lucky enough here to have a big community one held at the beach with all the reflections in the sea making it all even more magical.
    Jo x

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  17. I reach near 30 and can remember only one garden display that I really enjoyed. Sounds just like you describe. We had the peas and mint sauce, hot dogs and potatoes (from the fire) and it was so much fun. Then every year since then it was commercial displays. Since the 5th is also my bday, I have now made the habit of not going out, and instead just recreating the food as best one can without the fire. But I would agree, the days long gone were much more fun that standing around an over packed, over priced park. Lovely post!

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