We didn’t forget to remember, remember!
Ori and I didn’t have any big plans for our first Guy Fawkes Night, the big night 
of fire-related celebrations held in England and elsewhere each year on November 5. But she got word that a group of friends from work was planning to go to Kidlington, a little town just north of Oxford, to watch their fireworks display set to the music of Abba, and we decided to tag along.
It started to rain on the way there, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. When we arrived, we found a lively crowd assembled and some carnival rides and food for sale. We purchased some “candy floss,”
as it’s called on this side of the Atlantic, and proceeded to watch the morris men dance, flaming torches in hand, to the music of a live accordion.
Finally, once everybody in the “queue” at the gate had been admitted, the fireworks show began. Ori and I weren’t expecting much, to be honest, but we were pleasantly surprised by the display. The Abba music was played through a tinny loudspeaker and was drowned out by the fireworks, but it certainly added to the festive atmosphere, with many people singing along.
The fireworks went on for 15 or 20 minutes, and we were much closer to the launch zone than either of us had ever been before, making it all the more exciting.
It was no Redentore, I’ll admit. Still, it’s always fun to participate in the cultural traditions of whatever culture you’re currently living in, especially when they involve aerial explosions. The one disappointment was the complete lack of any sort of bonfire, but I suppose the location, a carefully groomed grass sports field, ruled one out.
Since before Halloween, actually, people have been setting off fireworks all around the neighbourhood (that’s one reason our expectations were low for the Kidlington show – we thought it might be a BYOF sort of thing). Though yesterday was the official date (and we could see lots of other nearby fireworks as we waited for our own show to start), some towns are waiting until tomorrow evening to put on their shows, because the weekend will probably encourage higher attendance (and the weather looks like it will be much better, too!).
This very evening, as I was out in the yard tinkering, I heard a sudden “psshhissssssss” sound and looked up to see the neighbours,
separated from me by only a thin wooden fence, running away from a rapidly burning fuse on the lawn. “Uh oh,” I said aloud (they guffawed), and I quickly ran to the other side of our yard to watch. A second or two later, I was witnessing a very nice private fireworks show, albeit without the Abba accompaniment. As I’ve been writing this, they’ve resumed the pyrotechnics, and judging from their aim (one of the fireworks shot straight across the yard towards them and started smouldering under a picnic table near their house), they’re probably had a few drinks.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
It started to rain on the way there, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. When we arrived, we found a lively crowd assembled and some carnival rides and food for sale. We purchased some “candy floss,”
Finally, once everybody in the “queue” at the gate had been admitted, the fireworks show began. Ori and I weren’t expecting much, to be honest, but we were pleasantly surprised by the display. The Abba music was played through a tinny loudspeaker and was drowned out by the fireworks, but it certainly added to the festive atmosphere, with many people singing along.
It was no Redentore, I’ll admit. Still, it’s always fun to participate in the cultural traditions of whatever culture you’re currently living in, especially when they involve aerial explosions. The one disappointment was the complete lack of any sort of bonfire, but I suppose the location, a carefully groomed grass sports field, ruled one out.
Since before Halloween, actually, people have been setting off fireworks all around the neighbourhood (that’s one reason our expectations were low for the Kidlington show – we thought it might be a BYOF sort of thing). Though yesterday was the official date (and we could see lots of other nearby fireworks as we waited for our own show to start), some towns are waiting until tomorrow evening to put on their shows, because the weekend will probably encourage higher attendance (and the weather looks like it will be much better, too!).
This very evening, as I was out in the yard tinkering, I heard a sudden “psshhissssssss” sound and looked up to see the neighbours,
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
