Guy Fawkes Day

A Catherine wheel which we would fix onto the back yard fence with a nail.

A year ago, I wrote about the tradition in the UK of celebrating Guy Fawkes Day every November 5th.  It's been going on since 1606, which is a long time.  You can read about here - http://trevorsummons.blogspot.com/2010/11/november-fifth.html 
One year I was flying back from Copenhagen and it happened to be November the 5th at about 7 in the evening.  It had been dark for a couple of hours, but on this occasion the entire city was lit up with bonfires.  It was the time when people used to have their own fires in their back gardens and they would set off fireworks and cook potatoes "in their jackets," as we would say. On top of the bonfire would be a stuffed dummy representing Guy Fawkes himself.  As the plane circled to land it occurred to me that this was how it must have looked to the Luftwaffe in the days when they would fly over with the blitz.  It was a sight I shall never forget.  Sadly, most bonfires are now organized by the local authorities (when there's money in the budget, of course.)  But I'm sure it may not last much longer as the "enlightened" among us probably don't want people celebrating an event of such brutality as burning old Guy Fawkes on the bonfire.  In the meantime, "Penny for the Guy?"