"ANOTHER MONTH IS HERE"

 

                         

 

                      

 

WELL HALLOWEEN IS NOW OVER MY FRIENDS I HOPE YOU HAD A FUN NIGHT.

 

AND NO GHOULS CAME TO YOUR DOOR LAST NIGHT GIVING YOU ALL A FRIGHT.

 

NOVEMBER IS HERE AND ANOTHER EVENT THERE WILL SOON BE IN LINE.

 

THE FIFTH BRINGS MANY GOOD MEMORIES FOR ME AS I LOOK BACK AGAIN ONCE IN TIME.

 

BONFIRE NIGHT WAS THE NIGHT OF THE YEAR FOR US KIDS WHEN WE WERE YOUNG.

 

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL HOW I THOUGHT IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.

 

I COULDN'T WAIT TO RUN HOME FROM SCHOOL TO HELP MOTHER WHO WOULD BUSY BE.

 

MAKING THE STICKY BONFIRE TOFFEE THE PARKIN AND PIE AND PEAS.

 

I'D SORT OUT  THE LARGE POTATOES FOR HER TO BAKE IN THE BONFIRE RED HOT .

 

WHILE ALL THE DADS WERE  BUILDING THE FIRE TO PUT OUR GUY FAWKS UP ON TOP.

 

 

                              

 

WE MADE HIM  OUT OF OLD RAGGEDY CLOTHES  MANY WEEKS IN ADVANCE.

 

WHICH WE'D WHEEL ROUND SHOUTING "PENNY FOR THE GUY" HOPING AND TAKING A CHANCE.

                                             

                                     

    

HE WAS EITHER PUT IN A WHEELBARROW OR AN OLD BATTERED PRAM WHICH WE PUSHED.

 

AND INSIDE HIS OLD RAGGED CLOTHES WERE NEWSPAPERS WHICH WE SCREWED UP AND CRUSHED.

 

WE WOULD MAKE OUR WAY TO THE RICH HOMES WILLING THEM HOME FROM WORK.

 

OUR GANG LOOKING LIKE LOST ORPHANS WITH OUR FACES FULL OF DIRT.      HE-HE.

 

WHEN THE PASSERS BY DROPPED THE COINS  IN OUR TIN TO BUY ALL OUR FIREWORKS  WITH.

 

WE WOULD HURRY HOME FAST TO TAKE TO OUR PARENTS THEN THEY WENT OUT TO GIVE.

 

THE SHOPKEEPER DOWN THE ROAD FOR OUR SPARKLERS AND FIREWORKS IF WE HAD ENOUGH.

 

               

 

I THINK THEY FELT SORRY FOR US SCRUFFY KIDS IN TATTY CLOTHES LOOKING ROUGH.          HE HE!!!

 

 

                             

 

THE LADS WOULD PUT ON THERE DADS FLAT CAPS AND ALL OF US GIRLS WOULD LAUGH.

 

THEY MUST HAVE LOOKED POOR WHEN I THINK BACK WALKING UP THE RICH MANS PATH.         HE-HE.

                  

BUT POOR OR NOT THERE WAS MUCH LOVE AT HOME AND FUN ON OUR GUY FAWKS NIGHT.

 

WITH ALL THE NEIGHBOURHOOD JOINING IN AND SAT ROUND THE BONFIRE SO BRIGHT..

                                          

 

EVERYONES  MUM WOULD BRING SOMETHING ROUND FOR ALL OF THE KIDS TO EAT.

 

WE WOULD WATCH OUR DADS LIGHT THE FIREWORKS WHILE EATING ALL OF OUR TREATS.

 

A YEARLY EVENT WE LOOKED FORWARD TO CHUMPING (gathering) FOR WEEKS ON END.

 

COLLECTING OLD BROKEN CHAIRS FROM THE NEIGHBOURS WHEN A MESSAGE THEY WOULD SEND.

 

PULLING BRANCHES UP THE ROAD WHICH WERE FELLED FROM ROTTING  OLD TREES.

 

OLD TABLES PEOPLE WOULD ASK IF WE WANTED AND WE WOULD SHOUT OUT " YES PLEASE"  !!! .

 

SETTEES THAT WERE TORN AND ALL WORN OUT WE WOULD DRAG THEM TO OUR HOME.

 

NOTHING WAS EVER TOO MUCH  TO HANDLE AND YOU NEVER HEARD ANY OF US MOAN.

 

WE  COVERED THE SETTEES UP WITH WATERFROOFS  TO KEEP THEM NICE AND DRY.

 

THEY WERE STACKED IN THE CORNER OF OUR BACK YARDS REALY PILED UP HIGH.

 

THE SETTEES WERE SAVED UNTIL LAST TO BE BURNT AS THEY WERE THE SEATING FOR ALL.         HE-HE.

 

FATHERS MOTHERS AUNTS AND UNCLES NEIGHBOURS AND ALL US KIDS SMALL.

 

IN THE EVENINGS BEFORE OUR BEDTIME WE STOOD GUARD OF THE CHUMPS  IN OUR TURN.   HE-HE

 

BECAUSE THEY WERE PRECIOUS TO US YOU SEE EVEN IF ONLY TO BURN.

 

GANGS OF KIDS FROM THE OTHER STREETS WOULD SNEAK ROUND TO STEAL ON A NIGHT.

 

IF THEY SAW THE TOUGH LADS IN OUR STREET THERE THEY  WERE SOON RUNNING OUT OF SIGHT.   HE-HE

 

THEN THE EXCITEMENT BEGAN MY FRIENDS BONFIRE NIGHT FINALLY ARRIVED.

 

WITH ALL OF US SCRUFFY KIDS GATHERED THERE ON THE SETTEES WE DIVED.         HE-HE.

 

READY AND WAITING FOR DADS WITH THERE TORCHES UNTIL THERE WASN'T A SOUND .

 

GUY FAWKS ON TOP OF THE BONFIRE HIS HEAD BOWING DOWN AT THE GROUND.

 

YEHHHHHHH !!!  THE COUNTDOWN STARTED AT 6PM TEN NINE EIGHT SEVEN SIX .

 

WITH THE FLAME FROM DADS TORCH AND A LITTLE ADDED PARAFFIN THAT REALY DID THE TRICK.

 

HOORAY  !!!  ALL THE KIDS STARTED SCREAMING OUR BONFIRE HAD NOW  BEGUN.

 

WE'D BE JUMPING AND BOUNCING ON THE SETTEES US RAGGEDY KIDS HAVING FUN.   HE-HE. 

 

THE CATHERINE WHEELS STARTED SPINNING ROUND ON THE FENCE FIXED TIGHT WITH A PIN.

 

ROCKETS LAUNCHED FROM OLD PLASTIC BOTTLES ON TOP OF THE OLD METAL BIN.

                     

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GOLDEN FOUNTAINS SHOWERING BRIGHTLY  STANDING UP HIGH ON THE WALL.

 

                                                                               

                                  

MULTI COLOURED ROMAN CANDLES REPEATEDLY SHOOTING OUT BALLS..

 

THEN MOTHER CAME  ROUND WITH THE TOFFEE AND PARKIN FOR ALL TO CHEW.

 

MADE WITH BLACK TREACLE IT STUCK TO YOUR  TEETH IT FELT LIKE LUMPS OF GLUE. HE-HE.

 

 

                    

 

A BLACK BAKED POTATO  WITH SKIN STILL ON IT FROM THE FIRE WITH BUTTER ON TOP.

 

WATCHING OUR WELLINGTON BOOTS ALL THE TIME FOR THE JUMPING CRACKER IT HOPPED.

 

IT COULD JUMP  INSIDE YOUR WELLIES IF NOT CAREFULL AND NOT AWARE.

 

WHEN  THE TOUCH PAPER LIT THE JUMPING JACK IT SEEMED TO JUMP EVERYWHERE.

 

ALL OF US SAT THERE WATCHING THE FIRE SOME  EATING THERE PIE AND PEAS.

 

BLACKENED FACES NIBBLING ON PARKIN ALL OF THESE GOODIES DID PLEASE.

 

THE SET POT BOILING AWAY IN THE HOUSE WITH HOT WATER TO FILL THE TIN  BATH.

 

READY TO GET SCRUBBED DOWN FOR BED MY SISTERS AND ME LAUGHING KATH.             HE-HE

 

     

 

OH! HOW I LOVED OUR BONFIRE NIGHTS BUT THE TRADITION  NOW  ISN'T THE SAME.

 

KIDS START WITH THERE ATOM BOMBS EARLY AND NOW DRIVE US ALL IN SANE.

 

BANG BOOM BANG

 

EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK WE HEAR LOUD BANGS BEFORE IT IS TIME.

 

THE LAW SHOULD DRAW A CLOSE TO THE SALES AND HAND OUT SOME HEAVY  FINES.

 

NO I'M NOT AN OLD MISERABLE PENSIONER WHO DOESN'T LIKE TO HAVE FUN WITH KIDS.

 

TODAY THE TEENAGERS  ABUSE THESE FIREWORKS AND SOME COST HUNDREDS OF QUID.

 

THERE NOT BOUGHT FOR  ENTERTAINMENT  TODAY AND BRINGING  JOY TO KIDS HEARTS.

 

THERE USED BY VANDALS TO DO LOTS OF DAMAGE AND BLOW THINGS UP AND APART.

                       

                              

SETTING FIRE TO ANYTHING IN THERE SIGHT CAUSING HAVOCK AND ANIMALS STRESS.

 

MANY TRADITIONAL STREET  BONFIRES  DISSAPEARED AND THINGS ARE A MESS. 

 

IT HAS TAKEN ALL THE EXCITEMENT AWAY FOR SMALL CHILDREN WELL THIS IS MY THOUGHT.

 

NO GATHERING NOW OF FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS AND ALL THE FUN BONFIRE NIGHT BROUGHT.

 

YES I KNOW THERE ARE THE ORGANISED LARGE ONES WHICH EVERYONE CAN GO TO SEE.

 

BUT IT'S STILL  NOT THE SAME AS HAVING YOUR OWN IN YOUR BACK YARD LIKE OURS USED TO BE.

NEVER MIND THEY  CARN'T TAKE  MY MEMORIES AWAY OF WHEN I WAS A GIRL.

 

HELPING MUM MAKE THE BONFIRE TOFFEE AND WATCHING THEM CATHERINE WHEELS TWIRL.

 

DO YOU J/LAND FRIENDS IN ENGLAND HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF THEM  DAYS OF OLD.

 

DOING THE THINGS WE DID IN MY STORY HERE WHICH I HAVE JUST TOLD.

 

MAKING OUR GUY FAWKS AND SHAKING OUR SPARKLERS WE REALY HAD A GREAT TIME.

 

I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED AND IV'E JOGGED YOUR MEMORIES ONCE AGAIN IN

 

                                       "MY SIMPLE RHYME"

 

        TAKE CARE IF YOU DO HAVE ONE FRIENDS AND ENJOY!!!