The Lewes Bonfire Thread

[Lammy]

I'm from Seaford but now live in Newhaven. My Mother is from Lewes and her birthday is November 5th. She was actually born near the Needlemakers whilst the torches were going past. I WORK in Lewes near where my GREAT grandparents used to live and I have dinner at my Uncle's house on the night of the bonfires, which is the same house my Grand parents used to live.

Am I welcome?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I'm from Seaford but now live in Newhaven. My Mother is from Lewes and her birthday is November 5th. She was actually born near the Needlemakers whilst the torches were going past. I WORK in Lewes near where my GREAT grandparents used to live and I have dinner at my Uncle's house on the night of the bonfires, which is the same house my Grand parents used to live.

Am I welcome?

That's Commercial Square territory.

You are welcome as long as you stay your side of the bridge.

 

[Mendoza]

I got a good photo of you in action Ed!

 

[Woodchip]

That's Commercial Square territory.

You are welcome as long as you stay your side of the bridge.

Where can you stick commercial??

 

[Nibble]

Are you not proud that people want to come and view what the societies do? If it is that important that you are not disturbed on your little procession why don't you hold it in a remote field somewhere like the paganistic, cultish, sect you are making yourselves out to be and let Lewes host a seperate shindig for regular folk who just want to see some fireworks without being made to feel they are invading someone else's sect? Why host it in a town with public access?

Perhaps you should set up a little Vatican city for yourselves and the filthy outsiders could gather on a distant hillside wondering what secret magic was occuring behind those mystical walls.

If you build it they will come.

 

[Dandyman]

As for "outsiders" ... all I will say is this.

The vast, vast majority are no trouble. They enjoy themselves immensely. The problems arise when idiots turn up equipped with their own fireworks and start letting them off with no sense of the dangers involved. Shooting rockets up into the sky randomly from within the crowd can be very alarming. Stopping them doing it is tiresome (and, somehow, the police melt into the background when it's going on). And when challenged by bonfire society members, the argument that "I'm only having some fun" sounds particularly unconvincing when uttered incoherently from a mouth that has clearly been taking in vast quantities of alcohol over the previous six hours. And when people get injured, they blame the bonfire societies.

What m'lud said. More than happy for people to come and enjoy the celebrations as long as they don't behave like pricks.

 

[Lammy]

That's Commercial Square territory.

You are welcome as long as you stay your side of the bridge.

True, although my Mum was raised in the house that my Uncle now lives which is in the Lynchets (near Earwig corner). Which I believe is Cliffe turf. ;P

 

[Uncle Buck]

What about Londoner's being involved in the Bonfire 'secret' Socieities?

 

[jevs]

As for "outsiders" ... all I will say is this.

The vast, vast majority are no trouble. They enjoy themselves immensely. The problems arise when idiots turn up equipped with their own fireworks and start letting them off with no sense of the dangers involved. Shooting rockets up into the sky randomly from within the crowd can be very alarming. Stopping them doing it is tiresome (and, somehow, the police melt into the background when it's going on). And when challenged by bonfire society members, the argument that "I'm only having some fun" sounds particularly unconvincing when uttered incoherently from a mouth that has clearly been taking in vast quantities of alcohol over the previous six hours. And when people get injured, they blame the bonfire societies.

That is probably the most hypocritical piece of bollocks i've read on this site.

The problems arise when idiots turn up equipped with their own fireworks and start letting them off with no sense of the dangers involved. Shooting rockets up into the sky randomly from within the crowd can be very alarming.

99% of fireworks that are "randomly" let off are from the "idiots" in the procession. I took my daughter, along with some friends and their kids, to watch an EARLY procession. After watching just Waterloo and Commercial Square go past, the kids were worried for their safety after HUNDREDS of bangers were let off in the procession.

And when challenged by bonfire society members, the argument that "I'm only having some fun" sounds particularly unconvincing when uttered incoherently from a mouth that has clearly been taking in vast quantities of alcohol over the previous six hours.]

Now i know a lot of bonfire members and i know that they are slaughtered by the time the processions start and a large percentage treat it as one big piss up.....especially judging by the amount of booze my step daughter and her little cronies had.

You need to take off your black and white tinted specs Lord B and watch the events as a spectator with children there.

I see Cliffe's fireworks didn't start until at least 11pm. I suppose if i ask the question "why so late?" the reply would be "because we can"

Commercial square fireworks were top drawer...knocked all the others into a tin hat

 

[Icy Gull]

1st time I've been and it put me in mind of the Wicker man. Enjoyed it immensely but the only danger to anyone I saw was the random way bangers were thrown about by people in the procession who I notice all had hiking boots on. If I go again I'll follow suit. The crowd seemed much less threatening than some of the people in the procession imo.

 

[beorhthelm]

That is probably the most hypocritical piece of bollocks i've read on this site.

spoken like a true outsider, Jevs. Theres a massive difference between bonfire boys letting off rookies in the street as they parade and muppets in the crowd doing the same, even if both sides are half cut.

 

[jevs]

spoken like a true outsider, Jevs. Theres a massive difference between bonfire boys letting off rookies in the street as they parade and muppets in the crowd doing the same, even if both sides are half cut.

So go on then...tell us what this "massive difference" is....between a member of the public throwing a rookie and a bonfire "boy" throwing one.

Oh....and does 38 years of living in Lewes count as being an outsider

 

[Lady Bracknell]

That is probably the most hypocritical piece of bollocks i've read on this site.

This sort of comment from someone who was NOT attempting to take the rockets away from a group of inebriates at Cliffe Corner last night, as I was, is both ignorant and unhelpful!

Next time we'll send them up your way so that they can continue their attempt to blind members of the public by hand-firing said rockets at random and I'm sure you'll be perfectly content to be described as hysterical the following morning.

Quite what your problem is, I don't know. But you certainly seem to be a very angry person.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

You need to take off your black and white tinted specs Lord B

Bearing in mind that I have been processing in the company of the Borough for 31 consecutive years, I hardly think my specs are tinted black and white. I do, however, make amends by joining up with the Cliffe for the end of the evening.

 

[Skint Gull]

Good God, I knew Lewes was a bit poncey but this thread takes the biscuit!

What a bunch of pompus, stuck up people there are in this town.

As others have said, how can you possibly claim that a firework set off by some pissed bloke in a procession is so much safer than one set off by a pissed bloke in the crowd? Does he have some sort of qualification to set it off or summin?

God i HATE Lewes

 

[Buzzer]

Does he have some sort of qualification to set it off or summin?

No - just a God-given right to throw them at those not in the clique, apparently.

You Lewesians (Jevs apart) aren't coming out of this looking very good, you know.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

At the risk of being misunderstood, I simply report that the participants in processions do NOT throw fireworks at the crowd. They drop them at the feet of fellow participants in processions, who are expecting this to happen. Anyone who dared breach this well-understood rule would be dealt with very promptly.

The fact that onlookers might be alarmed by the noise is one of the reasons for advising visitors to be prepared for the event being not quite what they might be expecting.

 

[Yorkie]

At the risk of being misunderstood, I simply report that the participants in processions do NOT throw fireworks at the crowd. They drop them at the feet of fellow participants in processions, who are expecting this to happen.

That's exactly what I saw in the procession. The fireworks don't roll or even fizz. They are put down and a couple of seconds later (giving the more nervous time to cover their ears) they go bang.
Some of the participants were pushing their own children in pushchairs so they wouldn't do that if there were any danger from the fireworks used. They appeared to be more like thunderflashes which are used in stage productions.

 

[Gazwag]

FFS some people, first its moaning that the bonfire societies dont want the public there on the 5th and how awful that is, then oh its soooo scary and dangerous for the public those awful bonfire boyes, make your minds up.

Most of the public never see the real scary part as they are tucked up in their cars driving home or already in bed, come and see Cliffe march up a deserted East Street and twelve thirty on their final procession now thats scary, but I did miss it this year as my daughter had school in the morning so we came home after her societies fireworks.

Oh and I have never lived within 25 miles of Lewes but married into the "cult/clique" and have never been a society member.

 

[Bozza]

That's exactly what I saw in the procession. The fireworks don't roll or even fizz. They are put down and a couple of seconds later (giving the more nervous time to cover their ears) they go bang.
Some of the participants were pushing their own children in pushchairs so they wouldn't do that if there were any danger from the fireworks used. They appeared to be more like thunderflashes which are used in stage productions.

Agreed. From my childhood I distinctly remember the bit in the firework code where it says "Place lit fireworks where others are about to walk. Especially those with young children in pushchairs. This is not dangerous at all. Ever. Honest."