Guy Fawkes interrogated by the king, James, who would have been blown up in the Houses of Parliament Building.
The UK is going into lockdown on Thursday November 5th. That is Guy Fawkes Night in the UK. A reduction in fireworks would be good news for cats and dogs which are frightened of fireworks. But it might mean more people will have fireworks at home. November is chilly in London, England. So I have always preferred to stay indoors, watching from a window.
What is it all about? A story from the 1600s? Why are we recalling it now? (We recall Christmas, which was even more distant.) The seasonal rhyme goes:
Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot;
I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
We should also remember fireworks safety.
Fireworks For Fun and Safety
Fireworks on November the 5th are a British thing. A man named Guy Fawkes and a group of fellow conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The plot was discovered. As a reminder, instead, innocent fireworks are lit in a safe place well away.
A bit of history:
The Story of Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606) was a Catholic. Years ago I heard that the Catholics were promised favourable laws which did not materialise and they were aggrieved. The original cause has long been forgotten by many. Only the drama is remembered.
In case anybody forgets, there's the rhyme telling you to remember.
As a child I thought that burning the image of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire was ghoulish. When I researched the story, I learned that, as is so often the case, the leader of the physical act of violence or arson was a person with little to lose. His unfortunate parents have their home immortalised. His father was already dead at the time of Guy Fawkes' attempted crime and execution. Guy had squandered the inheritance from his father.
The biggest celebration is in Lewes in the South of England. I am not keen on fireworks. But I watch them from a safe distance on New Year's Eve. Now with TV and computers you can see past years and the current year on YouTube. Most countries have a fireworks celebration for the universal calendar's New Year's Eve as well as a local festival.
When safety measures came in, there was a movement towards organized fireworks displays with everybody kept a distance from the fireworks. if you are having fireworks at home, you need to follow the same safety rules. Keep the audience away from the firework. Cover the fireworks or keep them out of the line of fire so no falling firework can ignite all the others. If a firework does not light, do not stand over it, worst of all, look at it. It might suddenly go off. Keep it way from the other sources of fire, and people, for some time. If necessary, abandon hopes of lighting it, or light from a distance with a taper. There are aos many sensible precautions.
Supervise children. Ensure a toddler does not walk towards a firework held by an adult or older child and try to grab the end.
Have a first aid box handy, and the number of the ambulance or a car ready to drive. have a container for gathering fireworks.
Have another entertainment, such as food, to keep people away from the scene whilst you are clearing up. Remove fireworks which cause litter and endanger people and animals. The safest place was the year we watched fireworks in Gibraltar from the clifftop Rock Hotel. The fireworks were out at sea.
Keep animals in a safe corner away from noise with pleasant music to drown out the noise. And an adult to reassure and soothe the animals.
If we can't see any fireworks locally, we can watch re-runs of New Year's Eve celebrations.
What To See For Travellers in the UK (and online)
1 London: Houses of Parliament in London
During Covid-19, tours of the inside were suspended. However the building, built alongside the River Thames, can be see from nearby streets, from the area, and from across the river Thames, and from the top of The Shard tower which has an observation deck and restaurants.
2 York - Plaques
Plaques to Guy Fawkes
3 Lewes Celebrations Events
Celebrations, when permitted.
4 Oxford Museum Lantern
Ashmolean Museum
Guy Fawkes Lantern
5 Plaque on former pub used by plotter
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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