17 November 2003

Guy Fawkes Day

The British have finally found a way to make a lot of money from explosives, and it isn’t from the war in Iraq.  Starting in October and on every night until New Years fireworks like the ones we have on July 4 in the US will grace the skies of Hadleigh.  Sometimes individuals carry off the 15 to 20 minute continuous explosions.  Sometimes the whole community is involved.  One thing for sure the fireworks industry is either in control of the government or just out of control.

I think the whole fireworks idea started with the annual Guy Fawkes Bonfire celebration.  Some of the English have been known to wonder whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with the government. (www.bonfire.org)

Almost 400 years ago a group of young men, including Guy Fawkes decided the answer to their problems was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. They thought that the Catholics would have better lives if they killed King James I, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament.  Apparently James wasn’t any kinder to the Catholics than his mother Elizabeth I.

With 36 barrels of gunpowder stored it in a cellar, just under the House of Lords they knew that their plot was going to kill a lot of people and at some point some of them got cold feet.  One of the group sent an anonymous letter warning Lord Monteagle to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.

When the warning letter reached the King, plans were made to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes was the unfortunate (or stupid) one caught in the cellar of the parliament along with the 36 barrels of gunpowder.  He was tortured and executed.

On November 5 or whenever each town gets around to celebrating Guy Fawkes Day a crowd forms near the town hall, or local pub.  The police show up too so that they can lead the procession.  A few lighted torches are passed around and the entire group marches down the street to a nearby field.  Waiting for them is a huge pile of lumber, and a scarecrow type character (Guy Fawkes) sitting on top of the pile.  The leader lights the pile and poof…the fireworks begin.

I supposed this all sounds like good fun, but there are some terrific problems with having fireworks every evening for two months.  First, anyone can buy these giant rockets so not only are inexperienced people lighting the explosive stuff but so are drunks and kids. 

Last night someone lit a huge rocket that fired into a second story window of a home, through the baby’s bedroom ceiling and back down completely through the floor into the living room.  Fortunately no one was injured.

The poor dogs in our neighborhood are also victims of the nightly pounding of fireworks.  When it starts to get dark the dogs start getting nervous.  By the time the explosions stop the poor critters are a nervous wreck.  The local vet has even started classes to try to condition the dogs so they will stop being so scared.  The health food store has sold out of Rescue Remedy that humans use to drug their animals.

The Parliament has announced they are going to pass a bill to license people who sell fireworks, and make it illegal to set them off after 11 at night.  I think that must be a joke.  What about all the horrible explosions between 4:30 and 11?

There are non-stop commercials on TV, posters pinned up at the schools and notices on the community board saying that one-third of the people hurt in fireworks accidents are children.  The commercials actually instruct people on how to handle the fireworks.

On Friday night we were planning to walk down to the Hadleigh Football (Soccer) Field for the annual Bonfire Night and to watch Guy Fawkes go up in flames.  Then we remembered that we are dog-sitting Holly, the neighbor’s Irish Setter.  She is so terrified of the noise that she salivates all over the rug.  I don’t think we can leave her alone without her tearing the house apart.

The other problem is that I am tired of having to stay up until after 11.  Every time we’ve tried to go to bed any earlier we are blasted out of bed by the explosions that seem to go on and on and on.

Like I said, I think the whole fireworks thing is out of control.  For a country that seems to thrive on rules and laws for every tiny thing, I can’t believe how crazy it feels here right now.    My British neighbors agree.