Whilst the tradition of burning an effigy is a bit morbid, there is a lot to love about Guy Fawkes Night. Wrapping up in winter woolies, the hiss of sparklers, fireworks that light up the night’s sky for miles around, toffee apples and the warm glow of the bonfire.
For my non-Brit readers, Bonfire Night is when we celebrate a failed plot to blow up our Houses of Parliament and assassinate our King on the 5th of November 1605. That may seem like an odd thing to celebrate but to us it’s a community event with lots of food and a real winter highlight for me.
To start our night we had the traditional hot dogs and toffee apples at my Parent’s, which I swear nearly dislocated my jaw. I remarked that I much prefer the apple ones… pretty sure I meant chocolate but that’s brain fog at it’s finest.
With full bellies, we wrapped up warm with plenty of layers and headed down to watch a local firework display at Railway Meadow. How did it get so cold so quickly?
The flames of the bonfire licked the night air as we waited for the show to begin and I adjusted the settings on my camera to try and capture the display. It was my first time out with the DSLR at night time but I’d had some sage advice from a few very talented friends.
The first fireworks were met with cheers and audible ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s from the crowd. Children proclaimed their love for every firework that came. Some were so loud that I could feel them resonate in my chest. It was the quiet and crazy ones that I enjoyed the most though. I love how the small sparks lit up the sky with their trails of coloured smoke.
Just when you thought it was over, something more impressive came along. The meticulous choreography paid off with the crowd. I overheard lots of people proclaiming it the best show in the area and I agree.
For my first time taking my camera out at night I didn’t think I did too badly, that is until I came home and saw the professional versions some of my friends have snapped. Why is it that just as you feel like you’re almost good enough at something, you give yourself another hurdle to jump? I vow to get on top of my camera skills!
Now that a happy Bonfire Night has been had, I can start my Christmas shopping and finally launch this years Blogger Secret Santa. Look out for that later this week!
How did you spend last night?
Let me know what you think