The gunpowder treason and plot...

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Note to subscribers: Sorry about the false link yesterday. As I said in the email, I hit "publish" instead of "save" and so inadvertently sent out an unfinished entry. Further proof that I should wait until the next day to write about these things rather than attempt it late at night after I get home.

General note: A few of my coursemates asked to see this blog, so if you're reading this, hello! I hope you enjoy my crappy photos and dumb attempts at humor (that's American for "humour").

Anyway.

This weekend, 5 or 6 of my friends on Facebook posted "Remember, remember the fifth of November..." or something like it. Interestingly, they were all American. (Also fans of the movie "V for Vendetta.") Although we don't celebrate it in the US per se, for some reason a few of us seem to take Guy Fawkes Day very seriously.

Over here, it's Bonfire Night, and it's loads of fun.




Take the 4th of July. Remove the flags, pinwheels, patriotic clothes and those ridiculous hats. Make it cold (but not that cold). Set it at that depressing time of year when the sun sets early and the leaves are gone but there's no snow and it's not quite Christmastime yet. Keep the fireworks.

And add a gigantic fire.

To be fair, some of the fall foliage is still around (a few of the trees are still green, if you'll believe that), but the days are remarkably shorter. Daylight Savings Time was last weekend, and although you wouldn't think it because the winters are so much milder, the UK is actually farther north than the US. Look at a world map, and you'll see that it's on the same latitude as Canada. These days the sun is setting between 4 and 4:30, and we're ages away from the shortest day of the year.

So a national holiday with fireworks is a welcome thing right about now.

Although in Massachusetts they are strictly illegal (not that that stops people), fireworks are allowed - though regulated - in the UK and many people have been setting them off from their backyards over the past week. Saturday night they were pretty much continuous.

Friday night I and a few people from my course went to see the fireworks in the previously-mentioned, appropriately-named neighborhood called Wallsend, where Hadrian's wall... wait for it...ends. Entrance to the Roman fort Segedunum was free for the evening, and we gathered in the car park (I'm assuming the Americans reading this can work out what that is) to watch.



Two of my coursemates. The girl on the right is from Ireland - where apparently they have a different definition of "photogenic".

It's also possible she was still reeling from the shock of finding out that Vermont is a state and not a small city in New York.



A coursemate and her boyfriend after the display.

A little boy was standing near us and every time a firework went off, he cried "WHOA!" as if he had NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. Hilarious.

Saturday night I went with a few other coursemates to a bonfire and larger fireworks show in a town called Gosforth. The field was huge and filled with people: mostly students and families with small children. There was a giant, inflatable slide, a tent selling glowsticks, a chip van (American translation: food stand) and a very strict rule against sparklers on the field.



Two coursemates and some friends.



Oh yeah and I was there too.

I didn't get a very good view of the setup before they lit the bonfire, but I could see a wooden thing with arms right at the top. I'm told it's an effigy of Guy Fawkes. It's funny...a whole national holiday celebrating one man's failure by burning his likeness in cities all over the country. Worst legacy ever?



But it was fun to watch. Even though the area was roped off and we couldn't get anywhere near it, we could still feel the heat from the fire.

Then there was a countdown and:



It was a bit surreal, watching fireworks on such a cold night. But it was kind of nice. I love the Boston Pops night, but something about setting fireworks in the fall just works.










After the fireworks finished, the fire looked like this:



Since the days are so much shorter now, I'm not sure how any more attempts at day-hiking will go. There are several more walks in my "Best Walks in Northumberland" book that I'd like to try, but I'd hate to be stranded in the moors after dark, or have to rush in order to beat the sunset. Although there are a few walks recommended for wintertime, I may wait to try them until February when the days are lengthening.

But the Christmas markets are starting! Without the Thanksgiving holiday to buffer it, it seems the Christmas season starts a whole month earlier than it does in the US. Already a department store in Newcastle city centre has put on a massive display, complete with carols you can hear up and down the street, groups of children crowded in front and tourists taking pictures.

(No I haven't yet. I'll get there.)

I'm told the Christmas Markets are spectacular in places like York and Edinburgh, so if time/money permits, I will try to visit them. When I come home for the holiday, I've arranged my trip to London to pass through Manchester, because apparently the markets there are not to be missed.

Thank you so much for the slew of comments last week! I'm glad I made you all laugh, and that you're still interested in this after 8 weeks. Know that if I ever miss a weekend, it's not because I've forgotten you. It's because a) I've run out of money and need to wait for my next student loan installment b) I have so much work that I don't have time for anything else or c) I've found that I can give detailed cognitive, psycholinguistic, and anatomical reasons written IN THE IPA* for why my brain is turning to mush and I've decided to stay away from the written word for a while.

*IPA meaning the International Phonetic Alphabet, not India Pale Ale. That's a different type of degree.

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Comments

[Jenny Watson]

"Wooaaahh!"
Great pictures Sarah! They came out quite well. I've just read that the tradition made it to the US in ye olden days, but it was called Pope Day, and has now fizzled out. Also, strictly speaking, Guy Fawkes night isn't a national holiday, but any excuse to wrap up warm, eat toffee apples, light fires and set off fireworks is well worth celebrating for me!

[Erin]

Fireworks!
I love fireworks when it is cold out! The fireworks during FebFest at Hamilton were so fun (though I always watched them from inside). I didn't see your last entry yet but now I need to go back and read it :)