Bonfire Night,

A few innocent pennies could be earned in early November by making a Guy Fawkes figure from old clothes and padding and selling his scurrilous, smoky virtues by asking for ‘A Penny for the Guy’.

Bonfires would be built in back gardens and mothers would be busy getting supplies organised for the main event such as bonfire toffee, toffee apples, dandelion and burdock and cherryade drinks.

All sorts of shops used to stock the fireworks and cheap bangers and sparklers would often be lit by older children before the night itself.

Generally there were hundreds of private bonfires going on across the country and of course, in Chaddesden, a large housing estate near Derby where I lived as a child in the 1960s. Invariably, it usually rained on November 5th and we desperately wanted to light the fireworks even though it was raining. When it didn’t threaten rain the streets of Chaddesden would be enveloped in a thick soup of bonfire smoke and the sky would be lit up with rockets and a colourful display of sparkling joy.

Every year the public would be warned about the inherent dangers of fireworks and bonfires getting out of control and the evening’s fun would often be punctuated with the chilling ringing decibels of a thundering fire engine. Luckily I never had any major burns or injuries but I once picked up a sparkler by the hot end and boy did it hurt. I had to put butter on it to take away the sting. Thinking back now as an adult myself, cold water would have worked much better.

When I was about seven we went over from Perth Street to Cromwell Road to visit my favourite Auntie and Uncle, Barb and Ken for bonfire night. I recall my dad chasing my mam down the road with a banger and she must have tripped over because when she came back the heel was broken on her shoe and she had a grazed knee. There was lots of laughter and the 'odd' British joy of burning the mock guy on a huge bonfire and Barbara had made some dark sweet smelling caramel bonfire toffee in the oven. They kept an Alsatian dog called Sandy which was probably safe indoors like most pets were similarly encouraged to be.

Saying that, goldfish seemed to love bonfire night and could often be seen in council house bay windows with their little fishy eyes glued to the sulphurous magical light show unfolding around them, magnified tenfold by the glass sphere they circumnavigated daily.

Popular brand named fireworks in the 1950s and 60s.

Astra Fireworks,
Brock's Fireworks,
Lion Fireworks,
Well’s Fireworks (advertised as British, Brightest, Best)
Standard Fireworks.

The best ones were Jack in the box, Brock’s Cannon, Bengal Light, Tornado, Pyramid,

Lion fireworks: Snow Shower, Fire barrel, Wotabang, Mighty Atom, Stardust, Roman candle, Golden rain, Golden Sun.

Brock’s boxes were priced up at 5 shillings, 10 shillings and the extravagently priced 20 shillings. Yes, that is in ye olde ancient pre-decimal money young bloggers.

Have a safe and fun night tonight firework lovers.