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Bonfire Night - sums up why life is worse now.

152 replies

Arrrrrrragghhh · 21/10/2025 21:41

Clearly shows how we have lost touch of real life experiences in favour of some weird commercialised version.

Bonfire night always was finding a house/ family/ venue with enough space for a bonfire on November 5th. Point of the bonfire was to be close enough to keep warm on a cold November night. Sounds, sights and smells of a big wood fire
People would bring fireworks. Everyone knew the name and type of the firework involved. Always the element of danger. Sparklers were a must. Numerous safety films at school and on TV so few injuries but enough to make you be respectful.
You would enjoy some specific bonfire foods - potatoes cooked in thd fire, posh black toffee, cheap hot dogs.

Gradually morphed into local organised events.Ok not so many people have big/any gardens. Still community led volunteering to help build or man a stall etc.

Now my local village is a ticket only event - no sales on the day. The day is a Saturday not the 5th. Food is commercial sellers from out of town and the same ones at every fair or event throughout thd year. No one allowed near the fire. Firework is a showy display away from the bonfire
. LED lights for kids as sparklers discouraged. Basically it’s a pointless organised fireworks show rather than a specific festival for November 5th.

OP posts:
Beekman · 21/10/2025 21:47

That’s just your experience of Bonfire Night, though. We always used to go to a large display at the public park as far back as the 70s and 80s and from speaking to my dad, he did the same in the 50s and 60s. The Rugby Club near where he lives has done this every year (except for 2020) for 70-odd years.

The tickets and distance from the fire are now are probably because they want to ensure everyone’s safety. No one is stopping you having a fire at home but can you really be bothered? Also, the point of the bonfire was to burn the guy, not keep warm, that was just a bonus.

Things change, I guess. That’s life.

Tryingatleast · 21/10/2025 21:46

I thought you were going to talk about local hooded and balaclava youths acting dangerously around huge out of control fires. I’d argue those ones are why life isn’t great now

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