Bonfire Night - please can we get your tips for successful parties

Ask your DH to dress up in full Halloween regalia.
Put him in a bin outside your door, or at the end of your drive.
Arm him with sweets.
Tell him that it will be great fun to pop up and scare trick or treaters; assure him that his hilarious antics will become part of local folklore, and people from miles around will talk of his witty japes.
Lock front door.
Open wine.
Ignore sirens.

i wish there was a prize for this...i would clearly win

some of you are simply not trying at all

If you are serving Jackets for a large number of people would you wrap them in foil and let people help themselves off a plate?

If you are going to host fireworks at home - specify that the guests bring 1 firework each - that way you get some really good ones and everyone doesn't die of boredom/cold watching someone's poor unfortunate DP setting off the 10th rubbish selection box of the evening.

My tip is to not bother or go to someone else's house and let them waste money on crap fireworks!

mulled cider or apple juice good too

Food: Marmelade baked sausages, mini spuds with sour cream and chives, ghoulash soup, parkin, cinder toffee and toffee apples.

I think if you're watching a charity display the least you can do is pay for it!

I second the ear defenders. I had such a lovely time with DD1 at the town fireworks display last year. She hates noise and had never previously tolerated them. With ear defenders on, she was transfixed and it was lovely to see her face.

Find a nearby field/hill/car park near the local charity display, pick up some nice hot chips, flask of mulled wine and a large blanket and enjoy!

Ear defenders - DS is 5 and only recently realised (when I over-rode DH's objections and kitted DS out with ear defenders) that fireworks are pretty - up until then it turns out he had been too terrified to watch

Yes, go to a charity big do,, more environmentally friendly, then back home for food and watch everyone elses!

Lots of buckets of sand.
We always get black sheets of paper and chalk for the kids to draw their fireworks on.
Homemade thick chicken soup
Roasted chestnuts (not the troll )
Hard black treacle toffee
Jackets pots with cheese and beans.
Buy the dog an ipod with headphones!!

All pile off to the local display; then back to the hosue for mulled wine, soup, baked spuds, chilli and toffee apples, all prepared in advance. Or bought in advance, for thise of us who have lives that preclude the opportunity to cook...

IME kids don't really like fireworks until they're about 5+, so with very little ones I wouldn't bother.

Now to counteract such negativity I will suggest that food must include sticky sausages, roast potatoes and some kind of orange soup. Butternut squash is better than pumpkin.

That is a great idea - my dh will love doing that for the kids

add a little too much water to jelly so it turns into inedible goo

then hollow out a pumpkin

then put in (wrapped) lollies

then ask the children who knock at your door to put their fingers in MONSTER BRAINS to get their treat

they love it - i swear, kids shreiking and laughing all ove the place - great fun