To wonder why we never see any Penny for the Guys anymore?

[Ceridwen83]

I'm mid 40s. I'm remembering when I was a kid and into my teens.

l used to see tons around this time of year! Kids with "guys" and a hat open next to it for donations etc. They were really common.

I was just struggling to remember the last time I actually saw one! 🤔

Are they still a thing?

https://abcnews.com/International/36-foot-donald-trump-effigy-flames-uk-festival/story?id=43243879
Made the US news too

Well put.

My alternative is that it is a celebration of the failure to kill a King whose mother was judicially executed, whose son was after a civil war, and whose grandson was deposed in favour of a Dutchman and after the granddaughter died, by a distant German relative.

There's also not as many actual bonfires to put them on. When I was a kid bonfire night was about small communities (neighbours or groups if friends) coming together, toffee apples, bonfire toffee, parkin, jacket potatoes and a big roaring fire. There was always fireworks but it was a 5 minute catherine wheel and a few rockets thing done badly by the dad's. These days, most of that has gone and it's all about the fireworks.

Fewer bonfires/fireworks

Slightly un PC

who wants a penny these days

My kids primary school have a bonfire with a stuffed guy fawkes effigy for halloween. Watching a life-sized (straw) man burn felt very disquieting, so not surprised it is declining.

I was a child in the 1960s and 70s and kids used to do penny for the guy to to get money to buy fireworks. Even then I it was slightly frowned on. Most parents wouldn't let children beg or buy fireworks so it wasn't all kids even back then.

The legal age for buying fireworks was raised from 13 to 16 in the early 70s so that put the kybosh on penny for the guy.

When I was a dc I used to go to about 3 council organised bonfire/firework nights that were free. I don’t think my borough even does 1 now & the one I go to in another borough is not free.

@OutOfTheOtherSide . That's my childhood memory of bonfire night. Building the bonfire, sausages and onions in buns and The Firework Code pinned up in shops everywhere. Dad's lighting fireworks with a fag on the go and my mum handing round toffee apples. I have such nostalgia for those times.

Not in any churches round here. Still a collection plate at the door.

About fifteen years ago I had two kids turn up at my door in November in Halloween costumes who sang me a verse of ‘jingle bells’ then asked for a penny for the guy…. I wasn’t sure where to start with that!

Hardly any bonfires on bonfire night nowadays - renamed fireworks night !
I still have a small bonfire at home and burn a small guy. Always have done even though my
kids are now older and not interested !
I like tradition 😂

I blame Halloween - it's completely taking over from Bonfire Night, which is such a shame. We have relatively few national traditions, I'm sad we've let this one be usurped by the American version of All Hallows' Eve.

Oh yes, the churches I visit still pass a collection pouch around during the service - but really more as a ritual than in hope of finding anything valuable in it at the end. Everyone just smiles and passes it on.

Do you have children OP? Do you or did you ever encourage and support them to make a guy and go out with it? The way to ensure traditions continue is to continue to do them.

Our church has a collection plate, but there’s almost never any money put in there, as almost everyone has set up a direct debit to give monthly.

Also about 15 years ago, my mum and I got trick or treated by a younger teenage boy the day before Halloween. He wasn't wearing a costume and we were eating dinner in a Pizza Hut.... He got short shrift!

Most of the regulars will be giving by direct debit with gift aid.

We always did penny for the guy in the dim and distant past. Guy made out of old clothes stuffed with newspaper. Then it got chucked on a bonfire built on the reccy by the locals lads who had knocked doors asking for old furniture to build it with.

This

A Catholic terrorist who was intercepted just as he was about to blow up the Houses of Parliament massacring its members…

Me too! Bonfire night was the highlight of the year. My whole street gathered together, it was such a lovely evening. Did you eat Dorset Knob Biscuits too? 😂 (What the fuck is a knob biscuit?!)

I doubt people want their kids out in the street touting for money.

I never did it, my mother would have forbidden it had I wanted to which I didn't. My son, now 47, wouldn't have either.

The reason is it isnt easy to commercialise. Companies have massively platformed celebrations where they can flog junk food and tat. You can sell chocolate rabbits and pumpkin buckets but what are you going to flog for guys. Im sure if they started making and selling funky desirable wheelbarrows it would make a comeback.

Also: terrorism

I used to do this as a child with my siblings, but my mum used to let us out anytime as small children literally begging for money and remember getting loads of coins. Most parents now wouldn’t let their kids out at 5/6 out on their own.

Safety is a big thing - discouraging backyard bonfires and fireworks which were lovely local community events. There has been a definite push to organised displays but these have then been stopped due to cost or dealing with health and safety.