Friday, November 5th
Tonight is Bonfire Night. On November 5, 1605, a Catholic conspirator named Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up Parliament – and King James I with it – by placing gunpowder in a vault beneath the House of Lords. The gunpowder was discovered and detonated elsewhere, which is celebrated to this day with fireworks. As I look out my balcony now, I can count at least 16 displays of fireworks on the horizon.
I first heard about Bonfire Night on the news this morning. Excitement rushed over me as I LOVE fireworks! I mean, I LOVE THEM. When I stepped out of the tube in my suburb at 8pm, however, Bonfire Night was the furthest thing from my mind. I’d put in a full day at the office and there was no indication of the holiday when I left the city not long before.
After exiting the tube and beginning my journey through the “maze” (the underground network of tile-lined pathways leading up to the street), I heard police sirens and an extremely loud BOOM! I stopped dead in my tracks like a deer in the headlights. My immediate thoughts were: the police are chasing a gunman who’s come into the tube and is going to shoot innocent bystanders!, THERE’S NO WAY TO KNOW WHERE HE’S COMING FROM IN THIS ECHOEY MAZE!, and WHY IS NOBODY ELSE PANICKING?!?! I started walking again, still paranoid, so that people would stop looking at me like I was an idiot. Again, another BOOM! I flinched in reaction to more idiotic stares from passersby. Then, a group of teenage boys ran across the walkway with a bag or fireworks in hand. It was then that I remembered… Bonfire Night.
Hope yours wasn’t as frightening as mine! J
Friend. I totally feel ya!! I LOVE fireworks too! And not just love them, I L-O-V-E THEM!!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the vid. Their displays are fabulous. So full and constant. I guess it's comprable to a British 4th of July?!