Oooooo! Explosions!

Oooooo!, a photo by daradactyl on Flickr.

I've waited almost a year for this! Guy Fawkes Day! November 5! In terms of fireworks, it is to the Brits what July 4 is to the Yanks. Anyone can buy them. In fact, they were 2 for 1 at the grocery store.

As in the states, people started "practicing" by setting off bottle rockets a week early. I asked my neighbor, the completely insane Josephine, crazy cat lady and collector of stuff from garbage bins. Jo told me that it's all about that guy who tried to blow up Parliament. And that on Bonfire Night, people make up a fake guy and set it on fire. It's a guy. Named Fox. That's been my favorite explanation so far.

In fact it did start as a remembrance of Guy Fawkes who did try to blow up Parliament a few hundred years ago. But he failed and was tried and executed. So, I suppose it's more of a "what would it have looked like if he did succeed." And so the fireworks.

I decided to join the ever fun Frui group to do a photo excursion to Primrose Hill, near Regents Park, overlooking the city. About 20 of us camped atop the hill and under the guidance of our trusty tutors, started shooting. Of course, I had to forget a very important piece of equipment, I always do. This time it was the tripod. At least it wasn't the memory card, which I ironically often forget. But it made the exercise really difficult to do long exposures with no stabilization. But there was coffee with brandy, red wine, and a lively pub afterward. So, a terrific time all in all.

Everyone kept saying, "where is the fireworks show?" And there was a certain lack of coordination to the explosions. They seemed to be random. Some were in the park, where the lighters-of-the-wicks were quickly escorted out by police, as it is illegal in that park. Some were off on the distant Thames. And everywhere in between. But they were generally n bursts of about 30 seconds. Not the 30 minutes I'm used to from the big US of A shows. And the locals seemed confused as well. Though not down. Every single roman candle brought huge cheers from the drunk crowd. And everyone giggled with delight over kids running with sparklers.

It also made me consider the over emphasis on safety in the US. I don't think it would occur to anyone there to set off a roman candle in a crowded park. But as far as I know, no one lost an eye. Or a couple of fingers. Unlike Guy Fawkes.