1710.31 ARE DARK FORCES KILLING TRADITION?

It's that time of year again, it's Halloween. A time when kids go around knocking on doors dressed up in fancy dress (usually horror characters), when adults attend parties dressed as the very same. But it wasn't always quite like this...

1611.07 TREASON AND PLOT

Of course I'm not talking about the upcoming American Presidential election, this post talks about the weekend just gone. Saturday was (of course) the 5th which everyone in the UK knows was Bonfire (or Guy Fawkes) Night.

Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
Together with Thomas Winsor and Robert Catesby, Fawkes planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.
The plotters leased an undercroft beneath the House of Lords, and Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled there. Prompted by the receipt of an anonymous letter, the authorities searched Westminster Palace during the early hours of 5 November, and found Fawkes guarding the explosives. Over the next few days, he was questioned and tortured, and eventually he confessed.Fawkes became synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, the failure of which has been commemorated since 5 November 1605. His effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, commonly accompanied by a fireworks display. - Source, Wikipedia

Usually on the build up to bonfire night there are kids outside shops with a home made 'Guy' asking passers by "Penny for the Guy?". I have to say there have been a lot less this year, maybe as a tradition it's dying out. It was always the case that this 'Guy' would be burned on the fire come bonfire night.

My daughter was away at Army Cadet camp this weekend so Morticia and I went out for a meal on Saturday evening. As I get older I find myself not wanting to volunteer to be outside for prolonged periods in the cold (and temperatures were around 3°) so I didn't fancy standing in a field watching a fire. I would have gladly done so if my daughter was tagging along (she attended her own at camp). After the food we drove to the top of the valley to watch all the fireworks over the city from the warmth of our car.

via GIPHY

So now that's all over with now it's just freefall to Christmas. For me I'm just waiting for spring again, I really wish hibernation was an option!

1111.06 BONFIRES, WITCHES & CHRISTMAS TREES

I'm more than a little annoyed that my mobile blogging app, BlogPress, has not worked since I updated my iPhone to iOS5. I am using the native Blogger app to compose this for formatting later on a PC.

Anyway, this is not the purpose of my post today. It's the beginning of November and that means Guy Fawkes night, the traditional celebration of a failed Catholic terrorist plot from 1605. Whilst for us there was no bonfire (we rarely have one) we did set of some fireworks whilst down visiting my Mother in Law.

That's where the witches come in, well one in particular. The aforementioned Mother in Law who returned with us to stay for the week. It's been a difficult preparation getting the house together for the visit. I'm hoping Morticia will get a lot from the visit, at the end of the week she will be returning with her mother to St Neots for the following week. It will mean rest bite for us both, I think we both need it.

I noticed over the last few weeks Christmas trees have been appearing and television adverts have turned to seasonal subjects. I'm not a big fan of Christmas commercialism and I hate how early the 'silly' season starts. How long until Christmas starts in August?