Figure 1.--Gut Fawkes Day is a very popular holiday for British children. Gathering wood for the bonfire to burn the Guy is an important part of the Guy Fawkes Day preparations. Here the boys wear coveralls to protect their uniforms.
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Figure 1.--Gut Fawkes Day is a very popular holiday for British children. Gathering wood for the bonfire to burn the Guy is an important part of the Guy Fawkes Day preparations. Here the boys wear coveralls to protect their uniforms. |
Guy Fawkes was a mercenary soldier. He returned home after fighting aborad. As a Catholic, he was disturbed by England's Protestant Government and conceived of what has come down in history to be the Gunpowder Plot (1605). He and his fellow plotters buried 36 barrels of gunpowder under the House of Parliament. He was going to blow up Parliament and overthrow King James I. The plot was uncovered and Fawkes and his group arrested, tirtured terribly, and executed. The event is still celebrated in England on November 5 with foreworks and a bonfire in which an effigy of Fawkes called a Guy is burned. It is a great favorite with British children. This is the origins of the English word "guy".
It is ironic that Guy Fawkes, who on 5th November, 1605, proved his human frailty in his dramatically abortive attempt to blow up Parliament, must, some 381 years on, be credited with a minor miracle, that of reuniting 183 boys with 183 anoraks and 183 pairs of wellington boots. For it was, as ever, decreed that these evasive garments should be worn as a condition of atteding the ritual incineration of the Guy and the annual fireworks display which preceeded it.
Brandishing their sparklers, the boys met up with their parents, relatives and friends who had come to share the fun. It was on a chill, still evening, under a fill moon, free of any threat of rain, that were were treated to a feast of fireworks, masterminded once again by Gwyllm Evans, assisted by John Goodall. Rockets galore, bigger, better and more beautiful than ever, spawning satellites high in the heavens, some of which seemed to fill the sky over and over again; fountains; curtains of golden rain; a novelty--the pigeon--which spread frantically from pillar to post; mortars and ground mines, we heard and saw them all. A 'near-miss' from an errant rocket underlined the inherent danger of pyrotechny and added to the excitement which ended only with the final 'Good Night' set-piece.
The brief interval between fireworks and bonfire was 'Hunt-The Baked-Potato' time, a traditional game, with many satisfied winners who had little to say, with their mouths well filled, and a small number of hungary and vociferous losers. Malcomb Marthalingum, the Head Groundman, Brian Wilcocks and Stephen Harding, had worked hard to collect vast amounts of wood and other suitably flammable materials, and to erect with some last last-minute help from a party of the youngest boys, a huge bonfire. Teams of boys had previously created suitably hideous and frightening guys, which had been ceremonially place atop the pyre. All must have been delighted by the glorious blaze which followed the lighting by, this year, the school's youngest pupil, Hugo Cox.
On neighboring hills we could see similar celebrations being held. Unquestionably, the Mount House show outmatched all others. Thank you, all those concernerd, and especially not forgetting you, Guy Fawkes, unfortunate but everwelcome phoenix, for such a happy and aweinspiring evening.
squib, Fanfare (Mount House School), Autumn 1988.
I carried more leaves and dumped them in a messy heap on top of the bonfire. There was a sudden leap of orange as it caught alight. The fire played its light on the glowing faces of those who were watching, like a candle inside a pumpkin. The flames danced around as a gust of wind rushed by. The golden ripples of fire leaped up to touch the face of Guy Fawkes. I watched as the leaves died away in the fiery furnace from the green colour to a menacing black. An explosion of a chestnut beat the noise of the crackling bonfire. Billowing black smoke filled the air as it frose up into the dark world above us.
After an hour or so the audience rustled away, but the fire was still alight. The guy had now disintegrated, but the oak chair which it sat on still remained with half a back and three legs. Old mastresses had disappeared; only a few springs survived. Morning comes, but the invincible fire still burns.
Gavin Clark, 11 years, 6 months, Lambrook Chronicle, 1980.
On Wednesday the prefects helped Dennis to build the fire and on the next day we people on fourth game helped him by passing up the wood. The guy was placed rightvat the top of the fire. Mr Bowles splashed petrol around it, then it was lit and it got very hot. We enjoyed eating ginger-bread men and jacket potatoes and we also had hot hot soup to drink.
Simon Groves, 8.1, The Bramcote Magazine, Autumn 1984.
