Did you have a favourite firework? I'm wobbling between the Roman Candle and Traffic Light. Not the Catherine Wheel though, which for all it's hi-propulsion promise, typically stopped-started, spluttered about-a-bit at random angles, eventually fizzling out for a flat tyre finale.
And What's your preference for bonfire fun?
The organised outdoor event, with it's inevitable delays (concerned silhouettes with tabards and torches, a'pointing and a'poking), that oohing-aahing collective of cold feet, dayglo do-dahs, and mob-scale shuffling and shivering. Soundtracked, God forbid, by the local radio OB unit counting down to blast off.
Or, an ad hoc back garden affair? Although home based high jinks with high explosives has the potential to end in a blackened bugle or fingers flying freestyle over the fence with match still clenched between thumb and forefinger.
Whatever you're doing, wrap up warm and why not try these three regroovings of a popular classic.
Erma Franklin - Light My Fire
Mae West - Light My Fire
Spanky Wilson - Light My Fire
The Shirley Bassey version can be grabbed over at Ally's place.
And you must, must, must have a peep at the UK Firework Museum site..with it's virtual box of seventies explosives here
20 comments:
My favourite ever firework party was the one we went to at a mate's house on the night of the 1997 General Election. We tied pictures of Tory cabinet ministers to rockets, and as the results came in we sent them off to the heavens. Michael Portillo got the biggest cheer.
It was all a bit of a damp Catherine wheel after that.
The one that zigzagged its way across the garden, narrowly avoiding maiming you.
I remember when they show programmes in which they'd take you round children's wards and show you horrific injuries, which was always enough to put you off.
i'm all for the wonkily nailed on catherine wheel the bursts and splutters and the magical few seconds of whirling beauty
x
genius idea - ISB, I got roaring drunk in Leigh Broadway that.
Yes I think I remember that one FC - do you know rockets come with an 'applicator' now, so no need for milk bottles.
Or nailed too hard, so it stays put and just scorches Ally. How about French Bangers they were for bad boys. Having said that we blew up a mates library book with a banger, and stuck another in a pile of dog's doings (I was a teen at the time)
I love bonfires. I haven't been to one in years though. I can remember that us kids from school would get together at one of the girl's houses. She lived on the beach. They would always do a bonfire on the beach outside her house. We would listen to music, drink beer, you name it. Good times.
'Ere you kids! Gedaadavit!
Usually followed by 'I know where you live'..
(Typically) I don't like fireworks much, but I do love 'light my fire'. I think that it's one of those tunes which is pretty hard to stuff up. I've got a particularly good version by a mad synth player that I've been meaning to post for the past year.
The Mae West version is ace!
always loved the sparkler ones. still do!
Always great to hear something else by Spanky Wilson. I have one 45 by her that's really good.
A mad synth of 'Fire' - I've got to hear that Cocktails or I'll swap you for my mad synth reworks of Lay Lady Lay and Hoots Mon
There's nothing like writing your name with sparklers is there Bananas
Post it Todd - I'd love to hear any Spanky whatever it is
I remember pikey 'old skool' displays at the school, local church and such like, where 'dads' would be roped in to running around an lighting the blue touchpapers! all very scientific i'm sure.
Making the guy was the best bit for me... complete with V for Vendetta style mask. Don't see em any more do you? Not seen a 'penny for the guy' in years. People often moan that we've lost the Christ in Christmas, but how about the Guy in Guy Faulks night??!
Having a big bonfire in the garden (nobody does that anymore either) and cooking chestnuts and jacket potatos in the fire. And the SMELL of the air for the next few days!! Magic!
P
oh and old fashioned milk bottles were never a good idea to stick rockets in were they?? You just had to pray that they'd take off before the bloomin thing fell over and pointed the rocket at your head!
Sparklers and outdoor by the beach... most definitely! :^)
Loving Spanky Wilson, and not just for the name.
Hope you're having a great weekend!♥
My favourite fireworks party was with just me and my family. My dad got pissed and put one in next doors' wheelie bin because they let their dog shit on our garden. They never found out it was us. :) Thanks for stopping by my blog!
http://dreamingspiresandoldcartyres.blogspot.com
Those old school displays were fab P. Potatoes in the fire I was only mentioning that the other day (and disappearing Pennny For The guy too) - we had some garden ones last night. And do you remember those retro cardboard Guy masks?
Great name isn't it!I'm sure they made coloured sparklers for a while Gabbi - I'll be over to see your Shadow post soon.
Fireworks in the wheelie bin MJ - what a great way of getting your own back.
We used to have a bit of waste ground at the back of some houses and a crowd of us kids would start collecting stuff for bonfire in the half term holiday. Always used to love doing penny for the Guy (I know it's frowned upon these days) apart from the year my brother filled it with wood and I couldn't carry the thing down the road. It burn't well though. On the night we'd all get together with our 10 shilling box of Standard fireworks + a few rockets if we'd had a good time guying. Great memories. Still love fireworks even now.
The ones that jumped all over the place were called Jumping Jacks I think. Had to be careful they didn't jump up your trousers!
There were also a couple of others that were subsequently banned, along with the J-J and the Banger, they were the Helicopter and the Aeroplane. I only saw these latter two once, out of a late 60s/early 70s selection box.
My dad, usually up for most things that went flash and bang, was unusually a little wary of these. You had to put them on a flat surface, light the blue touch paper and off they whirred, or rather 'flished', wherever they liked, it seemed.
Well this year, daughter and I went to an outdoor display on Thursday 5th and very good it was too. On Saturday we had a bonfire at the top of the garden and let off a couple of boxes of Standard's best with a few supplemental rockets on top.
A good time was had by all and we continue to exercise our rights to possess explosives and be trusted to set them off more or less as they should be.
Oh boy - remember that PIF!!!
Not catherine wheel not after the burning fence/glove incident that put paid finally to me risking life and limb every 5th Nov!!
Rockets - I love rockets
Remember the old jumping jacks or whatever they were called. We'd have them on the floor as kids all jumping out of the way of them as they flipped over again and again... I presume they got (sensibly) banned eventually
We had some waste ground at the back of where I grew up Martin (now Morrisons in Hadleigh), which almost burnt down by accident. Not firework related though - it's a long story.
Jumping Jacks rings a bell OP, bangers were always a hit with boot-boy crowd, so no surprise they've been banned. We've stopped going to organised events and do the trad box-in-the-back-garden get together now
Dig around on Youtube F-Ron and you'll find a few more memory jogging PIFs, most of which are available on this mighty DVD ..
Our Catherine Wheel came to nothing (as expected), and got thrown on the fire pit. The rockets were a blast though, as we try to skim the as close as poss' to the roof of the bungalow backing on to our garden.
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