Passing Comment : Early bonfire night was baffling – but brilliant
Passing Comment – Early bonfire night was baffling – but brilliant:
By Sue Vincent Jones.
Remember, remember the fifth of November – or is that 29th October – giving Guy Fawkes a Halloween vibe this year?
Bizarrely Barry’s big Bonfire Night Out, and I have no clue of the real reason for this, was moved to a week before, leaving Barrians both baffled and bemused.
For us reliable residents, who have traipsed from Romilly Park to The Parade, to The Prom over the years, it was a bit of a shock to the system. Just like every year, we had our Halloween finery all ironed, had ordered our sparklers for the fourth, and were looking forward to two top weekends in a row.
Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that we’re not at the Central Park Christmas Market in the middle of February.
Halloween has always a highlight in Barry, especially back in the day. There we were, eight years old, swinging around a fully-lit candle shoved into a smelly swede, badly carved by your dad two minutes before.
And then off we went into the night, a motley crew of kids, banging on random strangers’ doors asking for our treats. Then, just as the smouldering swede hit the bin bag we were set for Bonfire Night – the annual traipse to the fireworks fresh from a day’s Penny for the Guy work outside the old Stephens store.
Hundreds of us – all wrapped up cosy and cwtchy – then set off clutching a bunch of sparklers and a box of Bryant and May. My only thoughts as we walked in our unofficial procession over the Island Road were of the dazzling display to come.
And the pineapple fritter and chippy supper on the way home – even managed to blag a can of Top Deck Shandy on times too. It’s a cliched phrase ‘making memories’ but those really were happy days.
Truth be told though, whatever the date, I’m happy to see the town’s traditional dates creeping back into our community calendar. In my view, those two years of Coronavirus chaos and long lonely lockdowns will have massive physical, mental, psychological and social repercussions for years to come.
Community events like these are so important to showing a sense of solidarity and spirit in the town. All you organisers, please give yourself a clap and take a bow.
Thank you.
- The views expressed by columnists of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Glamorgan Star, its employees or its proprietors
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