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Bonfire in Carlisle–it was a Circus theme
this year. |
On 5 November, Guy Fawkes is honoured. On Saturday they held a big Bonfire Night here in Carlisle to commemorate the failed Gunpowder Plot that was attempted by Guy Fawkes and other conspirators. They had attempted to blow up the House of Lords while Parliament was in session. After an anonymous tip, the conspirators were caught. Now England celebrates their capture with a big fire and fireworks.
So the history lesson is to say that I got to experience Bonfire Night on Saturday. It was quite an experience. I can’t believe that 35,000 people come to Bitts Park from Carlisle and all over the area to see this show.
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| Look at all the people!! |
They started with a stage set up in the theme of a circus with various performers gradually moving to the music as the show continued. Various fireworks were set off on the stage, and things began to catch on fire until everything is engulfed in flames. Talk about heat! There was no need to dress warmly when I was so close to the fire and the fire was so large that I could feel its heat!
The fire continued to burn long after the music stopped. But the show wasn’t over yet. After the bonfire, fireworks were shot off. It was a pretty decent show, I will say–maybe even better than the Labor Day
fireworks show in Cincinnati, if that is possible.
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| FIREWORKS!! |
After the show, Leon and I decided to make a beeline for the opposite side of the park to get out. We had been invited to a post-bonfire party at a friends’ flat, and we needed to go that direction. Much to our dismay, the crowd decided to head that way too, as the amusement rides were there. So we stood in the queue for quite awhile. People were a bit too close for comfort for me, so I was beginning to get nervous about being in this queue. Eventually we made it to the castle, where we walked up the embankment and around to the front of the castle where we needed to be.
At our friends’ flat we had a lovely time chatting with people and playing games. We were taught how to play Mexican Train, and were sorely beaten by our friend. :) It was so nice to finally be some place and actually know some of the people there! I think this place is beginning to feel a bit like home… even though it will still take some time.
