Lewes combines celebrating the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot with the anniversary of their burning 17 Protestant martyrs, which took place about 50 years earlier, then they bundle the whole thing up into one huge explosive celebration. As well as bonfires and fireworks Lewes also celebrates in the form of parading though the streets in their six fireworks societies before joining together to parade all at once.

Though they seem to take quite a miserable attitude towards people joining in their festivities – in the 19th Century they threw a local magistrate into the river when he objected to the practice, and these days their website lets you know up front that there's no parking and that the public transport is a nightmare, especially if the weather is bad, and they remind us that it is November, implying that it's better to go to your own local celebration.

Written by  Sophie Edgerton.

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cool, doing this thing for history and it's been really usful.

 

Comment posted 17th November 2009 by Sarah.

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