How were your celebrations this weekend?

[BlondeBimbo]

Did everyone have a good November the 5th ? Hope there were no injuries to anyone – it was busy for me – my BF is big into fireworks, and assists with the big public displays so I have spent the past few days tramping around in mud! Not really a big event for heels I guess – Wellingtons with heels aren’t too common! BB

[xaphod]

I had a big bonfire (all the hedge clippings).

Unfortunately this is soon to be illegal (or is it already ? ) because glorifying terrorism is now not politically correct. Since the 1605 plot to blow up the houses of Parliarment most definitely fits into the above definition, I suggest that HMG start building lots of prisons to put us all into.

Xa

[sscotty727]

Good example where Wikipedia has some uses.

I had no idea what celebration you were talking about and found this link. There are also good links at the end of the article as well. According to the article, a reenactment was done this year and proved it would have been devastating if it succeeded.

From the sound of it, it sounds like you celebrate the failure of the plot? Does this stand well with the Catholics or has it lost it's meaning over time much as many holidays do?

Scotty

[Dr. Shoe]

Did everyone have a good November the 5th ?

Hope there were no injuries to anyone – it was busy for me – my BF is big into fireworks, and assists with the big public displays so I have spent the past few days tramping around in mud!

Not really a big event for heels I guess – Wellingtons with heels aren’t too common!

BB

Actually, you should see them in the shops by next autumn. Topshop already do a pair with 2" heels.

[BlondeBimbo]

Cool. What colours are available? I hope it's not just sickly green and murky blue - precious pink would be nice! sscotty727 It’s forgot all meaning since 1605, it is really the big thing around this time of the year, I know you guys think about Halloween, but generally in the UK I think that is pretty much ignored and Nov’ 5th celebrated. It was common place (certainly in the north west of England) that if someone came around begging – “trick & treating” they would be sent away quite offensively, but if they stood around with a guy – then most people would give without any problems (The idea is you build a guy – a badly dressed effigy of Guy Fawkes – and people give you money – which you use to buy fireworks, on the night the guy is burnt on a bonfire, and all the fireworks are set-off – that way everybody gets to see the fireworks as a general spectacle of the night) Obviously it isn’t as celebrated in Scotland! I think there is a bit of a push to stop kids being involved with fireworks with the nanny state, and some people are trying to introduce Halloween as the celebration – some kids are going for it I guess. For me, and most of the people I know (everybody I know back in the North west) it’s a pretty strong feeling for fireworks night, and against Halloween. BB

[sscotty727]

BB, Cool! I would take fireworks over trick or treat anyday. You can always just buy your own kids the candy your giving away anyway. Scotty

[BlondeBimbo]

no candy perhaps Parkin, toffee apples, jacket potatoes, gingerbread men, or treacle (bonfire) toffee. but not candy, or any sweets. BB

[Rob]

I was out of the country during bonfire night this year, but BlondeBimbo, your post made me think how, down here in Sussex and London, we don't see kids with "Guy's" anymore. Bonfire night is still a big celebration across all age groups, but the children tend to want to celebrate Halloween and do the whole "Trick or Treat" thing. Part of the whole "Americanisation" of our culture, caused by endless US TV programs shown by channels that don't want spend money on making UK based programs.

[sscotty727]

UK based programs.

Not to go off topic, but in my opinion, what the UK does better than anyone else is comedy. Just about all my favorite comedy shows are British.

Monty Python (my wife got me the entire Flying Circus collection, 16 DVDs with 3 shows per).

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Book, TV Show, Radio Show, will never listen to the Hollywood ripoff)

Eddie Izzard

Just about anything done by any of the Monty Python cast

Just about anything on PBS done in Britan

American humor is all slapstick. British humor is the quick witty dialog.

Anyway, back to the original topic. It's a shame your losing your unique cultural celebration. In the US, alot is being lost as well due to "liberalization" and in the name of not wanting to "offend" anyone. When I was a kid in grade school, we used to go to school in custom for Halloween and even had a parade around the neighborhood for the parents to watch. Now a days, you can't even use the Halloween name in school, it's the Fall Festival. It's sick.

Scotty

[sscotty727]

sscotty727:

I notice your list doesn't include anything recent. We haven't got anything funny left (apart from Eddie Izzard). And if anyone mentions "Little Britain", well it's just not funny.

Maybe not, but US comedy is all about either slapstick or extreme foul language. There is very little "quality" American comedy if any at all. It is really hard to say what current comedy Britian has since not much of it is televised here (and don't say satellite, I don't have it so does me no good).

Take Hitchhikers for example. An EXCELLENT very well written comedy by a genious. Put it in Hollywoods hands and you get a piece of trash I wouldn't subject enemys to.

OH WAIT, there is a recent one as a matter of fact. Just took my daughters to see Wallace and Gromit this weekend. It was EXCELLENT! Nothing American writers have are even close to being on par.

Scotty

[BlondeBimbo]

Why do we celebrate a complete failure?

Not sure we are intended to see it like that, basically it was an act of terrorism, which was caught before it was executed. – If we caught someone today planning to blow a plane up, or major sites in London, Manchester etc. we would regard that as a celebration.

sscotty727, I have to agree with Lindsay, most of the good stuff is years old – mainly the 60’s or 70’s, there is little around from today, W&G is inspirational, but other than this oasis in a desert of mediocrity; UK comedy is bland, tired and boring.

I think there are some great comedians out there who could write and perform outstanding work – but the investors over here just won’t take the risk – why when they can repeat great old British series, and import cheep stuff?

BB

[sscotty727]

why when they can repeat great old British series, and import cheep stuff?

BB

Exactly what Hollywood does here. If I see another 70s or 80s TV show turned into a movie I am going to scream! Can't anyone think of anything new for a change?

Also, alot of our TV shows are imported British ones (who's line is it anyway, so who wants to be a millionare, etc).

Scotty

[BlondeBimbo]

"Who wants to be a millionaire?" Is a great show – now worldwide of course. In the UK it’s Chris Tarrant who presents the show, I am no too keen on him, and I think he strings it out sometimes a bit too long, just irritates rather than excites. I don’t know who presents it in the US, but it’s so dependant upon the presenter - in Germany it’s presented by Günther Jauch who is a great Moderator, I think he gets the timing perfect. I understand what you say about repeating old series, just a few years ago I saw an interview with John Inman who was one of the stars of “Are you being served”, (he is now about 70 I think) and he talked about going to the US fairly recently since “Are you being served” was being shown there and very popular. However he said people were shocked when they saw him as they thought it was both a modern show and was expressing current styles!!!! – It’s about 30 years old! And of course even in the 70’s it was a retrospective about the late 50’s - 60’s. BB