Plot Night 1605

‘Remember remember the 5th of November gunpowder treason and plot’ so it isn’t bonfire night but Plot Neet or just Plot!
The Plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 included plotters Robert Catesby,Thomas Percy, Christopher and John Wright, Thomas Wintour and the infamous Guy Fawkes, a Yorkshire man from Scotton, Knaresborough who went to school at St Peter’s, York. Most of the plotters had Yorkshire connections but it isn’t their effigy that is burnt on Plot night but Guy’s (burning a Tom, Bob or Chris doesn’t sound quite the same).

‘Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…………………. ‘ In fact we may think again after this years appalling expenses shambles. It is obvious MP’s are not Right and they are not Honorable. Perhaps the picture of these Mine of Serpents is more appropriate than you could imagine.

Outside Yorkshire I have never heard of collecting wood for a bonfire called ‘Proggin’ but that is what we called it in Bradford in the 1950’s. The posh kids may have been ‘chumpin’ but on a straw poll in Lancashire I was told they went ‘collecting bonfire wood’ (blinkin’ obvious if you ask me). A bit of ‘millband’ was used to light the blue touch paper (although we never called it that) on Volcanoes, Penny bangers, Rip Raps, Catherine Wheels, Roman Candles, Snow Storm, Airbomb, humble coloured matched and Rockets launched from milk bottles. Even the names of the manufacturers brings back nostalgic memories; Wessex, Standard, Pains, Brocks, Astra, Wells and Benwells were just some of the Firework manufacturers I remember. More info at the Fireworks Museum.

Fireworks by bayasaa CC BY 2.0