no balls, on 30 October 2011 - 06:33 PM, said:

Sadly (Halloween) seems to be taking over from Bonfire night.

 

 

There seems to be no 'independent' bonfires these days, either because the kids are too fooking lazy to collect bommy wood (eeeeh, when I were a lad a rusty nail right through yer foot were a right of passage) or lack of supervising adults - giving the lads in the Fire Service no choice but to be party poopers.

 

So the waning in importance of a British tradition, to be usurped by a North American one, I forward, is due to...

 

A. The majority of kids these days are bone idle and collecting wood is too much like hard work.

 

B. A lot of children are wrapped in cotton wool, even if they wanted to organize a fire, they'd be forbidden from doing so.

 

C. Adults are also too fecking lazy or engrossed in the latest shite on the telly to help supervise, giving the Firemen a major ballache.

 

and

 

D. Many Adults who would help out are too paranoid - of being viewed as some sinister, nonce type figure, for associating with children in normal, healthy pursuits - like having a Bonfire. This situation being totally counter-productive, almost granting a beasts' charter. The less 'normal' folk willing to get involved and keep an eye out for 'suspects', one may argue will increase the chances of a nonce...

 

This isn't coming from someone of the Bill Naughton era - I'm barely into my mid 30s. And when I was a kid we had STs (that's Atari STs NOT STDs, well some did...), Amigas, BMXs/Mountain bikes, Gameboys, Segas, Videoshops (remember them?) and loads of other distractions - The Water Place was newly built for example, the town centre had a cinema etc. but nearly every gang/area would still have a bonfire (and would nick wood from each other). Adults would come along with pasties (from ye olde pastie shop), black peas, homemade meat potato pie and other stuff - this is mid to late 1980s too, not the 1930s...

Edited November 1, 201114 yr by Youri McAnespie

That was nigh on Churchillian.

The rise is the scrote culture has a lot to do with the demise if the local bommy.

 

My local one from when I was little was stopped after 2 years of white lightning fueled chavtastic filth lobbing aerosol cans on the bommy.

 

It became more hassle then it was worth.

We had a few good ones in Horwich until Health and Safety got involved. Most places only do firework displays now. They had a decent one at Rivington Club last year though.

Is it legal to make a fire without organising it these days?

Is it legal to make a fire without organising it these days?

 

I hope so. We're having one on Satdi neet.

A fine post, I agree with more or less everything Youri says, I'm 10 years older than him but my memories are identical. Another reason for bommy night being usurped by Halloween is that shops can sell more stuff for Halloween. The beauty of bommy night is that it was almost inpossible to commercialise (apart from the sale of fireworks themselves) which led it to become a community event by definition, whether independent local groups or more organised bommys by scout groups etc. All you needed was a patch of land, a pile of wood, some fireworks and food and drink (often home made potato pies, parkin etc) and a great night was had by all. It was hard to make money out of, so shops have pushed the far more saleable Halloween.

have a bommy (well a fire pit size) most weekends in my back garden with owd wood and bits from the house im a proper little fucking fire bug though me.

 

I am a member of our local community group and this is the first year in over 15 years that we arent putting a fire on for the kids this year. As we were a community group we had to have police supervision and whatnot. like previousl;y stated far to much hassle than what its worth these days. nanny state and all that.

 

anyway bommy neet is my favourite night of the year.

I think Wiggam has summed up what I couldn't put my finger on earlier.

It's not commercialised like so much is these day, it's just a pleasant old fashioned tradition (born out of a pretty horrendous execution, I know), where a community can get together even on a cold, dark night. Oh & obviously because I'm a right greedy get, I like that aspect of it too.

Quality bonfire, firework display and fair @ HORWICH RMI CRICKET CLUB

 

This Sunday after the Stoke game.

 

Gates open at 530pm

Quality bonfire, firework display and fair @ HORWICH RMI CRICKET CLUB

 

This Sunday after the Stoke game.

 

Gates open at 530pm

 

 

Horwich, I think we're going BUT the fair is putting me right off. Could they possibly turn the volume down?

We have a huge bommy at Atherton Collieries every year, it is a great fundraiser for the club, the firework display is fantastic, there is food and a good bar, all for the princely entrance fee of ?3, gates open at around 6.00pm on Saturday evening.

 

Some little local shithouse scrotes set fire to the bommy on Sunday night and we've lost quite a bit of it, everybody will muck in though to ensure the night is a success

 

Everybody welcome

Horwich, I think we're going BUT the fair is putting me right off. Could they possibly turn the volume down?

 

 

Is Ray Von doing the 'MC-ing' on the waltzers? I suppose organized Bonfires are better than abandoning the tradition altogether - and if having a Funfair (that's an oxymoron if there ever was one) attached is a necessary evil then so be it. I think Wiggum also made a good point - Halloween tat produced in the Far East probably has a massive mark up and can be stored indefinitely. I presume fireworks are comparatively more expensive to produce and store - thus lots less profit, plus you can 'share' fireworks - you can't share a stupid fecking costume, any adults who got dressed up should be ashamed of themselves

Edited November 1, 201114 yr by Youri McAnespie

I've never understood why we were always told at school never, ever to keep fireworks in our pockets.

 

My knob has never set fire to anything yet.

I used to go to the Lostock arms one before it got overtaken by kids

have a bommy (well a fire pit size) most weekends in my back garden with owd wood and bits from the house im a proper little fucking fire bug though me.

Spot on: me and my lad: could Ray Mears make an inferno from old, damp ash twigs and soogy prunings, piss soaked guinea pig bedding and few bits if cardboard packaging and bog roll tubes.

Sting your eyes with the smoke and keep playing with the fire with an old cane.

Great things bommies.

 

Darcy Lever CC also do a magnificent firework display, for cheaper than a roman candle!

no balls, on 30 October 2011 - 06:33 PM, said:

 

 

 

There seems to be no 'independent' bonfires these days, either because the kids are too fooking lazy to collect bommy wood (eeeeh, when I were a lad a rusty nail right through yer foot were a right of passage) or lack of supervising adults - giving the lads in the Fire Service no choice but to be party poopers.

 

So the waning in importance of a British tradition, to be usurped by a North American one, I forward, is due to...

 

A. The majority of kids these days are bone idle and collecting wood is too much like hard work.

 

B. A lot of children are wrapped in cotton wool, even if they wanted to organize a fire, they'd be forbidden from doing so.

 

C. Adults are also too fecking lazy or engrossed in the latest shite on the telly to help supervise, giving the Firemen a major ballache.

 

and

 

D. Many Adults who would help out are too paranoid - of being viewed as some sinister, nonce type figure, for associating with children in normal, healthy pursuits - like having a Bonfire. This situation being totally counter-productive, almost granting a beasts' charter. The less 'normal' folk willing to get involved and keep an eye out for 'suspects', one may argue will increase the chances of a nonce...

 

This isn't coming from someone of the Bill Naughton era - I'm barely into my mid 30s. And when I was a kid we had STs (that's Atari STs NOT STDs, well some did...), Amigas, BMXs/Mountain bikes, Gameboys, Segas, Videoshops (remember them?) and loads of other distractions - The Water Place was newly built for example, the town centre had a cinema etc. but nearly every gang/area would still have a bonfire (and would nick wood from each other). Adults would come along with pasties (from ye olde pastie shop), black peas, homemade meat potato pie and other stuff - this is mid to late 1980s too, not the 1930s...

 

I agree with all of that .. these are sad times

have one every year on the spear land at the side of my house ..and allways look the morning after to see if its still in

well i'm having one ... i found an old liverpool kit when i was clearing some stuff out ( my sons , before i educated him ) .. my youngest son said i'm not wearing that red thing ... So the guy is made up ready to be burnt on the bonfire with that red thing on it

well i'm having one ... i found an old liverpool kit when i was clearing some stuff out ( my sons , before i educated him ) .. my youngest son said i'm not wearing that red thing ... So the guy is made up ready to be burnt on the bonfire with that red thing on it

 

Make sure you go through the pockets first.

Horwich, I think we're going BUT the fair is putting me right off. Could they possibly turn the volume down?

Must admit, the pikeys put me off a bit last year but the firework display was very good.

 

Will there be a big bommie again?

I've never understood why we were always told at school never, ever to keep fireworks in our pockets.

 

My knob has never set fire to anything yet.

I dunno... mine used to burn when I peed.

And another thing; it should only be on 5 November, like Christmas never moves

 

 

 

 

 

We used to build the biggest bonfire in Bolton

Bommy raiding

It's disappointing to see the American ritual overshadowing our tradition. I have many memories of collecting bommy wood, raiding rival gangs' collections etc. Nothing else mattered from October onwards other than - bommy wood!

The thing that I can't understand about Halloween, is that the same numpties who are celebrating this pagan ritual, will, in a few weeks, be celebrating a Christian tradition

I laugh at the people who get all excited about Black Peas like kids do at Christmas with Santa Claus, I'm the same though with treacle toffee

 

Fireworks are ace. Halloween is fun, so is bonfire night and Christmas, maybe people these days don't care about tradition, not out of being lazy, but they just don't want too, they can see a fire in their front room and invite people round if they can't be arsed going to the trouble.

 

We went to one last season, we'll be going again, best tata ash with crust ever.

Edited November 1, 201114 yr by Didledee