flygirl

hello to anyone in London or recently visiting...<BR><BR>is Guy Fawkes day actually celebrated in a big way over there? what usually happens? <BR><BR>and, I was recently told a friend was moving to Primrose Hill area - do you know anything about this area, what is it like? is it more of an open expanse or like a village?<BR><BR>thanks

Sheila

Remember, remember, the 5th of November<BR>Gunpowder treason and plot<BR>I see no reason<BR>why gunpowder treason<BR>Should ever be forgot!<BR><BR>It's a VERY big deal

ron

Interesting that you should ask about Guy Fawkes and Primrose Hill, since Primrose Hill is (or at least was a half dozen years ago) the site of one of the major Guy Fawkes bonfires. I was walking along the Regents Canal towpath one Guy Fawkes day in the mid 1990s, decided I needed some lunch and a pint, wandered into Primrose Hill and met my needs at the Prince Albert pub on Princess Street.<BR><BR>After lunch, I wandered up to the top of the hill, where they were piling up the scrap lumber for that evening's bonfire. Nice views over London. Can't recollect much about the neighbourhood, other than it seemed pretty up market. <BR><BR>I didn't get back for the bonfire that night as the one in Battersea Park, followed by fireworks, was more convenient.

PatrickW

Taking Skyhawk's original questions literally:<BR><BR>Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night is a big deal, because it involves fireworks and bonfires at a gloomy time of year, either in private parties or (increasingly over the years, as a way of trying to reduce accidents) public displays (which are necessarily much better than any individual family could arrange for themselves). These will happen on the night, or around the preceding and/or following weekends - this year there have been bangs and whistles for nearly two weeks (including one set of neighbours whose fireworks went off at 3.50 a.m. one night!). <BR><BR>When I was a lad, the thing was for children to dress up their 'guy' (prepared for the bonfire) and tote him round the streets collecting 'a penny for the guy', but since children are (thank goodness) no longer allowed to buy fireworks, and most people would look askance on children asking strangers for money, that's largely disappeared. Traditionalists like myself aren't particularly keen on the way the American habits of Halloween and 'trick or treat' seem to be replacing it.<BR><BR>The origins of the celebrations aren't dwelt on much these days, though every State Opening of Parliament (still held about the same time each year) still includes a ceremonial search of the premises for hidden explosives (on top of the real security precautions).<BR><BR>And we shouldn't forget that the second weekend in November sees the formal inauguration of the year's Lord Mayor of London, which includes yet another firework display on the river.<BR><BR>And Primrose Hill is one of London's many open spaces, with the surrounding district a fairly posh place to live, with many writers, academics, media professionals and so on.

kavey

This year there certainly were a lot more fireworks than I recall from previous years - as the poster above said, it seemed to last a good 2 weeks.<BR><BR>I believe this is because Diwali also fell at this time and many Hindus will celebrate with fireworks as well as the traditional positioning of many candles inside and outside the home.<BR><BR>I love the idea of going out to a local fireworks display but these days I leave it till nearer the time to decide - this year the weather was way to appalling to tempt me to leave the warmth of my house, even to stand near a bonfire eating fire-cooked potatoes and watch fireworks.<BR><BR>From what I understand many of the Halloween traditions we associate with America did come from the UK but faded out here, whereas they grew in importance in the US. The pumpkin is however a purely American phenomenon.<BR><BR>I usually carve mine in a friendly grimace and call him Bob.<BR><BR>Kavey

kav

Incase the grammar groaners get going, yes one of those &quot;to&quot;s should have been a &quot;too&quot; and another one should have been an &quot;into&quot;!!!

egg

In the South of England it looks as though Halloween has been re-imported from the US. It seems to be a combination of Halloween and Mischief Night. In Scotland you used to have to do some sort of trick to get your sweeties. It was &quot;trick and treat&quot;. The modern &quot;trick or treat&quot; with its threats of blackmail is very much an American thing. The North Country thing was traditionally soulcaking with its special song &quot;A soul a soul a soul cake etc.&quot; I can remember a rather truncated version being sung outside my door about 30 years ago. In Chester they still perform a mummers' soulcaking play and go around the local pubs.<BR>It is a shame when our traditions go abroad and come back tranformed IMHO for the worse. Have you noticed how Father Christmas is rapidly turning into Santa Claus? About the only festival that has survived seems to be &quot;Mothering Sunday&quot; although many people now call it &quot;Mothers' Day&quot;. In the US it has become highly commercialised but in the UK it still just seems to involve people buying flowers for their mothers and of course it is still a religious festival and one of the prettier church services.

kate

I think the popularity of Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Night) is the reason for the lesser interest in Halloween – they're just too close together. Halloween seems to be purely for small children, whereas everyone gets involved in Bonfire Night , if only to stand in the cold and the dark with a cup of Bovril and a toffee apple.<BR><BR>It's true, as Kavey says, that fireworks have been going off constantly for the last 2 weeks. I'm sure Diwali has added to it. I'm lucky enough to live on a hill ( in the roof of a converted church) with views all across London, so I can just sit at home and watch about 10 firework displays all going off at once.<BR><BR>And Primrose Hill is very nice and chi-chi - sort of a cross between Notting Hill and Hampstead, with some great local pubs and restaurants. It's very popular with celebs. The gorgeous Jude Law is a famous resident. I thoroughly recommend Odette's if you get the chance to visit your friend – a real treasure of a restaurant on Regent's Park Road.