Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night was a big event in the year for kids in the 1950s and ‘60s, going out with their stuffed guys beseeching all and sundry for money, especially outside pubs. On the night itself, as seen here in Leeds, there was a great atmosphere as the darkening nights were lit up by Roman Candles bought with the hard earned money. And family and friends gather around to keep warm by the makeshift bonfire made from old pieces of timber, possibly gathered from nearby derelict houses.

This is a film made by the ever enterprising Alan Sidi of Leeds. Alan was a very prolific, inventive and skilled filmmaker who made lots of wonderful films, including many with the Leeds Movie Makers. Although bonfire night originates with the 1605 Catholic plot to blow up Parliament, by Victorian times it became more associated with working class youth and rowdyism. This association remained until the time of this film, when the original historical connection had largely been lost. Its popularity after the war was matched by the large number of fireworks brands – Astra, Benwell, Brock’s, Lion, Pain’s, Rainbow, Wells, Wessex and Wilder’s, to name a few – of which possibly only Standard remains today.