More than 200 people, including one visitor from Holland, converged on Edward and Jane Goodliffe’s residence west of Busby Nov. 3 to attend their annual Guy Fawkes Night bonfire and celebration.
Guy Fawkes Night is a yearly tradition observed in the United Kingdom Nov. 5 to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when a group of English Catholics tried (and failed) to blow up Parliament.
Fawkes was one of eight conspirators to be put on trial and later executed; notably, he broke his neck while climbing the ladder to the noose, and was thus spared the agony of hanging.
Parliament designated Nov. 5 as a day of thanksgiving to celebrate the averted assassination of King James I. Although Fawkes was only one of the conspirators, he is the one most associated with the plot.
In modern day, the Guy Fawkes mask has become the popular symbol of the hacker group “Anonymous.”
The Goodliffes have been celebrating Guy Fawkes Night for nearly three decades now. They always host the event on the Saturday evening closest to Nov. 5, putting on a huge bonfire, offering refreshments and sometimes shooting off fireworks when the weather allows.
Edward Goodliffe places the effigy of Guy Fawkes on top of the 24-foot stack of wood that was set ablaze.
Edward constructed a wood pile approximately 24-feet high for this year’s Guy Fawkes Night.
“I worked at it for about two weeks and devoted about two hours each day,” Edward said.
Participants first gathered at the Goodliffe’s barn where Edward gave a short explanation of the event and welcomed everyone who turned out. They then lit torches and marched through the mud to where the bonfire was set up.
Despite the wet conditions, the fire kept burning before it finally collapsed, Edward said.
“Fortunately the weather was good, so I was able to build a good solid fire,” Edward said.
About 20 of the initial 200 stayed overnight and roughly eight stayed for breakfast, said Edward. Last year, there were about 25 people who stayed overnight, he noted.
