Bonfire Night by Lindsey (David's mother !)

BONFIRE NIGHT

5th November

Hi! I thought you might like to hear about a British celebration that comes just after Halloween, on 5th November, and which is a great favourite with us: it's called "Guy Fawkes night", or "bonfire night" (bonfire = feu de joie).

Guy Fawkes was a member of a group that planned to carry out the "Gunpowder Plot" (Conspiration des poudres) to blow up the Houses of parliament and kill King James I of England, on 5 November 1605, but nobody remembers that, we just love the huge fires and fireworks!

Traditionally, a "guy" (un mannequin de Guy Fawkes), is taken around the streets on a wheelbarrow (une brouette) by children who used to ask for a "penny for the guy". They then bought fireworks (feux d'artifice) with the money. (Now it's the parents that buy the fireworks!!)

The guy is then put on top of an enormous bonfire where it is burned (charming!). We eat sausages and jacket potatoes cooked on the bonfire, and treacle toffee (recipe below, yum!). Then we watch fireworks organised by groups of neighbours (voisins).

 

Here is an old rhyme that talks of the Gunpowder plot (treason = trahison, plot = complot)

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

The gunpowder, treason and plot,

I know of no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

And here is a recipe for TREACLE TOFFEE!! (only to be tried with the help of parents of course)

110g (4oz) unsalted butter

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp white vinegar

450g (1lb) soft brown sugar

225g (8oz) black treacle (mélasse??)

Put the butter, water and vinegar into a saucepan and heat under a gentle heat until the butter has melted.

Add the sugar and black treacle and allow to fully dissolve, roughly 20 minutes. Boil the mixture for a few minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave until it stops bubbling.

Pour the mixture into a oiled 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tin.

When the mixture has cooled a little, mark the surface into squares with a knife.

When cold break into squares, wrap in cellophane and store in an airtight container.

 

Happy cooking!

Lindsey Jones (mother of David, 5e2)