Hi, phred:
That old saying in full - "Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot".
As kids, (1960's) Plot was also a kind of traditional home-made toffee, "our mums" used to give us.
(It usually tasted - kind of - burnt ...... )
I missed a lot of the fun this year, 'cos my friends dawg was so freaked out by all the noise. But there are some wonderful fireworks I've seen:
- Four feet across "Chinese lanterns" which float away, while glowing from within.
- what I call a "string of pearls", a shallow arc of many light points hanging in space.
They must use parachutes or the like.
Firework colours are absolutely beautiful, short-lived shades you'll never see in Nature.
In the UK nowadays, we Brits have introduced some USA traditions. Halloween was not something widely celebrated until recently. As a child "Trick or treat" was something I only read about in comics.
And "Prom nights" are popular now.
(Hey, maybe we'll re-introduce Imperial measurements ! Does the exchange of ideas go the other way, probably not.)
Cautionary notes - 5th November always involves a lot of kids being burnt or otherwise injured, domestic roof fires, etc.
A few years ago, there was a scandal about fireworks imported from China, which did not meet safety regulations. An unfortunate headteacher literally had his head blown off - at a school display !
He leaned over a launch tube to investigate an apparent *dud*.
Another firework was so dangerous it made the National TV news. If you had one, as shown in the picture, the precautionary measures were: "Immediately place in a bucket of water, and take outside, away from houses or people. Then call the Fire Brigade". Apparently it could spontaneously combust/explode.
lightlover