Gunpowder, Treason and Plot

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Today is the 5th of November which has been celebrated as Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night for 400 years ever since a number of recusant Catholics plotted to blow up the House of Lords at the opening of Parliament on 5th November 1605. There were a number of conspirators but it is Guy Fawkes who is chiefly remembered because it was he who was discovered guarding (and presumably ready to set light to) the 36 barrels of gunpowder which had been stored under the Houses of Parliament by the conspirators. In those days, the cellars of the seat of government were let out for storage and the conspirators had leased one for their purpose! Bonfire Night is traditionally a time when large bonfires were built and lit in many, if not most, villages and towns in Britain, though the practice has declined greatly since the introduction of Health and Safety laws and the Clean Air Act. Children used to construct 'guys' from old clothes, sacks, straw and newspaper and wheel them around the streets begging for 'A penny for the Guy'. The money collected would, of course, be spent on sweets, sparklers, penny bangers and jumping jacks and the Guy himself would be set atop the bonfire to be 'burned to death'. How times have changed in just thirty or forty years! Fireworks are now only sold to people over 18 and the very cheap bangers (which were designed to be lit and thrown) and jumping jacks have been completely outlawed. I haven't seen a Guy being pushed around in an old perambulator or push-chair for a very long time and groups of children begging would be very strongly frowned on.