Penny for the Guy?

[Rodney Mills]

I just stumbled across this weird fact:

First though, did you know that Guy Fawkes was not burnt at the stake but sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered. "Although weakened by torture, Fawkes managed to jump from the gallows and break his neck, thus avoiding the gruesome latter part of his execution."


So Guy Fawkes actually committed suicide. So why did we burn a "Guy" as kids on Nov. 5th? I suppose nobody would have given us money to toss him down the stairs.


Rodney

[Keith at Tregenna]

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King.

Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.

The lighting of November bonfires seems to have started with the Gunpowder Plot celebrations in 1605. The earliest effigies burned on Gunpowder Treason Day (as it was generally known) tended to be of the Devil and the Pope rather than Guy Fawkes.

K.

[j.sabourn]

Guy Fawkes should have quoted the Magna Carta. Where no man should receive excessive penalties for trivial things. What’s a few politicians here or there. JS

[Captain Kong]

Instead of placing Gun Powder in Parliament , he should have released 50 Rabid dogs. Might have got away with it.

[Keith at Tregenna]

On the Devil, the Pope or Guy Fawkes ?

[j.sabourn]

Could have sent in Lilly , Brian, JS

[Lewis McColl]

Time for another gun powder plot.

[happy daze john in oz]

Had he done the job properly thing s may have changed, but for the better??????

But the way it is now we all get a chance to chuck them out and put a new lot in.
Pity gunpowder is not available, save the cost of an election.

[Rodney Mills]

Do the children of England still celebrate Nov 5th the same way we did? A "Guy" in a pushcart or leaning up the wall and my mates and me begging for money to purchase fireworks? I know the local Chingford Hatch, Essex, used to save all the scrap construction lumber and tree trimmings and people donated combustible scrap for a huge community bonfire. And we sat near the embers roasting potatoes on a stick. It was a great fun night, staying up late, and looked forward to.


I have a feeling it's hard to make a "Guy" while stuck on the telephone, or glued to a computer. Did it go the way of the Dodo, or are my feelings unfair?

[Jim Brady]

I sailed with a cook from Cardiff he said when he was a kid he was a bit fat so his mates dressed him up as the guy and they set up outside a pub,penny for the guy.closing time a couple of men came out drunk and decided to kick the guy around the street.
When i was a kid we used to put some effort into making our guy, you see the kids with their guys today which is a football for the head sitting on top of a coat.
Regards.
Jim.b.