Bond Fire Night 2008

This year yet again nobody can help themselves to burn effigies of sort to fuel the fire, at least it was the largest bonfire I have ever seen -- at Hyde Park, Leeds. As a matter of fact, nobody (apart from the organizers) would be allowed to do that in public places (except for I think the person who did it -- Guy Fawkes). By 7PM, the park was already jam-packed with people, mostly young people as the park is surrounded by student residentials. The crowd was great! There could easily be 20,000 people at the park then. It was at least 50m radius from the bonfire -- fenced. Guards and security personnels inside. Several fire extinguishers within the circle. Five blinding mercury spotlights around the circumference... made walking to a destination difficult -- silhouette effect.

The fireworks this time, compared to the ones displayed at Roundhay Park last year, was not, in my opinion, very impressive. In fact, and surprisingly, I felt bored watching the unsynchronized display. Every rockets that lit up the night sky were most probably store purchased. They were boring, unlively, too much noise, uncreative, and small. It seemed that the fireworks lacked the skillful handwork of professional pyrotechnics.

Even though the disappointing fireworks display was not the primary agenda of the night -- the bondfire was -- the organizers for the fireworks display could have at least and should have put more efforts in it because of their associative factor. People turn up at the bondfire also to watch the fireworks. Without it, the bondfire night would be lacking completeness. I feel they should be feeling a little ashame because there are people out there who have bought a bigger, better, single-use fireworks for his own amusements!

We should have gone to Roundhay Park for this night.

Since Bond Fire night is the only night of the year where fireworks display is a very real possibility, organizers should really get together to plan for the biggest night of all to commemorate what Guy Fawkes began -- England's biggest bondfire, and a competitive fireworks display. So big that they won't need those annoying blinding mercury spotlights anymore and would justify the 50m stand-off from the fire. So big that the entire city would thronged to the site with full anticipation to watch the best display ever. But I guess to burn down a city is never worth anything.