Chumping

Patexpat · Post by **Patexpat** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 6:00 am

Just curious - how many people had their own bonfires on Saturday night? Or are they all 'community' events now due to H&S? Just wondered ... chumping and jealously guarding your bonfire before the big night was all a prt of growing up .... and on the night itself neighbours came together to provide baked potatoes, bonfire toffee, toffee apples and much more, including the fireworks ... which we as kids were allowed to let off with the dads in the background keeping an eye on things and a bottle of ale to fight off the bonfire smoke ... happy days!

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 8:02 am

What i cant understand is haveing a fire on another day.Roundhay Parks Fire was on friday night.Does that mean we might have christmas day on the twenty forth of december?Just a thought.

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 9:20 am

I like the photo, but it says July - another month completely, never mind another day!

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 10:40 am

Patexpat wrote: Just curious - how many people had their own bonfires on Saturday night? Or are they all 'community' events now due to H&S? Just wondered ... chumping and jealously guarding your bonfire before the big night was all a prt of growing up .... and on the night itself neighbours came together to provide baked potatoes, bonfire toffee, toffee apples and much more, including the fireworks ... which we as kids were allowed to let off with the dads in the background keeping an eye on things and a bottle of ale to fight off the bonfire smoke ... happy days! My brother-in-law for years has had a bonfire in his garden, and it's always been a family event. This year he invited his new neighbours and their two young children as well, and they brought their respective extended families as well, complete with loads of fireworks.Scene looks to be set for years to come.

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 1:16 pm

tilly wrote: What i cant understand is haveing a fire on another day.Roundhay Parks Fire was on friday night.Does that mean we might have christmas day on the twenty forth of december?Just a thought. I cannot say how true it is but; theres a strong rumour they didnt want to pay staff Saturday rates of pay!!

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 3:59 pm

Patexpat wrote: Just curious - how many people had their own bonfires on Saturday night? Or are they all 'community' events now due to H&S? Just wondered ... chumping and jealously guarding your bonfire before the big night was all a prt of growing up .... and on the night itself neighbours came together to provide baked potatoes, bonfire toffee, toffee apples and much more, including the fireworks ... which we as kids were allowed to let off with the dads in the background keeping an eye on things and a bottle of ale to fight off the bonfire smoke ... happy days! We didn't have a fire but had our own firework display in the nephews garden. About £300 up in smoke, as they say. I prefer Chinese lanterns at £1 each. They last longer and travel miles.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Mon 07 Nov, 2011 11:41 pm

[We didn't have a fire but had our own firework display in the nephews garden. About £300 up in smoke, as they say. I prefer Chinese lanterns at £1 each. They last longer and travel miles.Yes, but aren't the burnt-out remains a hazard to wildlife and farm animals? You know, wire becoming stuck round necks, etc.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Tue 08 Nov, 2011 2:43 pm

Uno Hoo wrote: [We didn't have a fire but had our own firework display in the nephews garden. About £300 up in smoke, as they say. I prefer Chinese lanterns at £1 each. They last longer and travel miles. Yes, but aren't the burnt-out remains a hazard to wildlife and farm animals? You know, wire becoming stuck round necks, etc. The one's I get are made with very fine bamboo, no wire on them at all, the paper is non-flammable but biodegradable. The firelighter burns out and the string is biodegradable too. I live right on the edge of Cannock Chase with country-side all around us too. Never heard or read of any harm/danger happening to farm animals or the thousands of wild deer on the Chase, or any other animal. If I did I would stop letting them off immediately.

DOBBO · Post by **DOBBO** » Tue 08 Nov, 2011 8:08 pm

Late arriving as usualI can remember as a kid and living in The Charltons in the early to mid fifties that chumping was a major occupation through October - I can remember we got an old toilet ( we only wanted the seat) and we put it on a bogie (remember those) and being the smallest and most tired being towed home sitting on it but unable to see why everyone laughed as we went by. Every street then had their own fire and we all had a ball - the measure of success being how long your fire burned into the next day.When we moved to Crossgates in 1959 fires became a much more your own back garden affair but I still can taste the baked potatoes and mushy peas and parkin that Mam made for the family who attended.It does seem now that bonfire night is more of a formal organised event - and no worse for that