There's more ordnance being expended over Wellingborough tonight than has been used to date against the whole of Afghanistan. In my humble opinion. There is the distant rumble of heavy weapons to the north. The night sky is being lit up with flares every few seconds. Mortars are firing star shell. The rattle of what sounds like machinegun fire from the Hemmingwell Estate. Well, because it's the Hemmingwell, it could well be real machinegun fire, of course.

And it's not even November 5 yet. Guido Fawkes' ghost must be turning in his several graves.

I confidently expect to find the entire neighbourhood levelled in the morning ...

CapK - I can't find any evidence of that to which you refer... are they celebrating... or truly fighting or what... air raids? Let us know.

Can't find anything on BBC news. Are you close to miltary training camp?

it could well be real machinegun fire

c'mon guis, you know what the whole first week in July is like here....

So this is it CapK.

It is bonfire night this week, hardly anyone has their party on November 5th, they have it on the nearest Saturday, today, I've just come back from one. There are rockets and catherine wheels and roman candles in back gardens, in parks and public places. Your Kiwi ears are just not tuned in properly. I hope you remembered to lock up the pets.

(Either that or this evening's news headline about the assault on the Taleban front line shows a stunning lack of geographical accuracy)

I've never really understood why we give so much prominence to old Guy. Is it because "Guy Fawkes Night" sounds better than "Robert Catesby Night". And who would trawl the streets asking for a "penny for the Bob"?

Dear jmh: I've heard of movable feasts, but forwarded Fawkes Fireworks is something new.

The last bang happened about 11 p.m. You shoulda seen it. Spielberg could have saved himself a fortune in special effects for that so-American series "Band of Brothers" if he'd just waited until last night to film them! I kid you not, it sounded like an artillery bombardment in the distance when there were no salutes being set off in the immediate vicinity.

Let's hope it's all quiet on the Northants front tonight!

>Let's hope it's all quiet on the Northants front tonight!

It's been pretty noisy here in Edinburgh tonight. I forgot to tell you, it can last as long as two weeks! Sleep tight.

Dear jmh: While the NRA manages to keep assault rifles in the hands of people who should not have them, private possession and use of fireworks has been considerably reduced because there were so many horrendous accidents. Public displays are fewer than when I was a boy, partly because of cost of insurance.
Can kids in UK buy and use fireworks?

>Can kids in UK buy and use fireworks?

No, it is illegal to sell them to children.

Most fireworks are bought by parents for small displays at home, by groups of families (such as at the event we went to last night), medium sized neighbourhood displays or large public displays.

My personal experience is that fireworks have always been treated with great respect. When I was a child we were allowed to light the fireworks ourselves but these days it always seems to be a responsible adult at a great distance.

Here's a website with information and accident statistics, sorry about the noise (Cap K will recognise it!)

http://www.fire.org.uk/firework/home.htm

Edinburgh has major firework displays three times a year, once during the festival (with the Castle as a wonderful backdrop)http://www.btinternet.com/~murray.groat/MurraysPants/pages/PGed2000fireworks.htm, once for bonfire night and again for Hogmanay (the ones for the milennium were amazing).