My Night at Bonfire Night
Right, so I figured dipping my toes into UK festivals would be a laugh. Bonfire Night seemed like a grand place to start. Everyone buzzing about fireworks and treacle toffee? Count me in. The plan sounded simple enough in my head.
First up, naivety kicked in hard. Didn’t bother planning much beyond the date – “November 5th, got it”. Hopped on a train to Lewes, heard it was epic. Bad move. Got there feeling chuffed… until I hit the crowds. Packed like sardines, genuinely. Took me 20 minutes just to shuffle ten feet off the station platform. Instant regret.
It got worse. Forgot about the cold. Seriously underestimated that November chill. My fingers were turning blue just holding my phone trying to figure out the lay of the land. Needed gloves desperately, saw a stall. Queue looked longer than the wait for a new iPhone. Gave up, shoved my hands deep into my thin coat pockets and just suffered.
Next mission: see some proper fireworks. Sounded easy. Everyone kept pointing vaguely “over there”. Wandered down some dodgy little alleys, following crowds that seemed equally lost. Ended up near what smelled like a pub car park, catching glimpses of sky-rockets over rooftops. Main display? No clue. Saw flashes and heard bangs, that’s about it. Felt proper miffed I hadn’t checked where the actual public viewing spots were organised. Lesson: Assumption is the enemy.
Bonfires were easier to spot. Huge ones! Seriously impressive… and seriously warm. Finally thawed out my fingers near the heat. Smelt amazing – woodsmoke, hot food. Found a stall selling hot potatoes and some sausage thing wrapped in pastry. Clutching that warm food was actual bliss. Melted cheese, hot potato skin burning my fingers a bit… totally worth it. Essential survival gear.
So, after nearly freezing, getting lost in alleyways, and seeing fireworks from behind a bin collection point, what did I learn?
- Check the actual details: Where IS the main event? When do things kick off? Is there an official viewing area? Don’t wing it like I did.
- Dress like you’re going on Arctic expedition: Thick coat, proper hat that covers your ears, scarf, serious gloves. Thermals? Not a bad shout either. Better to roast than freeze.
- Get grub lined up early: Festivals mean queues for everything, especially warm food and drinks. Scope out stalls when you arrive, and don’t wait until you’re starving and grumpy to get in line.
- Embrace the warm spots: Bonfires, mulled wine stalls, crowds near food vendors – these are your friends. Use them strategically for heat boosts.
- Go with the flow (and wear comfy shoes): It WILL be busy. You WILL walk a lot. You might get jostled. Don’t fight it, wear boots that won’t kill your feet, and just soak up the bonkers atmosphere.
Was it a brilliant time? Honestly? Bits were stressful, bits were freezing, bits were confusing. But standing there in the dark, under those flashes, holding hot food with smoke in the air and everyone buzzing… yeah. It clicked then. Proper UK festival madness. Got me hooked. Just needed those lessons learnt the hard way.
