h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Any significance why you chose Brightling?

It's not all that far from Lewes, the home of bonfire celebrations. I haven't been (they strongly discourage outsiders), but by all accounts it looks a cross between a mass Ku Klux Klan rally and a pope-burning ceremony. There are a few pictures on the individual society pages linked from here: http://www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk/societies/index.html

Icy

I had no idea that was so elaborate. Those societies look a bit like our Philadelphia Mummers (who parade on New Year's Day). Though the Mummers march down Broad St, and encourage anybody sober enough to brave the cold to come cheer them on:

http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/music/files/2009/12/Mummers_big.jpg

Nobody trusts the Mummers with fire. They mostly carry umbrellas and banjos.

There's a lovely old seaport town in Delaware called Lewes. It's where you get a boat for whale-watching, or catch the car ferry to Cape May, New Jersey.

Why is Brightling blamed for the alien infestation? A Hootooer who shall remain nameless introduced me to Brightling, home of Mad Jack Fuller, by telling me that a lady who lived there, a family friend, insisted that UFOs hovered over her house.

The rest is my fevered imagination. I just had to believe in the Special Relationship between the mother ship and the mother country. There will always be a Brightling.

That's an impressive picture of that Philadelphia Mummers parade (and it would make a fascinating Edited Guide entry, I'm sure...)

Lewes & Brightling are in the Suuth East of England, but I'm more familiar with the bonfire celebrations in the South West, where they do a rather impressive illuminated parade - here's an example from last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LTCIAJe2QI

What a great parade - Elektra, a Philadelphian who knows her parades, says, 'Cool!'.

It looks like Guy Fawkes is sort of a Carnival. Maybe that's why we don't have Mardi Gras/Fasching?Karneval is Protestant countries? Because we put the costume party into the fall?

That's a thought - the Mummers Parade would make a change from describing historically significant disasters and atrocities...

Generally, Guy Fawkes isn't a carnival - it's mostly local events with a large bonfire and a firework display - every village has one.

Reminds me of another story. Many years ago, Madame North and I fancied going to a public firework display and found one advertised in the local paper. It wasn't clear exactly where it was being held, but it was a tiny village, and you can't miss a bonfire. Anyway, we were driving around in the dark for ages looking for this thing (there are no street lights in rural Oxfordshire). We were on the point of turning around and going home when we saw the glow. Well, it wasn't a big event - it appeared to be held in the garden of a lovely old manor house. The people were really friendly, and there was a lovely display of barbecue food - all home cooked. And there was wine and all sorts of other drinks - and when I tried to pay them they wouldn't let me. The fireworks were very pretty, even if the display was a little small.

We had a great evening, and the only awkward moment came when we decided to leave. One elderly lady came over and said "I forgot to ask you - are you friends of Adam or Rachael?"

We had gatecrashed someone's private party.

What a great adventure.

Ah yes, Brightling. I know Brightling. . Mad Jack Fuller's Folly.

And Lewes. I grew up around there, but we were never allowed out to the dreaded bonfire night event.

Bit weird, innit, Guy Fawkes night. I used to get scared of sparklers and even those lovely gentle Roman Candles that burned all pretty colours. That's why I wasn't allowed out to Lewes. .

erm. Great pic. .

H

Well, now you'll have to go. To Bonfire Night. And brave the Roman candles. I loved fireworks - Fourth of July, New Year's - but my dad always said it reminded him of WWII. I think it was the smell of explosives.

Wow, you grew up near Lewes? The Lewes in Delaware has an old house with a cannonball hole in it, let me see if I can find it:

http://www.beach-net.com/lewestour/ltour8.html

Come see the enormous property damage done by British imperialist!

Americans - poor, innocent victims of British imperial expansion

Inspired by your current cartoon, I thought I'd post a Google Street View link to Mad Jack Fuller's grave in Brightling:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=brightling&hl=en&ll=50.963873,0.396903&spn=0.003379,0.015342&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=6.491479,31.420898&vpsrc=6&hnear=Brightling,+East+Sussex,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=50.963752,0.396856&panoid=MkQQuztVO73O-DsWj7dbbw&cbp=12,258.55,,0,-1.89

Who needs Egypt?

I love Jack's pyramid.