BONFIRE HOPES

Brigg District Lions have suggested to the Town Council they are interested in re-introducing the community bonfire, traditionally held to mark Guy Fawkes' Night, although not always on November 5 at the Recreation Ground.
We have highlighted, and double-checked, the Lions are indeed using the word "bonfire" (to accompany the expected fireworks). For to many, having a firework display, however magnificent, without an accompanying bonfire it not quite the same.
A "case of need" donation from the Town Council, if approved, would give the Lions some peace of mind over organising this large community event.
Back in the 1970s, Brigg Town Cricket Club members used to assist in building the Rec Ground bonfire, then organised by a special committee of volunteers, in which Coun Bryan Robins was a driving force. It was sited exactly between the two football pitches.
Back then, of course, there weren't the health and safety considerations of the modern world. We used to lift and position huge, wooden "scrap" railway sleepers to form the base of the bonfire, which would be lit a few days later by the Town Mayor.
I well remember Jack Wattam performing these duties when he was the town's first citizen, which would be either 1976 or 1978, as Bryan Robins himself, I seem to recall, was Town Mayor in 1977 (the Queen's Silver Jubilee Year).
Having spent back-breaking hours building as good as bonfire as you could manage, you didn't have to stay long at the Rec to watch all your hard work go up in smoke.
At that time (excepting Sundays) I think they had the event on November 5, rather than the nearest Saturday.
Anyone remember hockey club stalwart Len Marshall supervising pig roasting at the bonfire and firework display in later years?
Communal firework displays and bonfires are much safer than the family back garden ones of old, when Brigg dads nailed Catherine wheels to the side of the shed and the rockets were placed in LAWS, or White's, pop bottles before being sent skyward.
More than 40 years ago, Brigg kids bought their Standard, Brock's and Lion fireworks from shops run by the likes of Brigg councillor Ernie Taylor, Ernie Robinson, and Mike Tierney. From bangers to air-bombs, they kept good stocks. But the usual "family box" of fireworks, however much mum and died tried to string things out, rarely took longer than 20 minutes to polish off. It took Brigg youngsters a lot longer to fashion a decent "Guy" from old clothes and lug it round council estates in an old doll's pram, knocking on doors and inquiring: "Penny for the Guy, Mrs?" All cash gained in this way would then be shared out and used to buy further fireworks.