On 24 Nov 2013 at 11:02am Borough Boys wrote:
Well done Barcombe great night. One of the few out meetings with any tradition left. Glad you haven't had your pants pulled down by H&S like the Newick girls
On 24 Nov 2013 at 11:19am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
It sounded awesome. I've never been able to hear it from my house before.
On 24 Nov 2013 at 4:55pm Big Lemon wrote:
Couldn't agree with you more Borough Boy. That is what an out meeting should be. Everyone was happy. Bonfire boys amused themselves, police kept a low profile and the public loved every minute of it.
Well done Barcombe, other Sussex societies , kindly take note.
On 24 Nov 2013 at 9:16pm Deelite 2 wrote:
I thought the firework display was extremely good this year. The display seemed to have great rythymn and pace. Very well orchestrated.
Good one Barcombe.
I do like those very bright red hand held flare things the marchers brandish, especially if there's lots of smoke around.
Infact, smoke seemed a bit lacking in many marches this year. Is that likely?
On 24 Nov 2013 at 9:44pm Dennis of newick wrote:
Borough boys, please explane?
On 25 Nov 2013 at 12:17am Borough Boys wrote:
Apart from your clergy stand, you've turned into a carnival parade. Thought you of all societies would have upheld the traditions of Bonfire. Shut your eyes and you could be at Crowborough, Mayfield, Rotherfield etc
I hear a steam engine's leading you next year :-)
On 25 Nov 2013 at 6:19am The Greek wrote:
Thank you for your kind response. It makes me proud to be Barcombe through and through!
On 25 Nov 2013 at 8:19am Elephantic wrote:
Big Lemon has got it right. By a significant margin Barcombe was the best out meeting of the year and felt much more "proper bonfire" than any others. Think you are being slightly unfair on Newick (there were worse ones) but it would be good if the others could try to be a "bit more Barcombe". Thanks too to all the Barcombe marshals who it has to be said were great. Also, as we got back on our bus one of them ran over just to thank us for coming. Nice touch.
On 25 Nov 2013 at 1:28pm Carpman wrote:
Im glad you all enjoyed it, it was a great evening, one for the books, im the H&S Officer and although H&S has to be a part of bonfire these days,we still have to keep the tradition going, ive been a comittee member for over 28 years now, and many things have changed over that time but tradition has stayed the same, infact its got better !
On 25 Nov 2013 at 3:18pm Flares wrote:
Deelite 2, hand flares are banned at a lot of outmeetings due to the volume of smoke produced. Fun though it is to march three abreast with flares going off, that much smoke can be an issue for kids and a lot of outmeetings try to be family friendly these days so flares are often banned now. I've still got one that I've had for three years now as I'm running out of places to let it off. Maybe I'll take it to the next Rooks home game 
On 25 Nov 2013 at 5:01pm bastian wrote:
It was brilliant-missed the last march back because I was queing for dough nuts.
On 25 Nov 2013 at 5:38pm smuggler wrote:
Gutted i missed this one. They're all getting too family friendly really,i only managed to get through about 10 flares this year,and hardly any rooks on processions. Thats spread over 5 meetings. Still got about 10,000 crackers left too!
Well done Barcombe though,i'll make sure i dont miss it next year!
On 25 Nov 2013 at 5:38pm Big Lemon wrote:
Can't agree with you about Newick Borough Boy. I had a very traditional evening and loved every minute of it. May be it's the Borough that are turning into the carnival society, just cause you didn't have bangs in your ranks don't assume that it was like that across the board. I herd that you didn't even have bangs on the 5th and when someone did eventually drop one he was pounced on by the great and good.
On 25 Nov 2013 at 8:29pm buster gonad wrote:
Borough, you were not even at Newick, I saw phoenix dressed in their traditonal zulu ,but no carnival borough clowns though. Oh and we dont have chicken wire on our clergy stand, cissy girls!
On 25 Nov 2013 at 9:18pm Deelite 2 wrote:
Thanks for the info on flares. Shame that the powers that be have reduced their usage. The effect of the red flares and smoke on the march and the atmosphere in general is pure magic.
On 25 Nov 2013 at 10:34pm Ed Can Do wrote:
Actually it's not so much the powers that be that decide things like banning flares so much as the societies themselves. The village society I'm in banned them through the village because of concerns on the committee rather than being told to do it. Likewise nobody told the Lewes societies to not drop rookies, it was the societies themselves who put a blanket ban on blue rookies and who internally police rookie dropping to their own rules with some not minding too much, some completely cutting it out and at least one waiting until all the police have gone home before going crazy with them. I think there's probably a lot of stuff done to make Bonfire safer that people not involved in the societies assume is done at governmental level but which is actually put in place by the societies themselves.
On 26 Nov 2013 at 8:27am Deelite 2 wrote:
I have a lot of sympathy with stopping (or reducing) the use of those violently loud blue rookiesrookies, but am at a bit of a loss with the flares as I've never heard anyone complain about the smoke.
In Barcombe (at least) the effect of the red light on the smoke projects the march into another dimension.
On 26 Nov 2013 at 9:38am Ambrose Rookiewood wrote:
Thanks for your kind comments, Deelite 2.
Ed Can Do is completely right about the blue rookies - stupidly dangerous since the clay plugs went in, and am glad they've been 'banned' albeit by us societies self-policing it.
(Don't want another full on blinding like with that Seaford Lady.)
But as for red rookies (and Spanish, French White & Eggs?) - bring it on!?
Official line is "save it for the clergy" - things tend to get more 'relaxed' later in the evening as public numbers reduce. Nothing to do with being in a police state earlier in the evening - just common sense.
Seems that last year's anti-rookie hysteria is calming down. If everyone's sensible then we'll return to the 'good old days' sooner rather than later/never!
As for flares? Not aware of any hassles at all; just dispose of them sensibly once used.
This year was an excellent year for Barcombe Bonfire Society - may there be many, many more
On 27 Nov 2013 at 2:01pm Bonfire boy wrote:
Nonsense about flares' smoke - it's the disposal of the still-hot spent rods that is making some societies frown on them.
Every host society issues rules re rookies in the processions, that are usually relayed to members on the coaches there. Most of these are 'going through the motions' rules that are widely ignored, although since the 2012 clampdown at Lewes the rookie habit does seem to be dying.
React, before it's too late!