On 4 Nov 2014 at 10:21am John wrote:
Hi everybody,
I just had a quick question before the celebrations tomorrow...I'm thinking of making the climb up chapel hill to the golf club to view the fireworks from up there. Just wondering has anybody done this before and is it worth the climb??
Also, having looked on a few societies webpages it appears that I won't be able to get tickets on the night for the displays. Are there no societied where you can buy tickets on the night?
Please excuse my ignorance and any thoughts would be much appreciated!
On 4 Nov 2014 at 11:05am dfl wrote:
what time does the procession start ? the town seems to be closing down at 3pm
On 4 Nov 2014 at 12:23pm Sparky wrote:
You can pay on the gate at Borough's fire site.
On 4 Nov 2014 at 1:17pm Lewes Smuggler wrote:
@ DFL - exactly which 'procession' do you mean?
Each bonfire society will have a number of processions during the evening, some starting as early as maybe 4:30pm. Individual societies' processions then take place throughout the evening, at different times per society, with final round of processions usually starting after a Society's fireworks have finished at their firesite. So, later processions may well not start before 9:30pm (or even later).
In short, procession timings depend on which Society you are following.
Some individual Society processions may well follow each other down same pieces of road in fairly quick succession (e.g. Western Rd, High Street etc), other processions will stay away from the High Street/town centre area completely.
Suggest you do some research for yourself and decide when/where you want to watch from.
Just make sure you take on board the various warnings on websites and in programs etc - Bonfire is noisy, Lewes will be (very) crowded, various streets/twittens may not be open to public acccess so you may find your planned routes in and around town centre are not possible, bonfire is NOT suitable for very small children, Bonfire is DEFINITELY NOT suitable for kiddie-buggies, and you watch (or participate) at your own risk.
Despite the rules there will be fireworks dropped/thrown in the street by spectators. There will be fireworks within the processions. Flaming torches will pass very close to the crowds lining the roads, torches may well drip hot tar/pitch or paraffin as they pass by, and spent torches will get dropped in the gutters.
If you don't like noisy, smokey, crowded places then don't venture anywhere near Lewes town centre tomorrow evening.
If you are still out and about late, don't try and force your way through/past any of the Societies as they hold their individual Bonfire Prayer gatherings around the town or you may find you get a somewhat less than friendly reception.
Oh yes, don't ignore parking restrictions, or you may well find your car is towed away, or suffers accidental damage (scratches/scorches etc) if it is left parked on a procession route.
Assuming you do some research, and understand and respect what Lewes Bonfire is all about, then I hope you enjoy tomorrow evening, but please remember, timings will always be out, so expect to stand and wait for things to happen.
And please, please, don't forget, Bonfire is not a "show" being put on for the benefit of spectators, it is a serious event commemorating religious persecution and intolerance, and commemorating the fight for the preservation of individuals' freedom of speech. So please don't complain if you are offended by what you may see or hear!
On 4 Nov 2014 at 1:28pm John wrote:
Many thaniks for your responses, have you any thoughts about viewing the night from the golf club?
Seems like a good idea but wondering if anyone has done it before and what they thought?
Many Thanks
On 4 Nov 2014 at 2:04pm belladonna wrote:
I suppose you could head up Chapel hill after the main processions to view the different fireworks displays. But you would be better off paying for a ticket and going to one of the society's grounds to watch - then you can contribute to the cost of the display and also help support the charities that bonfire societies collect for on the night. I think you can buy tickets to most of the displays from the tourist office on the day.
On 4 Nov 2014 at 2:08pm A friendly response! wrote:
I never usually write on here but do enjoy having a look at all the amusing chats there are. But I thought I would answer the initial questions as it seems to have been somewhat overlooked.
My boyfriend who has lived in the Lewes area all his life has informed me that the view from the golf course if amazing (although a bit of a hike). I would love to go up there to watch all the displays one year.
And DFL the first processions start early at around 5 mainly for youngsters. But the main procession down the highstreet is usually around 7.30. Make sure you get there early to get a good view.
It's my first year marching so wish me luck!
On 4 Nov 2014 at 2:46pm mark wrote:
I almost always go up Chapel Hill at some point during the evening. It is a bit of a hike but well worth it. It's about a 25 min walk. 10ish coming down. The view is spectacular and loads of folk up there. You can watch the fireworks going off from above where they explode. A weird sight.
On 4 Nov 2014 at 4:24pm bastian wrote:
when I was a young-un I watched from up there, but it was foggy that year and it just got lost in the cloud, sounded like a war down there.
It is often covered in young people drinking (nothing changes there, we've all done it) but the view should be good. Watch out for the edge.
On 4 Nov 2014 at 5:37pm belladonna wrote:
You will be able to clearly see South St and Cliffe's bonfire sites from the top of Chapel Hill, and Waterloo and Commervcial through the trees of the Pells. As a marcher I've not been up there, but a friend who has tells me that the fireworks start to get obscured by the amount of smoke in the air.
As I said before, it would be great if you could buy a ticket to a firesite just to contribute to the costs, or bung a tenner in the charity buckets. The societies work hard all year to make this happen and none of it is publicly funded
On 4 Nov 2014 at 8:00pm nevillman wrote:
Watching fireworks from a distance does not compare with being under them in my opinion.