GUY FAWKES NIGHT...for a lover of history and genealogy...this is remarkable! We sort of missed the celebrations last year in London. We were too much in the city, and too far out of touch with real Brits to know what was up. We, of course, heard many fireworks for hours.
But this year the celebration was everywhere around us since we are out in the country more. In fact, one bon fire was right outside our bedroom window and we had a great view of the entire event.
Come to find out that Guy Fawkes was one of many Catholic conspirators who were foiled in their attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament (get this in 1065!!!), and tried to kill King James 1. Well according to Aunt Donna who does the genealogy on that side of the family...the King is purportedly a relative! He is also the one responsible for translation of the King Jame's edition of the Bible from Greek, Latin and Hebrew...more to be discovered. I haven't studied the correctness of the languages or ancestry yet.
Every year now, England has these HUGE bon fires on or around the 5th together with fireworks that outdo anything in the U.S. The one outside our bedroom window was for about 300 people who gathered about 6.30pm. It gets dark at 5.30pm now. The bon fire and fireworks lasted over an hour! Huge fireworks shooting high into the sky!!! Then everyone went home, whilst (very British terminalogy)the cinders slowly died out.
This is a tinted picture, I think is absolutely beautiful! Done at Windsor castle (south of London) and one of our favorite castles. It is still used by the royal family. This picture was made in 1776, while we were gaining our independence in the U.S.
Today, being Remembrance Day (formerly Armistice Day), at 11 o'clock in the morning of the 11th month, Queen Elizabeth was at Westminster Abbey laying a poppy wreath in honor of the wars England has participated in. Another two minutes of silence and a prayer for the families. It was beautiful to watch. The Queen today was in purple. (I couldn't get a photo of that yet. So this one is from last year.)
Remembrance Sunday is given to talks about freedom and remembering. The beginning of church services have a two minute moment of silence as do the teams at the "football" stadiums. There is honor for those who have served!
It is so cute (in a respectable way) to see men at any time of the year (usually those from WWII) wearing their badges of courage. They were proud to serve and to sacrifice. There are several shows with interviews and photos showing what the British soldiers had to go through. And yet they smile for hope and for peace.
