Showing posts with label bonfire night. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bonfire night. Show all posts
6th November 2016
Remember, remember, the 5th November...I've always hated Guy Fawkes Night. Why commemorate burning someone live at the stake? There's been explosive action around the world this week. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been sparking each other off in the most malicious way. Is this how politics should be run? I don't mind special artistic events such as the one in Montreal or Le festival l'art de pyrotechnique held in Cannes each year. But, even then, it's not worth the very real danger to spectators. These are explosives of the sort used in war zones. As a child in the '50s I could buy packs of these explosives from our local tobacconist's shop. Madness. And just look at the explosive action in the seat of the English parliament this week, when the judiciary had the temerity to cast aspersions on the actions of the government. In days gone by this would have been treason. Just ask Guy Fawkes! Should we eat rocket salad and bangers and mash before sending the judges to the stake, commemorating burning them alive for centuries to come?
14th October 2012
No smoke without fire.....
We've had some lovely warm days lately, so even I was tempted outside. When's the best time to light a fire? I asked Him indoors. Always a difficult question, as the French law seems so unclear. Each departement has a different code. Some say a garden fire is o.k. if it's at least 200m away from the nearest house, others say more than 50m, whilst some areas have no discernible law at all. Some expats on bonfire night each year invite people around (including the Maire!), and light a huge bonfire. All year we regularly see fireworks exploding in neighbouring gardens - presumably for family celebrations.
.....so we both agreed - should be o.k. to light a fire; do it during the day so we can be sure to put it out before nighttime. Soon a plume of sweet, grey smoke was blowing lazily sideways right at the bottom of our very long garden - well away from any houses. I resumed my weeding until Him indoors shouted 'The police are at the gate!' You're joking? For once, he wasn't. 'We've had a call. You must put the fire out', they said. 'Who on earth called you?' They looked sheepish.What kind of person calls the police on a neighbour? In my book you should never, ever make an enemy of your neighbour. They are often the nearest person to help in times of crisis. I'll never understand the French mindset.
We've had some lovely warm days lately, so even I was tempted outside. When's the best time to light a fire? I asked Him indoors. Always a difficult question, as the French law seems so unclear. Each departement has a different code. Some say a garden fire is o.k. if it's at least 200m away from the nearest house, others say more than 50m, whilst some areas have no discernible law at all. Some expats on bonfire night each year invite people around (including the Maire!), and light a huge bonfire. All year we regularly see fireworks exploding in neighbouring gardens - presumably for family celebrations.
.....so we both agreed - should be o.k. to light a fire; do it during the day so we can be sure to put it out before nighttime. Soon a plume of sweet, grey smoke was blowing lazily sideways right at the bottom of our very long garden - well away from any houses. I resumed my weeding until Him indoors shouted 'The police are at the gate!' You're joking? For once, he wasn't. 'We've had a call. You must put the fire out', they said. 'Who on earth called you?' They looked sheepish.What kind of person calls the police on a neighbour? In my book you should never, ever make an enemy of your neighbour. They are often the nearest person to help in times of crisis. I'll never understand the French mindset.
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