BONFIRE REPORT 2006

This is where we have collected some of the Rocket team's impressions of Bonfire Night 2006.

The first to provide his account of Bonfire Night is Steve Pilfold:

Phew! What a busy night! This is the second year that I have done the "full" night, from a spectator's point of view: from about 5pm at the War Memorial, through until 12:30am outside the White Hart for prayers.

The "night" started at about 2pm for me, when Rocket FM's Eugene picked me up from home. After some faffing about, we made it to Rocket for about 4pm, did a couple of inserts about Bonfire and then headed down to the town. Eugene was marching with Borough again this year; I had considered it, but I hadn't been organised in sorting out the costume, so next year maybe!

Down to the war memorial and at 5:15 it was already several deep on the pavement! I'm still undecided if a nice, clear, cold evening on a Saturday is the best or worst: on one side, a good crowd is good fun, and Lewes doesn't seem to attract many drunken Chavs (far too middle class!), but on the other hand it turns into a bit of a bun fight at times.

I stood at the War Memorial all evening and got some good pictures - I've never really taken many pictures at Lewes before. So that was a good achievement. I was aware that the "published" procession time from the YMCA to the racecourse was 9:15, and at 9:30 Commercial Square were still processing past in the United Grand. The police wouldn't allow anyone beyond the Post Office in the High Street, so I just had to hope that Borough had been delayed. When I arrived at the YMCA, around 9:35, they were all still milling about, so that was ok!

A trip up to Rocket to do another insert (and use the facilities) and it was off up to the firesite. Apparently, being a member does not allow you into the members' enclosure if you are not in costume. This is for "insurance" reasons. I don't wish to criticise the running of the Society too much, but I found it hard to believe I was more of a fire risk than some of the people in costume! I was one side of the tape, Eugene was the other and one of the first aerials went "wrong" and a flaming piece of red firework came down, almost hitting me and singeing the hair and coat of the lady standing next to me, who was really badly shocked and had to be helped away. She was on the public "safe" side of the tape!

After that, the fireworks were really good and went on for a long time. The blowing up of Steve Irwin was good fun too! The air temperature wasn't exactly hot, it was the coldest I can remember since 1994 or 95 I think, when I remember frost on the Brooks. That was the first year I went to Bonfire. We went over to the bonfire, which was blazing away nicely. My face almost melted (as I believe I told the listeners of Rocket, as I was live at this point!).

Sadly, because we were running so late, the Bonfire Prayers didn't happen until around 12:30am, so Rocket was off air by then. I made a little video of them on my phone, but sadly my drunken sounding (I wasn't drunk, honest!) singing ruins them! That was good fun, as always, although I don't think they had so many rookies and fire-crackers this year.

Then I finally managed to get some food inside me, thanks to the Charcoal Grill, and it was time to head all the way back to the Rocket car park, to get the car and a lift home with Eugene!

A good, cold, misty and mystic night! Some of my pictures are excellent, even if I do say so myself!

(Here is a link to a slideshow of all Steve's pictures, on YouTube - and here is a link to a brief video taken by Steve of Lewes Borough Bonfire Society outside the White Hart Hotel. Turn your speakers down - those Chinese Crackers are very loud!)

Now we hear from anchor-man Rupert Lloyd Thomas:

Bonfire 2006 was, as predicted, an absolute cracker. For me it was the culmination of thirty hours of broadcasting on Rocket FM, an effort that leaves me wasted for days afterwards. There is no holding back on the big night as six hours of live entertainment goes by in a flash.

	Above: Dino Bishop on-air in the studio, ready to dash out and join the workers of Commercial Square Bonfire Society when his show is finished.

The build-up this year was extra special as, in my position as a reporter, I was shown many of the secrets of bonfire ahead of time. A visit to the Waterloo torch dipping at a secret location on the Downs on the Friday revealed the level of organisation that all bonfire societies have achieved in staging this fantastic event.  The camaraderie among folk of all ages was impressive - the people of Lewes pull together for their big night of the year.

Up on Saturday morning for 'vox pops' in the farmer's market and on Cliffe Bridge. Phoning in to Dino Bishop's show, you literally have to conjure up entertainment on the street, buttonholing strangers and old chums alike. Andy Freeman, Derek Watts, Claire from the flower shop at the Riverside, a lady selling English wine and some buskers were among the 'victims', some more willing than others. Grown men quail at the prospect of talking to Dino (right)!

We then toured round the bonfire societies different locations to get news of the tableaux. In the forward studio on the night we only get brief glimpses of some of these and I need to give a proper explanation to my radio audience. On up to the golf course to get an overview of Lewes and the firesites with their orderly preparations for the night to come.

A quick visit to the Lewes Arms for a mineral water at lunch time to savour the atmosphere. The Commercial Times banner, another triumph for Peter Messer, excoriates Greene King for their contempt of local drinkers. A lie down in the afternoon but there is not much time for stagefright as the phone rings constantly. Soon Roger Bamber the photographer turns up. He succeeds in getting a fantastic shot of the mighty Cliffe published in the centre-spread of the Guardian. Glad to have been of service as the photo was taken from Fox & Sons.

Up at the studio and the Rocket 'A' team of Peter Flanagan and Andy Reeve are already in situ and the crowds are assembling. It was gratifying to meet well-wishers on the way. The usual teething troubles are experienced ahead of my cue at 6:03.  This is alarming to those unfamiliar with broadcasting but par for the course in any studio.

The early part of the evening is concerned with Remembrance. This year the Somme (1916) and the naval battle of Jutland (1916) featured at their 90th Anniversary. I spoke particularly about the contribution of Newfoundland in two world wars, including the sinking of the ferry Caribou in the Cabot Strait by a Nazi 'U' Boat in 1942.

Many friends were waving to us up at the commentary position, including a beaming Molly Mockford. Michel Lorec appeared in the studio with a tray of Harvey's bitter just as I was extolling the virtues of the local brew. Messages are coming in from listeners all round the world including Australia, Canada and the USA. One said "You Brits know how to party" - got it.

Percussion bangers are going off aplenty and I'm concerned that the studio windows may come in. We open them for safety reasons! This part of the evening is concluded by the Grand Procession as the bonfire societies march away with their torches to their firesites.

Time to sign off from the forward studio and head through the crowds for Christie Road. Straight back on the air after a route march up the hill. Reports from the firesites are better than ever with the omnipresent Dino Bishop talking to the clergy on the stand. More messages are coming in from listeners around the UK and overseas. We can see fireworks going off out of the window and of course hear them via mobile phone from our roving reporters. The show winds down with Kevin Cramer and myself assessing the night. All around a splendid bonfire after the 400th anniversary last year, good weather, minimal delays and great spirit.

My night is concluded by a trip to Commercial Square and on to their 'tab shed', this year in the bus station. A quiet couple of drinks and off to bed at three in the morning. The day after in Lewes has its own charms but that is another story.

Next up is Peter Flanagan, who met one of his heroes on Bonfire Night:

It was beyond words, it was louder than ever. Front row spots on the High Street barriers were taken earlier than ever (although, this being England, that's probably due to the barriers being placed earlier than ever). The processions were magnificent, and scary, and some of the new costumes undoubtedly raised the bar. And yet, my Bonfire highlight was none of the above.

We covered action at the War Memorial, and had surprised ourselves this year by actually allowing sufficient set-up and de-bugging time for the studio. We'd even sent a few live updates back to base before the scheduled 6pm kick-off. Such was the advanced state of our preparedness, our main concern an hour before was that A Very Important Alarm Clock would go off and awaken Rocket's own Exploding Voice Of Bonfire, Rupert Lloyd Thomas, from his traditional pre-broadcast power nap.

No worries though, Rupert appeared right on time and we were set. Presently, someone said "This is Roger, from the Guardian," as an unassuming-looking chap appeared in the doorway. I took in the heavyweight selection of Nikon armaments hanging from the man's neck, passed a nanosecond being stunned, then heard a voice much like my own blub out "Roger Bamber? Oh no! I really love your work! Good grief!" Roger has been the Guardian's photographer on the South Coast, and often beyond, for more years than I can remember, and is the best example I know of someone with 'the eye'. So often I'll look at one of his pictures taken locally, it'll be of something I've walked past a hundred times, but I just won't have 'seen' what he has.

So what made my November 4th was having a few brief chats with this wonderful photographer, hear a few stories and learn a few things, and be shown some of the work he took from our Fox & Sons eyrie as the evening progressed. And although, yes, he took a fair few shots, he straight away pointed out the 'Cliffe's burning crosses' picture that the Guardian used across their centre spread - to him it was clearly The One. (Click on the small version of the photo above to see a larger one in a new browser window.)

Like others in the team, after fifteen hours working on Rocket's coverage of Bonfire Day, I arrived home happy that things had gone well and thoroughly exhausted. I also had that good feeling you get when you meet someone whose work you admire and they come over as not only inspired and enthusiastic, but almost unreasonably modest. Seemed a pretty fair exchange to me!

And finally, from Director-General Andy Thomas:

This year, we decided to let Andy Reeve get to see something and he supported Rupert with the commentary at the forward studio above Fox & Sons, doubling as technical back-up to Peter Flanagan.

I looked in at the forward studio earlier to collect one cable that had been left behind, and then walked up to the main studio to join Kevin Cramer who held the fort there, with myself feeding information to him
and also coffee;  I also got to make the occasional contribution on-air.

There was the usual tension as 6.00 pm approached ... would the broadcast-quality link with the forward studio work, as it had done earlier? Would it be stable? We sighed with relief when all was well, and the Bonfire Special got under way, in almost ideal weather conditions.

The link occasionally 'missed' for half a second or so but we understand that is the nature of the beast and it held up all night without problems. We are most grateful to BBC Southern Counties Radio for the loan of the kit.

Once we reached the mid-evening lull, I helped keep things going with readings of the history of Bonfire, interspersed with band music which Kevin had found. We also had a view through the studio window of some of the aerial display from CSBS.

We were then joined by Rupert and the gang from the forward studio and I walked down to Mount Pleasant to see if any sausages or booze were left at my place, which was in fact entirely deserted, as all my guests had gone to the CSBS firesite.

I joined our roving reporters and phoned in to the studio with a couple of reports, getting the thunderous sound of the CSBS display on air via my landline;  loud ... you could feel it in your stomach!

After a couple of noggins, I went up to Bonfire Prayers in Commercial Square, to hear, or not as the case may be, the wise words of Archbishop Paul Wheeler, who was sensibly wearing some strange headgear to ward off the rookies and firecrackers. I was told it came from the Hungarian Army! To me, this is the best part of the night and I don't miss it, broadcast or not!

Well done to my brother Rupert, Andy, Peter, Kevin and to all who helped make the Bonfire Special '06 the busiest and best to date.