Penny For The Guy

[barry1010]

Have you seen any 'little beggars' sat with their guy creation this year?

Can't remember the last time I saw one.

[naomi24]

I remember doing 'Penny for the Guy'.  A soldier gave us sixpence - and we gave him 5 pence change.   He laughed his head off.  

[ToraToraTora]

Not seen that for years, the saucepans are so loaded these days they don't need it!

[ToraToraTora]

We used to have an old pram with ours in it!

[barry1010]

I used my go kart, made with old pram wheels.  If I'd have had my way all our fireworks would have been jumping jacks

[vulcan42]

a few years ago four youngsters arrived with their guy. It was quite good so I gave them money. They then started to sing a carol, I said you're a bit early for that and the eldest said it saves time, we won't have to come back at Christmas.

[naomi24]

Haaa!  I'd have given them a bit more for their cheek - or their enterprise.  :o)

[ladybirder]

That is funny vulcan, I hope you gave them a bit more.

[Hopkirk]

Fireworks night used to be called bonfire night when I was young.

Horrendous really that we showed kids it was OK to burn someone alive.

[naomi24]

I don't think that occurs to children, Hopkirk.  It certainly never occurred to me.  

[barry1010]

It is still advertised as bonfire night round here.  It taught me that it is not okay to try and blow parliament up. 

[Ken4155]

They would most likely be asking "A pound for the guy", nowadays.

I've mentioned on here before (probably on one of those 'nostalgia related' threads) that there were 5 local boozers all on the same stretch of road, and we used to sit outside the middle one with our 'guy', so no matter which way the drinkers were going, chances were they eventually had to pass us😉

[barry1010]

Yep, always sat outside the pub, which was next to a chippy. 

[vulcan42]

I did indeed give the choristers extra for their enterprise as I did to another group who arrived closer to Christmas a few years later. They asked if I wanted to hear a carol, when I said yes they produced a tape recorder and stood there while I listened to Johnny Mathis!

[-SharonA-]

Whoa that does bring back memories of when we sat outside the tube station with our guys, in the dark evenings to catch folks going home from work.

Then on firework night we had a massive bonfire in the middle of the street. The fire brigade usually came and put it out!!!

Such fun.

[barry1010]

That's funny, Vulcan

[barry1010]

We had our bonfire on the bombed buildings which was our playground.  We'd spend days building it then have to guard it to stop other gangs pinching it.

 

[rockyracoon]

I have fond memories of 'Penny for the Guy' at Turnpike Lane station during rush hour. We used to clean up. Haven't seen a guy for years.

[Ken4155]

Barry, that was all part of the lead up to bonfire night. We often got our 'bonfire' raided (usually by someone from the area) and we'd just go and raid someone else's.

We never thought of combining our wood-collecting efforts and having one massive bonfire -every street had it's own. 

[barry1010]

And the smog that was always fouling the air on the 6th November was part of it, too.  

[andy-hughes]

I'd never thought about it, but it is years since I saw a Guy.

The idea of burning a political effigy is not new, and not necessarily totally out of fashion, but the trend for rejoicing in the end of Guy Fawkes and his foiled plot to murder the king and parliament does appear to have died out.