Happy Pollution Day :01:

[Jon L. Obscene]

Did you ever buy anything when you were under age?

Jonno

[manker]

Did you ever buy anything when you were under age?

Jonno

Under what age, and what things?

I think I bought my first thing in Ossie's Sweet shop when I was about 4 with some money my Gran gave me. It was a big step for me but hardly on topic.

Stop spamming

[Cheese]

Did you ever buy anything when you were under age?

Jonno

Sure. And occasionally I would get stopped.

Setting the age to 18 means less young people will get fireworks. Some still will, of course, but the undeniable fact is that less young people will have fireworks this year.

Personally I think fireworks are a waste of time. Light fuse, rocket goes in the air, BANG! Repeat.

Having said that I live in Plymouth and they put on some of the best professional firework displays in the country. Truly spectacular to go down by the sea and watch some awesome displays.

My advice to any youngsters reading this is to save your money for white cider and go to a professional show.

[Jon L. Obscene]

Spamming? I'm making a point here

Seriously tho, it's a bit stupid, the whole thing, we know the ozone is pretty fucked right? and our cars have to give off low emmisions etc right? But the entire country will have what? 70,000? 150,000 bonfires tonight?
Also the sale of fireworks to the public is a stupid idea, I can't buy proper weed killer, yet I can buy as many fireworks as I want, whats to stop me loading them all into a car or van or just a paint pot and planting it somewhere busy?
With the last few years of the terrorist war it just seems a bit daft

Besides, even on the organized displays there are gonna be no end of injuries, and people will have their own displays who know nothing about how to handle fireworks.

How many kids and adults alike will be seriously injured tonight? How much will it cost the tax payer in A&E costs?

Can anyone dissagree with anything I've said so far?

Jonno

Edit @ Cheese.......Yes that's true, but the fact still remains that anyone above that age can buy explosives, yes the pro displays are great, but the sale of fireworks should not be public.

[DanB]

I disagree. I think you are just being a moany spoilsport


Oh my, think of the children :handwringing:

[Jon L. Obscene]

You just like dissagreeing with me for fun

I'm sorry but there's nothing right about todays festivities, the reason is sick, the fact that kids make a doll of a human to burn is sick, the sale of explosives is sick, the amount of pollution is sick.
This is 2004, bout time we recognised the amount of injuries and harm to the planet is not worth a few pretty flashes and bangs.

Jonno

[DanB]

You just like dissagreeing with me for fun

I'm sorry but there's nothing right about todays festivities, the reason is sick, the fact that kids make a doll of a human to burn is sick, the sale of explosives is sick, the amount of pollution is sick.
This is 2004, bout time we recognised the amount of injuries and harm to the planet is not worth a few pretty flashes and bangs.

Jonno

Instead of bitching about a bit of bonfire smoke why don't you moan about how America hasnt signned the Kyoto agreement to kerb industrial pollution, which is far worse

[Jon L. Obscene]

Cos everyone is moaning about that, and besides I know nothing about it, I don't do politics
And I'm english, not American, I'm afraid I don't worship the US enough to worry about their way of life or their laws

Jonno

[DanB]

Guy Fawkes Day: Bonfire Night

On November 4, 1605, Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed in the basement of the British Parliament. He was trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder. Ever since then, on November 5, the British have celebrated his capture and execution by burning an effigy (model) of him on bonfires around the nation. Learn more about why he wanted to blow up Parliament, how he was caught and the celebrations.

Although the plot involved blowing up the Houses of Parliament, it was mainly intended to Kill King James I. James had actually started out as King James VI of Scotland. When Queen Elizabeth I died, he was her nearest living relative, and so he became King of England.
Why?

At the time, England was divided on religious grounds. Elizabeth was a protestant, and Head of the Church of England. She persecuted the Catholics and had many priests and important Catholics executed. Needless to say, the Catholics weren't very happy about this. When she died they danced in the streets and celebrated her death. James had given the Catholics a private promise that he would stop the persecutions, if he became King.

As the Catholics were soon to learn, people will say anything to get power. James may have really intended helping the Catholics, but Parliament was against them, and he continued on where Elizabeth had left off.

The whole problem had begun with Henry VIII, Elizabeth's father. England had been Catholic and the Church had had a lot power. Henry had fallen out with the Pope because he couldn't get divorced. He had then formed the Church of England, declaring himself its Head, and given himself a divorce. The Catholics were determined to restore their Church to power and get rid of the Church of England. Unfortunately members of the Church of England felt exactly the same way. A group of English Catholics was fighting with the Spanish Army. They hoped that if they managed to get rid of James, the Spanish could come in and conquer England. Then they could restore the Catholic Church to its powerful position.
Who and How?

Some of these Catholics got together, recruited Guy Fawkes to do the dirty work, and hatched their plot. First, they rented a house with a basement that lay under the House of Lords (part of the Houses of Parliament). Then, they moved barrels of gunpowder into the basement, hiding it under piles of wood. They needed to blow up the building when King James, his family and all of the non-Catholic members of Parliament were in it. This had to be the day Parliament opened for a new session. That year, due to fear of plague, the opening of the Houses of Parliament was delayed for over 8 months. The delay meant the plot failed.

Too many people got to hear about the plot. Someone who knew about it had a relative who was a Member of Parliament. Not wanting his relative killed, he sent him a message telling him about the plot. The relative, Lord Monteagle, sent the letter to the King. The plotters knew that someone had told about the plot, but were determined to carry on anyway. Guy Fawkes, under the alias of John Johnson, was arrested in the basement, just a few hours before he was due to light the fuse.

He was taken to the Tower of London, tortured until he signed a confession, and publicly executed on January 31, 1606. The other plotters were hunted down and shot or executed.

Celebrations


The tradition of lighting bonfires on November 5, started the same year as the plot itself. People, happy that the King had been saved, lit bonfires in the streets. Over the years the celebrations became more elaborate, and effigies of Guy Fawkes and even the Pope were added to the top of the fires. Fireworks came a little later. All towns and villages used to have a fire, then the tradition became for people to have private fires and firework displays.

Children make their effigies (or dummies) and parade them in the streets before bonfire night. They ask for "a penny for the Guy" and use the money collected to buy fireworks. Because of increased safety regulations most towns and villages have begun having public bonfires again. These days private bonfires are few and there are not many "Guys" on display in the streets.
Nursery Rhyme

Most British children learn the nursery rhyme about the plot when they are very young. This is how it goes:

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Important Note

Fireworks and bonfires are always a lot of fun, but they can also be very dangerous.

..


Well you should worry Jonno, every other country involved hs signed the agreement to limit and reduce the amount of industrial polluttion they produce, America which produces over half if I remember rightly told them where they could stick it.

Thats going to do a lot more more harm than a few thousand bonfires once a year

[Cheese]

You just like dissagreeing with me for fun
Jonno

I think you'll find people disagree with you because you take on a very superior, almost smug, air that you know best. And stop using that fucking smilie when you make a point.

On-topic: The damage to the environment is far outweighed by the industries of countries like the US. It's a few nights every year ffs.

In recent years approximately 1,000 people per year have required treatment at hospital casualty departments with 5% of these being classed as "serious accidents" requiring a stay of one or more nights in hospital. With the new regulations it is hoped that this level of injuries will be reduced.

It's sad that people get injured but I wonder what percentage were acting like idiots? I'd say it was pretty high.

I'd probably agree on a ban on the sale of fireworks but the continuation of professional displays. After all they are entertaining to a lot of people.

You'd have to be a pretty joyless person to deny people the right to watch a "few pretty flashes and bangs" in a controlled environment.