Oops! And Ahh!

I had completely forgotten about Story Telling Sunday! So here it is, a little late, but better late than never!

Smiley face fireworks!

This weekend we celebrated Bonfire Night. We have done this every year with the children, right from Ben's first one when he was only a couple of months old! As the children got older we used to meet up with our friends, Peter and Jane and their two boys, Mark and Colin. We would have a few fireworks in the back garden (and if it was at our house a bonfire with a Guy Fawkes sitting on top) and then have a barbecue (very cold at this time of year, so we would let the men do that and we would sit and have a glass of wine and chat indoors whilst the children played together!).

Anyway, time moved on, Peter and Jane divorced, but we kept up the ritual of Bonfire Night, only it was just Peter and Colin who came along.

Hugh with his bonfire this year - Ben and Colin watching on

As the boys got older they helped to set off the fireworks - yes, I know, it could be construed as dangerous, but we felt better for them to be doing it supervised by Hugh and Peter than going off and doing it by themselves!

Peter then found a lovely new wife, Maggie and she has joined us for a couple of bonfire nights now too. These are now all held at our house, as Peter and Maggie live 'up North' and they come back to Wickford to visit Colin and his brother fairly frequently.

However, this year they couldn't make it, so it was just Colin, Ben, Hugh, Penny and myself. Hugh, Penny and I had decided earlier in the year that we would go to the firework display in Wickford Memorial Park - it is a brilliant display and although we can see most of it from our back garden, it is much better if you actually go to the park! When we told Ben and Colin they asked if they could join us and then come back to our house to have a bonfire in our garden and some more fireworks that they would buy. Of course we said yes!

Me and Penny at the display waiting for it to start - Penny wears ear defenders as she can't cope with the noise!

Ben and Colin at the Memorial Park

So, we walked to the park (only a ten minute walk) and joined the hundreds of people there and saw a magnificent display. Hugh brought along his shooting stick to sit on as he was exhausted having spent all afternoon replacing some fence panels in the garden!

After the dispaly we strolled back home and I prepared a cheese fondue (Ben's request) which we really enjoyed, followed by a white chocolate and ginger mousse, courtesy of Penny! It was then back outside to enjoy our second set of fireworks and Hugh's mega bonfire.

 At least the bonfire he had this year didn't bring the police knocking on the door, but that is another story!

Thank you for joining me this Sunday. If you would like to read some more stories, then hop on over to Sian's blog, where you will find links to many, many more wonderful tales.