Down with the Papists!

(Photo by Robert M Sadler, who has some cracking shots on his Flickr)

We managed to catch the Winchester Round Table Guy Fawkes Night Torchlit Procession, giant bonfire and fireworks display again this year. The weather was pretty much perfect: nippy but not really cold, damp but not raining and the crowds were the largest I've ever seen by far. We stood at the lower end of the precinct and it took more than half an hour from the mayor and the marching band at the head passing for our friend (who was about halfway down the procession) to reach us. The entire city was just one gargantuan human river of fire and the atmosphere was just incredible. The damp atmosphere kept the smoke from the torches low, which lent an eerie fog to the mediaeval streets and a pungent aroma of paraffin...

We decided to forego the bottleneck that is the recreation ground (where the bonfire and fireworks display are situated) and climbed St Giles' Hill with my sister and the nephews to get a spectacular hilltop view of the bonfire, Round Table display and pretty much all of the other firework displays in Winchester. After the display was over, we headed to my all-time favorite pub The Black Boy for some local ale (from Cheriton, Upham and Itchen Valley breweries: very nice!) and a game of Settlers of Catan, overlooked by a stuffed seal, a stuffed hare and a hobby horse. The food there is still really top notch pub grub: best burger I've had in as long as I can remember. Om nom nom.

Really, really great evening. Next time I will remember the mulled wine!