Tar Barrels

Remember Remember the 5th of November

Guy Fawkes!

05/11/2013: Bonfires, Mulled Cider, and burning Barrels of Tar

It is our first Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes) in the UK and we are off to Ottery St Mary for the Tar Barrels. We are not alone; it seems that the entire student population of Exeter is here for the celebrations.

What is normally a sleepy little town in Devon becomes chaotic for one night in November as half the population of Exeter crams into the streets. If that didn’t make it manic enough there are also people carrying flaming barrels of tar in relay races through the town.

It was cool to have an Autumn Guy Fawkes night for once. Back in New Zealand Guy Fawkes is in Spring so it takes a long time to get dark and it is already getting too warm to properly enjoy a bonfire or mulled wine (or cider if you are in the west country).

It all seemed a bit bizarre to me but I am going to chalk this up to weird English traditions like chasing cheese down a hill. That being said we had an awesome night, and hopefully will come back again someday to enjoy the spectacle all over again.