I was delighted to find that yesterday dawned with a lovely bright, sunny day. Quite a change again from the dismal weather we've had over the past week. I actually managed to drag hubby out for a walk round Plymouth Hoe, and we had some lunch down at the historic Barbican.
Here are a few photos that I took whilst out on the walk. Yesterday, the 5th November, was Fireworks Day (or Bonfire Night) here in England, when people either have a little bonfire in their garden with fireworks, or more often than not now, they go to a large organized display.
You will see in one of the photos that the large bonfire (with the obligatory guy on the top) was being erected, all ready to be lit later on in the evening when it got dark. The guy that is always placed at the top of the bonfire represents Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder placed in the basement. This took place in 1605 and was known as The Gunpower Plot (hence the fireworks!). The plotters wanted to kill King James and the king's leaders. The plot failed, and the plotters were subsequently hung, drawn and quartered!
Sorry about that, this wasn't meant to be a history lesson, but I thought my friends in other parts of the world might be wondering why we have Fireworks Day every year on the 5th November. Anyway, here are the photos. There was also a large Fair on the Hoe with funfair rides, as they would have been expecting thousands of people in the evening to enjoy the display.
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."-- Oprah Winfrey.
Sending warmest wishes your way my little bloggy friends.
44 comments:
Love the photos! I particuliar love the lighthouse.
Looks like Elvis on the one ride on the fair grounds.
What a lovely day you had.
I enjoyed the little history lesson.
I love history!
Have a very blessed day
Blessings
Great shots and great weather. We are off for a walk, the sun is shinning!
It looks like a lovely place.
Thanks for posting your photos.
I love the lighthouse photo too.
Isn't it great when the sun shines?
We had a lovely day yesterday and today although cold this morning looks very promising.
Might drag my hubby out for a walk too!
Have a lovely day.
Fiona
Dearest Diane,
Wonderful photos and beautiful scenery and great to enjoy the walk, isn't it?
Thank you very much for let us know about "Guy Fawkes" and "The Gunpower Plot". In Japan, there is "a day of the ocean" in summer, and fireworks are held in summer as well.
Hope you are having a relaxing Sunday, hugs xoxo Miyako*
Thanks for the explanation...I'd heard of Guy Fawkes before but never really new the background information!
Yay for sunshine...nothing warms the heart and soul, not to mention the bones mo bettah!
Hugs!
Bethe - thanks for dropping by today. Yes, that was Elvis' picture on the dodgem car ride, along with James Dean & Marilyn Monroe! Hope all is well with you my friend.
Claudia - isn't it wonderful to have the sun shining?! Enjoy your walk.
Raindrops and Daisies - Hi Fiona. Yes, the temperatures have dropped over here, but it's so much better to see the sunshine and blue skies. It makes me feel invigorated! I think on days like this, you just have to get out and enjoy it while you can.
Dear Miyako - hallo my friend. A "Day of the Ocean" sounds interesting. I love fireworks! We have a couple of friends coming round for lunch today, so looking forward to that. Blessings to you and hubby.
Sush - hi there. I wasn't sure whether my friends would have heard of Guy Fawkes, so I thought I had better explain. Oh yes, to see blue skies really lifts the spirits :)
Dear Diane,
I don't mind a little bit of history, I love getting to know other cultures customs and celebrations. Such lovely photos there, I absolutely loved the lighthouse, would almost want to paint that. It's nice to have those sunny days isn't it, we are having lovely weather over here also for a change, and it's so uplifting. Enjoy your Sunday and thank you for sharing those lovely photos :)
Hugs x
It was very interesting learning about this special event. Thank you for including photos.
Thanks for the lesson. All I could remember was fireworks, but not what that had to do with anything!
Glad you had pretty weather for your visit to that lovely spot, Thisisme. I love to examine the artwork on carnival rides, banners and such. I also enjoyed your history lesson. If those plotters were first hanged and then drawn and quartered, I suppose you might call that overkill! Thisisme, I am so glad you are okay. I went to bed last night very worried that you or a member of your family might have been involved in that terrible highway pileup in SW England that was apparently caused by fog. Did it happen anywhere near South Hams? Have a safe and happy Sunday, dear friend!
Diane, for me one of the joys of blogging is the new things I learn about every day. A lovely day for a walk.
Loved the photos. I do not know what a "Hoe" is in the context you mentioned.
Over here in California a "hoe is a tool we use in the garden, but I am fairly sure that is not what you meant by it.
There is another slang term that uses the word hoe, but we just won't go there. :)
Is it a meadow or a field? So nice to meet you and thank you for stopping by Spots and Wrinkles.
Blessings to you - Marsha
Good afternoon and thanks for the interesting history lesson. I guess they really learned their lesson the hard way. I am really happy that you were not involved in the accident Shady was referring to. Rocky & I just returned from a walk to the beach which only lasted a few minutes not because of the weather or wind but because we both got bored. NC beaches are famous for no shells, just sea weed, trash & foam from the rough water. We saw all of the ocean we need to for this trip. You see most folks come here for fishing and that was not our purpose. We are however blessed to have a sunny day with calm winds. I was thinking about that bon fire and noticed that there was really a lot of wood so that must have been some fire when it really got going. Glad you two had a chance to get out and enjoy the outside. Have a blessed rest of the day.
Hugs,
Odie
What a lovely day and thanks for sharing it with me.
Love this:
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."-- Oprah Winfrey.
Love it.
sandie
Love the black and white photo - very atmospheric!
I heard about Guy Fawkes from the movie Vendetta. That must have been a huge fire! I love fairs and celebrations. It must have been a fun day for all.
I heard about Guy Fawkes through the movie, Vendetta. It is nice everyone can set off fireworks. That must have been a huge fire
Eva - So glad you enjoyed the photos. I'm pleased that you have had some brightness over in Dublin as well. It does make you feel so much better, doesn't it?
Linda & Grammy - I'm glad you learnt something today about our Fireworks Day!
Shady - Tom, my dear friend,the artwork on some of those fairground rides is quite amazing! Yes, they certainly made sure that those poor plotters were dead, didn't they?! Thank you SO much for thinking of me when you heard about that terrible motorway crash. It was about 30 miles from here. My thoughts are with those poor souls that were killed. Some of the cars had simply melted into the tarmac. Can you imagine that?! They're now thinking that it was smoke from a Bonfire Display that was held at a local Rugby Close, which was very close to the motorway. I am just so grateful that my little family got back safely to France on the Wednesday. Take care.
LindyLouMac in Italy - It really was a lovely day. Much too nice to stay indoors! Hope you've recovered from your holiday now!
Marsha @ Spots and Wrinkles - Yes, a "hoe" is indeed, a garden tool over here as well. I don't know where the name comes from. It's just called Plymouth Hoe. It a large expanse of grass with the lighthouse on it, and then it goes right down to the sea, which is known as Plymouth Sound!
Odie - hallo my friend. That was interesting what you told me about the beach and that you and Rocky were a little bored! Glad the wind has gone away anyway. Thank you also for your concern about that awful accident on the motorway quite close to us. Makes you realize just how fragile life is. You're right, that would have been quite some bonfire once it was lit! Take care and sending hugs.
Chatty Crone - that is a really good quote, isn't it?! Hope you're enjoying the weekend over there.
Gawgus things - I don't know how that photo came out like that. I think it was just that the sun went behind the clouds for a moment and that is how the photo came out!
Belle - hallo! Well, you didn't need my history lesson about Guy Fawkes after all then!! I love fairgrounds as well.
What a lovely place you live in :)
lyndy-lou - thank you. It certainly looks better in the sunshine! Do hope that Jack is okay.
Knowing that you don't get as much sunshine and warmth as we do, I am enjoying these pictures even more. Looks like such a beautiful spot. And the amusement rides look fun too. Someday This. Someday!
I love this! I have Guy Fawkes day on our personal calendar that I make each month at home...and I read up a little on the day. How fascinating! And your carnival with Elvis'picture. Some of your pictures wouldn't load for me, but I got to see the bonfire-you made my day Thisisme. And, hey, I didn't pay a lot of attention in history class as a teenager, but I have a great interest in it now. Thanks for the story about 'Fireworks' day!
Great images. I love fall fairs and the fall sky is very blue and I cannot get enough of it.
I heard that the smoke from the bonfire caused poor visibility and there was a tragic auto pile up. I hope you are safe.
Sounds like a booming time! I guess Elvis transcends borders and is found everywhere! I am going to show my ignorance, but what is Hoe as I've seen it here in your post?
Love your photos and the history lesson is a GREAT help to me. I saw the kids photos of the fireworks show at Wyebridge. It was Jack's first fireworks since he was 3 weeks old. He loved it then, but all the showes since then have been cancelled since then because of drought or rain. Glad to know now why they were shooting off the fireworks. THANKS FOR THE HISTORY LESSON. I had heard of Guy Fawkes but I thought he was in American History but did not know anything about him, THANKS for letting me know. Friends like you are a true treasure. Make it a good week and better weekend.
rainbow (Momma Lyn)
Hi Diane, a lovely post especially as I lived in your part of the world many years ago. From a small village in Devon I moved to the USA in the mid seventies when I met and married my husband, so seeing all your lovely photographs was a very nice trip down memory lane. Thank you!
Oh, my goodness! Look how far down the page I've had to trek (South Africanism for travel) to leave my few words worth! Serves me right for arriving so late! I enjoyed your history lesson. I did know the origin, of course, but it was good to be reminded. Our dogs do not like Guy Fawkes' night at all! I cannot understand why we celebrate it in SA, anyway...just an excuse to light noisy firecrackers. I'm glad to know you two had a good day out enjoying the sights in sunshine and a tasty lunch. So much nicer than spending Sunday cooking a roast at home (and, no, I don't do that!). I loved your pics, but did notice a blur on each...I think you need to give your lens a wipe? Just a point...unless it's an effect you're perfecting, of course ;) It's not in the same league as being too short to spot the dust on the top of cupboards, though, Diane, so don't try to use that as an excuse. I'm wise to that one :)
Big hug! Hope you're having a bright Monday! xoxo
Diane, I had heard of Guy Faukes but didn't know about the tradition of having bonfires and fireworks. It sounds like a really fun celebration! I'm so glad you were able to enjoy the sunshine with your hubby. Those times are what make life enjoyable.
I DON'T BELIEVE THIS! I HAVE JUST REPLIED TO ABOUT EIGHT PEOPLE, AND I HAVE JUST LOST ALL THE COMMENTS, SO I NOW HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. GRRRRRR!!!
Love your beautiful photos. I'm a fan of the ferris wheel pictures. Enjoyed the history lesson as well.
Hi Diane! My camera is a Nikon D3100. I got it for my last birthday and am very happy with it! I know the feeling of losing comments. So frustrating. I usually go down to the bottom of the garden to eat worms rather than try to rewrite everything. It helps ;)
Bouncin'Barb - we don't get the sun and blue skies often enough, so we really do get excited when it does happen, and we have to get out to make the most of it. It would really be wonderful if you could make it over here on day! We would certainly hang all the flags out for you my awesome friend!
Susan - thank you. I'm glad you found the history lesson interesting! Yes, there was Elvis, and I know that you love him every bit as much as I do!
Olive - yes, those Autumn skies are just SO blue, aren't they. Love it! I'm hoping that we will get a few more before the Winter sets in :)
Desiree - thank you for the info about the camera, and I've taken your advice, and I'm going out into the garden to eat worms (in the dark!). I just can't face writing it all out again.
I love the hoe, never tire of visting it. Great quote from Oprah x
dubgirl - good to see you here. Yes, I tend to take The Hoe for granted, because I was born in Plymouth, but whenever we have visitors, they think it is absolutely wonderful with the views out over the Sound.
beautiful pictures! i loved the history lesson. i'm a big fan of history and at one time thought i'd be a history teacher. that was then... probably should have stuck with that.
Teresa - hi there. Lovely that you have found the time to pop over to leave a comment. I expect you are still so happy about the birth of your beautiful little granddaughter! Yes, I used to love history as well. Take care.
I like history lessons because I didn't know what Guy Fawkes stood for. Thanks.
thank you for the lovely walk and i love the light house so pretty
Manzanita - I'm glad you learnt something from my post today! Lovely to see you.
Beccca - Thank you!
Feel free to give a history lesson any time! I love history! Enjoyed the photos very much!
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