TWO BIG BONFIRES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30901, 6 November 1965, Page 16

TWO BIG BONFIRES

Bishopdale And Sockburn Thousands, mainly families with children, attended two Guy Fawkes bonfires in Christchurch last evening. One, sponsored by the Bishopdale Businessmen’s Association, was held behind the shopping centre at Bishopdale, -while the other, organised by the Riccarton-Homby Jaycees, was held at the abbatoirs holding yards at Sockbum. At both bonfires traffic was extremely heavy. At Bishopdale the shopping centre car park was jammed and cars were parked for hundreds of yards along Harewood road and in neighbouring streets. At Sockbum, some cars were parked up to half a mile away from the site of the bonfire.

At Bishopdale a bonfire blazed to a height of 20ft to 30ft while the Woolston Brass Band played and more than 400 fire rockets swooshed skywards in about two hours. Many of the spectators brought their own fireworks, but there were few cases of fireworks being thrown into the crowds. There were far fewer rockets going up at Sockburn, and the fireworks were almost exclusively provided by the many spectators. The bonfire, however, was just as spectacular.

Lost children—and lost parents—kept the loudspeaker system at Bishopdaie very busy, and throughout the evening bargains at the various shops in the centre were also announced. St. John Ambulance Association officers and cadets were in attendance at Sockbum, and the association’s first-aid caravan was standing by at Bishopdale. A boy who suffered bums to the legs was treated at the caravan and sent on to the Christchurch Hospital.