CHILDREN OUT EARLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 109, 4 November 1939, Page 15

CHILDREN OUT EARLY

BONFIRES AND NOISES TONIGHT

"Penny for the guy, penny for the guy." This cry woke many Wellington householders early this morning and reminded them that the young folk are celebrating today the anniversary of the famous Gunpowder Plot in England and the beginning of the story of Guy Fawkes. Of course, the significance of this ancient attempt to prorogue Parliament with a charge of explosives is unknown to the children, whose imagination begins to be stirred early in October with visions of fire r works and bonfires on November 5 to consume effigies of the famous plotter.

This year the anniversary falls tomprrow, but tttse children are celebrating today and bonfires are to be permitted on specified areas. The fact that there is no school' today has enabled the children to turn 4he celebrations into almost a weekend event. Many parties of children set out with their stuffed effigies of Guy Fawkes and home-made collection boxes yesterday, and by tea time last night many of the boxes were rattling with pennies. The children started their rounds in Wellington somewhere about 5 o'clock this morning. Some householders were angry at the disturbance, but in most cases pennies were thrown from bedroom windows.

Fireworks have figured in the purchases of most households yesterday and today, and provided. the weather holds there should be a good display tonight. The children have been tepnpted for several weeks by shop windows loaded with rockets, crackers, double bangers, Catherine wheels, and all manner of products for producing fire and noise, and sporadic reports have been heard in many quarters for a month past. ■"' .

An important notice regarding the lighting of bonfires appears on page 7. ,■•..■■..■-■■ . :