SPECTACULAR BONFIRE

Evening Star, Issue 25564, 17 August 1945, Page 10

SPECTACULAR BONFIRE

CITY'S BEACON OF VICTORY A major spectacle of the celebrations was the bonfire arranged at Vauxhall on Wednesday night by Messrs Cadbury Fry Hudson and"the 'Evening Star.' Besides providing a beacon, which was seen over a wide area, it acted as a magnet before the event to several hundreds, who travelled by car and on foot to the scene of the fire, which was composed of four lorry loads of waste material. Some time about 9 p.m., when the bonfire was set alight, interested crowds began drifting to tho section reserved for the purpose, and by the time the . tinder-dry material was well ablaze there was an attendance of about 2,000, and the neighbouring roads were lined with vehicles. The dual attraction of fire and fireworks was responsible for this big assemblage, and everyone was agreed that the display was a decided success. Partly because of the brilliance of the moonlight, and partly hecause of deterioration through long storage, the fireworks were not as prominent a feature as had been hoped. The effect of the moonlight was very, noticeable when the flickering fingers of searchlights from the foreshore were turned on. The beams could hardly be discerned at all from a distance.

The crowd, especially the younger element, thoroughly appreciated the occasion, which was made.all the more spectacular by the explosion of large crackers that were thrown into the blaze and scattered pieces of burning debris over a limited area. The extent of the bonfire was indicated by the fact that it was still burning merrily yesterday morning. The children were provided with sweets during the evening by Cadbury Fry Hudson Ltd.