Believed to be the largest event of its kind in the UK, Lewes Bonfire Night celebrations were once again swelled by Friary Brass Band who marched through the East Sussex town’s hilly streets, entertaining the thousands of spectators at this historic spectacle.
The event not only remembers the 1605 'Gunpowder Plot' but also the 17 Lewes Protestant martyrs who were burnt at the stake during religious persecutions in the reign of Queen Mary. It attracts between 25 and 30 bonfire societies from the town and further afield in the county, and up to 80,000 attendees. 17 fiery crosses are carried through the streets to commemorate the martyrs, and various tableaux and effigies of nationally reviled figures are paraded.
‘It’s just an incredible experience,’ commented Friary chairman David Wicks. ‘The effigies in the procession, the costumes, the noise of the firecrackers everywhere and the sheer number of participants and spectators certainly make it one of Friary’s most memorable gigs!’
Sunday will see the Band in a much more solemn setting as it again leads the Remembrance parade in Guildford.
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