It is believed that the Lewes Bonfire Celebrations originally stem from the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which saw Catholic conspirators attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate James I. Initially, the events were randomly organised and riotous, eventually getting banned by Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth years. They re-emerged after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, but their popularity did not return until the late 1820s, when Bonfire Boys took to the streets with blazing tar barrels and fireballs. Overtime, the event became increasingly ritualised, with bonfire societies being formed and processions being formally organised. The event also came to commemorate the seventeen Protestant martyrs who were burned at the stake in Lewes in the 1500s, and the Two World Wars. Today, the celebrations attract tens of thousands of spectators, though efforts have been made to restrict non-local visitors due to overcrowding concerns.
In this footage, a series of bonfire societies carrying banners can be seen parading through the streets, wearing distinct outfits in accordance with their societies’ dress codes. Popular costumes vary from traditional smuggler outfits, soldiers, vikings, pirates, tudors and characters from various historical eras, to Native American and Zulu ceremonial dress. The two first societies that emerged in 1853, the Cliffe Bonfire Society and the Lewes Borough Bonfire Society, can be spotted in the procession. Some of the five other local societies, such as the Waterloo Bonfire Boys Society, can also be found marching alongside some of the visiting groups, including the Hastings, Mayfield and Uckfield Bonfire Societies. They are joined by brass and wind bands, theatrical dance groups and morris dancers, all carrying or surrounded by torches and fireworks.
Yearly, satirical effigies of the so-called ‘enemies of bonfire’- often high-profile figures and representations of Guy Fawkes and Pope Paul V- are crafted by the local societies and burnt after being paraded through the streets. In this footage, both Guy Fawkes and an effigy of Chancellor Gordon Brown and Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson are dragged by processioners in smuggler costumes. Some effigies, along with certain costumes, have caused controversy in recent years, though there have been slight changes made. In 2017, local action paired with threats of a boycott from a genuine Zulu dancer led to the long-standing tradition of “blacking-up” being altered. In spite of this, incidents have ensued, with many feeling that not enough has been done. Others have defended the original costumes and effigy burnings, stressing that they seek to amplify freedom of speech and British history.
