“They tried to tell us off, but it’s Guy Fawkes!”

Nov 8, 2009 Sunday morning
Timaru, NZ

We spent the night in Timaru, in Canterbury Region, at a small holiday park just outside of town. We pulled in late and just wanted to park, get hooked up, eat dinner and go to bed. The park was swarming with teenagers, and they were noisy. I got the soup heating on the stove and Jeff went to the office, but came back a short while later and said the office was closed. A sign said “the park manager is out doing park business.” However, he did tell me to come on out and see the excitement. It seems the teens had set a brush fire by setting off fireworks and the fire truck was in the field directly behind the holiday camp. So off we went to check it out. Sure enough, there was the fire truck, but the fire fighters didn’t seem too interested in putting it out. As a matter of fact, they were chatting with the fellow who was sending up the fireworks. The kids were laughing and running around the fire, cheering on the fire truck and the fireworks and quite unconcerned about getting in trouble. One young girl came over and when we asked her what was up, she said, “They tried to tell us off, but it’s Guy Fawkes!” Insert eye roll and heavy sigh. And here is where my year-long study abroad experience came in handy, because anyone who has studied any amount of English history knows that Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Parliament and nearly succeeded. However, his plot was discovered in time and poor Guy Fawkes found himself hanged, drawn and quartered or some other such gristly fate as met those who tried to screw with the Crown in those days. To this day, his defeat is celebrated with fireworks and a burning in effigy of the unlucky fellow. So of course the bonfire and noise and good wholesome teenage fun was nothing to be alarmed about. Besides, as she pointed out, it was the manager of the holiday park who was setting off the fireworks! Park business indeed…

Rita