Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

Len · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:13 pm Post subject: Cracker night.

On the Hostel we used to celebrate "cracker night".
I 'm not sure what it was all about but I think it may have been the queen's birthday or something. I'm not even sure which date it was held.
Can anyone out there enlighten me as to what "cracker night" is about?

We built our bonfire near the soccer pitch at the rear of the hostel and we would buy our crackers 'such as Tom Thumb's, Thunders and other fancy fireworks' from a shop in Cringila.

Anyone remember? Mr. Green

aussietrekker · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:27 am Post subject: Cracker night

Cracker night was November 5, celebrated in England as Guy Fawkes.
Our hostel also did a bonfire etc.

Len · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:14 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that Judith, I wasn�t sure when it was or what it was about. Do they still have cracker night in Australia or has it fizzled out these days?

GinaKate · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:35 pm Post subject:

Cracker night fizzled out in the late 60s early 70s. Firework sales are banned to the public now, a few too many letter boxes blown up I suppose. It was a big deal in the 50s, apparently the kids got half a day off school, something to do with Empire Day, not sure what it was all about, May 24th, Queen Victoria's birthday. I remember a couple of organised displays at Parramatta Park, that was 1965/66 but nothing since then.

Justin Sheedy

Hi there!

To learn all about Crackernight, please click on the below link to my website.

(I've just written a book on the subject entitled "Goodbye Crackernight", a comic memoir of growing up in 1970s Australia, when a kid's proudest possession wasn't a Playstation but a second-hand bike.)
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Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com

aussietrekker · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 3:21 am Post subject:

It's beautiful.
I used to attend illegal cracker nights in the late 70's/early 80's. They were put on by some uni students in Parkville, when student rents there were still dirt cheap. There was a wind-up gramaphone, and our host would make us stand to attention while he played "God Save the Queen" at 78rpm. A bonfire was lit on the footpath, and we'd all dance around it with a little ditty about "remember remember the 5th. of November". The wine and nibbles would come out, and we'd drink ourselves to death on the street all night and sing Monty Python songs. And the fireworks came out in all their glory. They'd been banned for a year or two, but Charlie had bought all remaining stocks he could find after getting wind of the new legislation, and hoarded them to last for an indefinite amount of cracker nights. Neighbours would complain,and the police would pass by every year and tell him to put out the bonfire.Which he did, until after they'd gone, and it would be re-lit and the revelry would continue.
Great times, alas now gone.

Justin Sheedy · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:28 am Post subject: What a wonderful account that is!

You clearly had a hoot! Hilarious, that point about God Save the Queen being played on a 78 on an old wind-up grammaphone.
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Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com

Len · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:07 am Post subject:

Thanks for the link Justin, its a very good read and welcome to our forums.

thumbsup

Justin Sheedy · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:40 am Post subject: Crackernight

Cheers, Len. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks.
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Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com

stormfour · Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:08 am Post subject:

I Loved bonfire night,we used to make treacle toffee and put spuds in the fire to cook then stand looking at the fire while we ate them,and then end up with black mouths from the burned potato skins,I wasnt to keen on the fireworks on the hostel though as it was right next door to a petrol refinery,call me a worrier but I could see potential danger there,but we still set them off.Yes the banning of fireworks put a stop to all that,mind you ,you can still buy them in Canberra,cant have the pollies missing out on anything can we.Those where the days,the more dangerous it was the more fun it was,I can't believe we are all still here!!!

Justin Sheedy

Great recollections from you there, Storm. Hilarious - Crackernight next to a petrol refinery... Yes, it's amazing how we survived at all, isn't it. And though Crackernight lived on in Canberra all these years since, it was banned in Canberra (end of an era) just a few weeks ago... Click on the link below to hear a Canberra radio interview I had on the subject.

http://crackernight.com/2009/08/26/goodbye-crackernight-literally-radio-interview-2cc-canberra/

All the best!
_________________
Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com

stormfour · Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:51 am Post subject:

great interview Justin,It is true that all our values at that time are disappearing ,as was stated in your interview,animal welfare has paid a great role in getting fireworks banned,and I can relate to that too,as we used to have a beautiful doberman who would just go troppo when fireworks went off and I know on New Years eve when all of a sudden millions of banned fireworks magically surface,there is always trouble with dogs running away in panic and unfortunately some of them get killed.
But when you are a kid,those things don't cross your mind,it is all in the joy of being a kid and enjoying the magic of fireworks and a great big bonfire.The "minister for banning things" also gave the reason that it was a "General Disruption" well well if that is criteria for having something banned we could basically ban every thing including election day,that is a general disruption if ever there was one....Oh Well Confused

Justin Sheedy

Yep, why not ban Christmas too? Oh, you might be interested in a book review printed today...

http://crackernight.com/2009/09/16/goodbye-crackernight-review-in-the-parramatta-sun/

All the best a great fun reading your comments.
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Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com

Susan Gillet · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:13 pm Post subject:

Just came across this thread and loved reading the excerpts from your book. Now I'll have to go out and buy it.

I loved "bonfire" night as it was known in England, and my friends and I would forage around for wood etc for weeks leading up to the 5th of November. A coupld of days before the big day, we would then make our Guy Fawkes which we would place on top of the pyre. We'd light the fire and when it had nice hot "coals" we'd put our potatoes in (there was no aluminium foil then) and throroughly enjoyed them, charcoal and all. Nowadays we'd be told we shouldn't eat them as charcoal is a carcinogen. Later the treacle toffee would come out (bad for the teeth) and so would the parkin cake (too fattening, and think of your cholesterol).

Much as I enjoy seeing big firework displays today, there is just nothing like the fun and experience of setting off your own stash with family and friends.
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Resident of Altona Hostel, 1963-1965

Justin Sheedy

Hi, Susan.

Great to read your recollections, and great points too. And yes, there was nothing like letting of one's own fireworks, was there.

I do hope you enjoy reading Goodbye Crackernight, but I bet you will! (Oh, and if you find it not on the shelf of your local bookstore, simply ask over the counter and they can very easily order it in for you.) Very glad your interested in reading it, and thanks.

Cheers
Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com
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Justin Sheedy
http://crackernight.com