Posters nostalgic for Guy Fawkes night would probably enjoy the bush Guy fawkes/crackers night, annually organised in my community by one of the residents who holds a pyrotechnician licence. This spectacular is usually held in June of each year, when the weather is cooler.

In fact this year's event was held only last week and some 200 trendy adults and children attended and camped overnight in the bush. I'm told it was a "fabulous" event and great for all the family.

Railway sleepers are plentiful and this is the fuel used for the bonfire, strategically and cleverly built to allow for oxygen.

I have watched a video of this event and it is quite spectacular - the biggest bonfire I have ever witnessed with glorious technicoloured fireworks spewing out of the fire. Games and events are held for the children, comedy acts and so on.

My invitation apparently went "astray" after I advised the organiser that all railway sleepers in Australia were treated with creosote. Never mind.....I had a "headache" that night anyway!

Creosote contains some 300 different compounds. It is deemed hazardous, carcinogenic and mutagenic by the EU, Australian EPA's and most developed countries. Landfills also have been banned from interring timbers laced with creosote.

God alone would know of the ecological damage caused by incinerating dozens of railway sleepers, laced with creosote, but there I go again, spoiling people's fun!

Ah......but isn't ignorance bliss!?

Hi Dickie,
Yep, now youv'e gone and blown up all the intentions of any haphazard individuals who enjoy ruining the environment, now that we know what the sleepers are made of, they will deftly go about their business in creating and finding some other toxic ingredient to burn and with which to desicrate our lovely planet. Good to here of the outing, sounded like good fun and like you say, probably ended up with a heck of a headache with all the fumes from the creosote. We as humans really need to get a handle on things.

Fireworks have been illegal in NSW for decades.
The ban was imposed because persons were being injured, however no one was killed. The govt in its wisdom decreed that only licenced pyrotechnical experts could handle fireworks.
Since then there have been a few deaths among the 'experts' but I guess that is only to be expected.
Now every New Year the air around Sydney is needlessly polluted by the gas from explosions.

Guy Fawkes Day was until recently an occassion for anti-Catholic demonstrations, especially in England and many 'NO POPERY' signs were carried until they were banned in one city after permission was asked to carry one that proclaimed 'KNOW POPERY'

Now days I don't think that the average person would have a clue about GF or his Day.

After all how many know why Christmas is often written 'Xmas'?

'Cos they are still trying to find "xriss-xross" and "xtract" in their dictionaries!