Bonfire night

When I was a child each family or each street had its own bonfire party. Small boys would make a Guy out of old clothes stuffed with paper and take it from house to house asking for "a penny  for the Guy". They would use the money to buy fireworks which could be bought at all the local shops. Naughty boys would light them and put them through people's letter boxes and this caused a number of house fires each year. Their fathers and older boys would collect wood to make bonfires and they would all be lit and the fireworks let off after dark on the 5th November. There was special party food. Sausages, jacket potatoes, a ginger and treacle cake called "Parkin" and Toffee Apples.
Every year a number of children would be blinded or burned by accidents with fireworks and bonfires and some fires would get out of control and burn houses. It was a very busy night for the Fire Brigade.
Now the sale of fireworks is greatly restricted and most people do not hold their own bonfire party. Most people now go to big organised bonfire events with fireworks displays far bigger than  any individual family can afford. Many are run to benefit charities and organised by local sports clubs. Our local one is at the local Sports Centre but is organised by the Fire Brigade who prefer to run a big display rather than run round putting out lots of small ones.
We still eat sausages and jacket potatoes and toffee apples though; local charities take stalls and sell them.

Here is a recipe for toffee apples.

8 medium sized crisp apples
8 lollipop sticks
400g sugar
100ml water
100ml golden syrup
25ml wine vinegar
red food colouring

Prepare the apples by immersing them in boiling water for 30seconds and then wiping them down with kitchen paper. (This reduces any wax coating on the skin so that the toffee will stick better). Stick a lollipop stick in each.
Heat the sugar ,water, syrup and vinegar in a small deep pan to cracking point.
(This is 140C if you have a sugar thermometer. If not heat to a rolling boil. Test by adding a drop of the mixture to cold water. If it sets immediately to a hard toffee it is ready. If the  toffee is soft and can be squeezed keep heating.)
Remove from heat, stir in colouring and wait until the bubbles have burst.
Dip the apples in and coat with toffee.Work quickly.
If the toffee gets too cool and sticky so that it will not coat, reheat but do not let it boil again.
Put the apples on baking parchment or foil and leave to set for about 20 mins.

Eat within two days.