Bonfiring

Christmas Eve aside, tonight is my most favourite night of the year. There's something magical and a bit primal about crowds of people walking through the dark night, towards the brightness, to gather around the fire on the hill.

We like to make a bit of a party of this colourful night with friends and a few garden fireworks to get things off to a bang. A special feast is called for too. Jacket potatoes, oven baked sausages with honey and grainy mustard, butternut squash soup, good cheese, garlic mushrooms, then ginger cake and mulled cider to wash it all down. Delicious.

The magic of sparklers never lessens does it? Or the nervousness!

Then we join the throng walking up the hill and head for the first of the two big village displays this week, with bangs and flashes filling the air all around us.

Eleven years ago Woody and I had our very first date on Bonfire night. What a long way we've come. It's a special, special night for us.

And after having had this camera for two years, at long last I've finally figured out the firework setting. There's no stopping me now! Just a few more I promise.

Marvellous stuff. Hope you had fun too.

P.S. Thanks so very much for all your kind thoughts and wishes on my down in the dumps post. They really did cheer me up and helped me to focus on the positive this last week which really rubbed off on what I was doing at work. I've managed to push a few important bits of things forward and spoken up about what I was finding difficult or unrealistic. Can't thank you all enough. Blogging is a brilliant thing. Thank you. Xxx