Guy Fawkes Day

Yesterday was Guy Fawkes Day. You may be asking, who?

On this date in the year 1605 a large group of Roman Catholics, led by a man called Guy Fawkes, tried to blow up the House of Parliament. The men were angry because the king had treated them badly and they didn't like it. The plan they had was called the Gunpowder Plot.

The twelve conspirators rented a cellar underneath the Houses of Parliaments and put lots of barrels of gunpowder (we don't know how many barrels, some sources say twenty and the others say thirty-six) under the houses after breaking their way through the wall.

But they were discovered in the cellar and arrested. During the trial Guy Fawkes admitted everything and all the conspirators were found guilty and executed.

So every Novemeber 5, they celebrate this day with fireworks and a huge bonfire. Jon and the kids headed down to Midsummers Commons for the activities. They estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 people came to watch. Fireworks have been going off around Cambridge for the last, even in the pouring rain.