The official city firework display last night didn't disappoint. I went along with the International Café group, which operates at our church centre and provides a meeting point, support and hospitality for International students. We met up and then walked up to the castle/priory area in groups for the display.
My group included two Iranian women and a Russian student from UoC. They had heard an outline of the Guy Fawkes story at the start of the evening, but the phenomenon of bonfires and fireworks on this (apparently) random day of the year prompted some questions. One of the students from Teheran asked me where I came from - I said Nottingham. She didn't know it but mention of Robin Hood prompted a reaction. Turns out she was in Sheffield last year and visited Hathersage where Little John is allegedly buried. Teheran to Hathersage. Sounds like a novel waiting to be written. What's really lovely is how appreciative the students are of the care and attention that the café is able to give.
The display itself began with the National Anthem (3 verses), then when the fireworks started, we had 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath & 'Black Night' by Deep Purple before it broke into Jupiter from the Planet Suite. (I only know that because of the well-known tunes it contains) Finally it all got a bit Last Night of the Proms with Pomp and Circumstance. Great fireworks, bizarre soundtrack.
My group included two Iranian women and a Russian student from UoC. They had heard an outline of the Guy Fawkes story at the start of the evening, but the phenomenon of bonfires and fireworks on this (apparently) random day of the year prompted some questions. One of the students from Teheran asked me where I came from - I said Nottingham. She didn't know it but mention of Robin Hood prompted a reaction. Turns out she was in Sheffield last year and visited Hathersage where Little John is allegedly buried. Teheran to Hathersage. Sounds like a novel waiting to be written. What's really lovely is how appreciative the students are of the care and attention that the café is able to give.
The display itself began with the National Anthem (3 verses), then when the fireworks started, we had 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath & 'Black Night' by Deep Purple before it broke into Jupiter from the Planet Suite. (I only know that because of the well-known tunes it contains) Finally it all got a bit Last Night of the Proms with Pomp and Circumstance. Great fireworks, bizarre soundtrack.
The Robin Hood/Nottingham link may be a myth. There us a grave in Kirklees (West Yorkshire - not far from Mirfield) which purports to be his last resting place. Apparently it is an arrow's flight from a monastery that he is reputed to have died in.
ReplyDeleteOh, and King Arthur's Round Table is in Cumbria, a mile up the road from me.
Off course it's a myth! Yorkshire has been trying to nick him off us for years. Still, it wasn't the Sheriff of Leeds who went down in the storybooks.
ReplyDeleteThe Iranian student who had visited Hathersage said that when she saw all the shops with Robin Hood themed names, she was reminded of an area of Teheran where lots of shops are named after a legendary sweet maker.
Some things are the same the world over.