Crackers! - Lachlan McPherson YHS 1962
What a tradition we grew up with! Empire Day….crackers...Guy Fawkes, 5th November…..crackers! Anytime seemingly appropriate …crackers!! Timeplace: Yallourn, 1950's, 1960's Tradition called for dads to manhandle into position large pieces of wood to form bonfires to be lit, danced around, marvelled at, add Catherine wheels (separately to the display); at least twice in the year to celebrate the coming together of the (British) Empire and also celebrate Guy Fawkes' attempt to blow the whole bloody thing (Empire & Parliament) up. Ironic isn't it? We celebrated two completely opposing forces! The point is tho' that throughout the year many of us bought fireworks and stockpiled them to let our hair down on the big night. EPI…EPI…EPI…'ERALD! GET YER 'ERALD EPI…EPI…EPI…'ERALD….would come floating up the streets of the Coach Road Hill as David North (or his minions -his brothers) came closer and closer cajoling residents to come and buy the evening paper. They were good. They sold lots of Heralds. They made lots of money. They bought lots of CRACKERS...A beautiful clear night, the bonfire was sitting ready to be lit, No.15 Driffield Road's letter box had still to be blown up, the moon was full and rising in the east over the Open Cut, the North's were to grace our presence with their magnificent collection of pyrotechnics. What more could we want? Light the bonfire, toast marshmallows if you must, the letterbox has been done (again) and the first Roman Candle has just been set off to the delighted squeals of the young-uns. A rocket wobbles into sub-orbit from a beer bottle and explodes into a shower of coloured stars in the dark sky. We're all gathered around the swings and roundabouts at the top of Driffield Road and ourselves surrounded by the pine plantation. (Let's go back to the paper sellers, the pyrotechnic collectors extraordinaire, the North boys.) I've said they bought a few crackers over the year have I? It was a large trunk they hauled up and it looked heavy. We didn't really know how much there really was in the way of explosives in that trunk but assumed there was quite a lot. They HAD sold a lot of Heralds that year. There was an unexpected quiet. A lull, as several explosives ran their course, the bonfire slackened off after its initial flare and we readied ourselves for the next stage. The North boys pride and joy (the Trunk) came to life. A live one (cracker) jumped into the Trunk. Unexpectedly…violently…spectacularly….BOOM! The top of the Trunk blew off with the first multi explosion followed by a series of more of the same. The crowd retreated in disorganised and undisguised panic behind the slide and into the pines on the far side of the playground away from the Trunk as more explosions occurred and all kinds of whizzes and whooshes zoomed in all directions, fantastic displays of all colours sparkling and flashing, as continual BANGS and CRASHES rent the air. There was a real letdown as the Trunk finally spluttered into a dull red glow, occasionally emitting another BANG! and a bit more smoke. There wasn't much left to do. After the initial explosion and the stunned spectators regained their senses, someone thought it "might be a good idea if the smoldering mass were extinguished." Buckets of water were called for and produced from all or some of the Sneddon, Thomas, Brisco and McLennan households. The North boys were devastated as they fruitlessly searched the sodden remains "for anything that may be left!" They were led away, dishevelled and emotional, by people with maybe more sense than any of us kids. "Hey, that was great! Can we do that again?" That was the end of that Cracker Night.!
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