Category: Events

Picture perfect

Posted on by Sarah Monk

It was a smokin’ hot event and there are some absolutely brilliant photos you can buy to remind yourself of our brilliant Big Night.

Our online photo gallery is chocka with stunning images of Bonfire from our crew of photographers.

Definitely worth buying as a percentage of the purchase price goes to Society funds (helps raise funds for next year) and the gallery is growing every time. A big shout out goes to all our photographic wizards (you can see who took each shot by their initials on each photo or copyright across the image).

Big thanks go to: EH – Emma Howard; HW – Hugh Wilton; IC – Ian Cumming; JM – James McCauley; NP – Nigel Powell; WP – Wilf Power; WR – Willie Robb.

Please do note that photos taken of SBS members and/or with their family at SBS events, may be stored on our gallery and used in our membership communications, and on our social media channels, including Twitter, Instagram and our website.

If you do not wish your photo(s) to be used in this manner, please contact communications@southoverbs.com with further details and a copy of the image (s) concerned.

Photo copyright Emma Howard
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Thank you and good night

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Thanks to everyone who bought a firesite ticket; coughed up for our action-packed programme; and said a Bonfire prayer with us at the very end of the night.

Thanks to our members who make our Society so fantastic to be a part of.

Thanks to our countless volunteers who put it all together – and it does actually take 364 days to do it (and we always need more Society members to lend a hand).

We are now knackered. And that’s official.

Advance to 2022!

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2nd Badge Night and hell of a way to spend the evening

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Be afraid, our 2nd Badge Night is on Halloween, this Sunday (October 31), 6pm-8pm, at our HQ The King’s Head, coinciding spooktacularly with some other festival.

So why not do both? So all you Southover Bonfire Society members, go out on your trick or treating, then pop on down for some Bonfire Banter, to pick up your Badge, buy some lovely merchandise from Shireen (new fleeces, masks and lots more) and upgrade your costume. If anyone still wants to clothes swap, donate or sell, please contact Fiona on 07775 654744. It’s cash only for merch and costume.

(PS: calling all SBS captains, lieutenants, marshals, you are meeting at The King’s Head from 4.30pm-5.30pm with our Commander in Chief).

We would also seriously suggest you do a lateral flow test before you turn up and definitely don’t come along if you’ve got Covid or anything cold-like.

Don’t forget you do need to have renewed your membership online in advance of Badge Nights. To renew your membership, follow this link: https://membermojo.co.uk/southoverbs/yourmembership

Please also remember to bring your red plastic SBS Membership Card(s) with you to Badge Nights as we need to update them all with a 2021 sticker.

You need both your 2021 updated Membership Card and 2021 Badge with you in order to process on November 5. Marshals are checking and you will be asked to leave the procession if you don’t have both of these with you.

You will also be denied access to the firesite and fireworks. Any queries, please contact membership@southoverbs.com

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Bishops do brekkie

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Pope Clement VI famously said that his papal predecessors “did not know how to be pope,” and hosted lavish meals where only he was allowed to eat with a knife, to safeguard against violence breaking out.

Happily, and much, much, much further down the clerical food chain, our wonderful SBS Archbishop Matt is playing holy host to the Bonfire Societies’ Bishops’ Breakfast next Thursday (November 4), and there will be cutlery available too.

This traditional gathering – usually very merry thanks to plenty of Harveys with their Eggs Benedict (it is Lewes after all) – will take place at our HQ The King’s Head, with pre sipping-of-Port action in the Priory Ruins.

Panic not if you see a lot of peeps in cassocks holding croziers and processing around the Shire pontif-icating that day. Saints preserve us and all that. (Whether they will be able to spread Saints Preserve on their croissants remains to be seen, particularly after a few pints). But miracles can happen, apparently.

Even in Lewes.

Photo courtesy of Ian Cumming.

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Grab your firesite tickets

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Our firesite tickets, priced at £10 each, are on sale at outlets across Lewes. Snap yours up from the Tourist Information Centre, The King’s Head, The Swan, and St Pancras Stores so you can see our firework display at the Convent Field on November 5.

You can also pick up our programme at the same venues which includes our procession routes for Bonfire Night.

If you are a paid up member of SBS, you get free access to the firesite on the night as long as you have your up to date Membership Card and 2021 Badge with you.

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Join the Firesite Force

Posted on by Sarah Monk

We are looking for more Southover Bonfire Society members to join the SBS Firesite Force!

Can you help us get our tip top Convent Field firesite ready for the Fifth or help with the tidy up afterwards, or any bits in between? We really do need volunteers to lend a hand and join the Firesite Team between November 2 and November 7.

We will meet at the Mountfield Road car park at 9am on volunteer days. Gloves and training will be provided. You will need to register at the start of each day and we will be doing a quick induction for everybody to the site and taking emergency contact details etc. There will be members of the Firesite Team on hand to help out on each day to answer and assist you.They will be wearing red jumpers or fleeces with SBS Firesite Team written on them.

Please contact Jim Painter, Firesite Captain, at firesite@southoverbs.com with your details and let him know which days you would be able to help out.

Here’s the jobs:

Tuesday November 2
Fence erecting around the pyro site; oversee delivery of the bonfire sand; and set up a site office

Wednesday November 3
Set up fencing, assist with building the bonfire

Thursday November 4
More fence erecting round the field, and more bonfire building!

Friday November 5
People to move fencing; place crosses on the field; build the bonfire; put up site effigies and set up lighting

Saturday November 6
Take down fencing at the fire site and pyro site; collect up litter (especially good for children – lovely exercise!); clear the bonfire patch

Sunday November 7
People to help check the field for litter and make sure hire equipment is in the right place for collection.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that you can offer!

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Announcement regarding bonfire 2020

Posted on by hugs

From The Chair, Directors and SBS Committee

As we have shared with you over the months of this pandemic, we have been in ongoing discussions through BONCO and with our SBS committee members and the police to work out possible scenarios for the 5th, while protecting the health and safety of our members, their families, the public and the emergency services.

We have been trying to look at every option in an ever-changing environment. Sadly, we have reached the tough decision that we are not going to be able to host our annual celebrations on November 5th this year.

We are all very disappointed, as we know you will be, but with the advice from Government and health professionals unlikely to change this year, plus the threat of a second wave, we cannot compromise on health and safety.

All we can do is plan to be back next year – better than ever. Please lookout for ways you can get involved as we set our sights on a return to bonfire, SBS-style, in 2021.

Advance!!!!

Best wishes,

Pat O’Toole
Chair Southover Bonfire SocietyFacebooktwitter

Our final Badge Night – November 4!

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Our final Badge Night is taking place at our HQ, The King’s Head, on Monday November 4 from 7pm-9pm.

There’ll be costumes for sale, plenty of wonderful SBS merchandise and the chance to grab your badge and membership card for you and your family so you can make sure you can process on the 5th.

In order to that, please renew in advance of Badge Night by following this link to the membership login: https://membermojo.co.uk/southoverbs/yourmembership

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