The random utterances of David Arno

This year’s Flash on the Beach event takes place from November 4th – 7th. Now while the organisers are providing evening entertainment, there is far better entertainment on offer on the 5th: Bonfire Night. For those of you attending who live outside of Britain, you may be unaware of Bonfire Night. It involves lots of fireworks and, in parts of the country, parades, noisy, smoke and some amazing sights. It just so happens that my home town, Lewes, organises one of the country’s biggest, loudest and most visually spectacular bonfire night events in the whole country, and it is just 12 minutes train journey from Brighton. The more adventurous visitors to Flash on the Beach may wish to arm themselves with lots of warm clothing, drinks of their choice and a camera before visiting this amazing spectacle.

First the big caveat: the police and town council advise people who live outside of Lewes not attend, but some 20,000+ people ignore this advice each year and do attend. This will mean that you will likely queue, in the cold, for an hour or more to get back to Brighton, and you may have to queue at Brighton station in order to get there as well. The streets will be packed with people, those in the 30 or so parades carry burning torches and thousands of bangers and fire crackers are lighted and dropped at peoples feet throughout the evening. It can be very smoky, very noisy and very confusing to the new visitor.

If this doesn’t put you off, then keep an eye on my blog as I’ll be providing a mini “survival guide” nearer the event, which will give some suggestions on where to go and what to watch out for.