“Remember, remember the 5th of November!” was the seasonal rhyme that we youngsters used to chant in the weeks running up to the excitement of Bonfire Night celebrations.
Mind you, a combination of November downpours and the fact that every box of fireworks seemed to contain the odd one or two that fizzled out disappointingly in a couple of seconds, often meant the evening’s fun turned out to be a bit of a (pardon the pun) damp squib!
“Light up the sky with Standard Fireworks,” went the song in the TV ads.
I can’t recall what make of fireworks we had at home, but I doubt they were Standard or Brocks, who were both major names in the firework firmament.
I suspect the fireworks we had must have been ‘bargains’ bought just before the shops shut on November 5th, because my favourites, the rockets, didn’t have enough firepower to light up one of my gran’s ciggies, let alone the night sky.
I tend to mention, most years on this very page, that over the past couple of decades parents have been spending tons more money on Halloween-related costumes, party food and suitably macabre plastic and rubber ‘scary’ props than on fireworks.
Despite October 31st overtaking November 5th as the much-anticipated date in the autumn calendar, fireworks are still purchased and enjoyed.
I don’t know how many of today’s kids are familiar with “Remember, Remember the 5th Of November” and recite it, because I obey the cautionary advice that’s written on bottles of strong cough medicine, boxes of painkillers and powerful chain saws used for felling giant Californian Redwoods – ‘Keep Away From Children’.
But it’s struck me in recent autumns that some of the young un’s (and not-so-young-un’s) around our way have mis-heard the rhyme during their formative years and believe it goes something like “Remember, Remember the 8th or possibly 11th or maybe 29th of  September” . . .  because those are some of the dates I’ve first started hearing loud ‘bangs’  as fireworks are let off in the evening.
Dear, oh dear! Doesn’t Tik Tok teach these kids anything useful?