Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Last weekend Gill & I decided to take the train down to Eastbourne & Hastings, more for the train journey than anything else, & we had the most wonderful day.

It was Friday, the day before (unofficial) Bonfire Night, & when the train stopped at Lewes, there were signs everywhere saying "NO TRAINS WILL STOP AT THIS STATUION ON SATURDAY DUE TO LEWES BONFIRE NIGHT"

Why on earth would trains not stop due to bonfire night?

A little googling soon provided the answer - Lewes Bonfire Night is a traditional thing, said to be the largest bonfire night in the world (not sure that's true), and the town with a population of 15,000 or whatever is invaded by up to 80,000 revellers.  So the local council do everything they can to deter more visitors, & that includes closing the station for the day.

Here's the Lewes Bonfire Night Wiki page;


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewes_Bonfire

It does not just celebrate poor old Guido Fawkes, but also some other historical bollox, Protestant martyrs & Marian Persecutions, whatever they are.

It's all highly organised - there are 7 different "Bonfire Committees" all working independently.

Proper big do it is, too;

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From the train, we spotted the bonfire being prepared. Proper fire that'll make.

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[tikay]

By the bye, contrary to popular belief, Guido Fawkes was not put to death as such. He was due to be "hung drawn & quartered", a thoroughly unpleasant do I imagine, especially the bit where they cut your willy off just before cutting you into 4 pieces.

Just as they were about to start the proceedings though, he fell off the scaffold & was killed stone dead by the fall. Lucky fella, huh?

[tikay]

At Eastbourne, we had a walk along the pier.

Nice pier, as piers go. Had a chippy, a tea room, 2 amusement arcades, a souvenir shop, usual sort of thing.

Could not help but wonder how much money these piers - lovely as they are - must lose.

This one had been on the market for £5.5 milly last year. No idea if that included the freehold. Can a pier, set in the sea, have a freehold?

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[tikay]

Then we walked along the front to Eastbourne's Grand Hotel.

Most of the hotels in Eastbourne are falling to bits, but the Grand is in great nick.

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[tikay]

We had a spot of lunch - expensive, but not as pricey as one might expect.

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[tikay]

You might expect to see this hideously pimped up car at a Premier League training Ground, but not parked plum outside the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne, surely?

A little googling revealed quite a tale, but I'm out of time, so I'll have to leave it there for now. Suffice to say, "Gulzar" is not the MODEL of his 2 cars, it's the owner's name. Sheihk Gulzar, in fact. Fake Sheikh, one suspects.

And guess what? He owns Eastbourne Pier. I'll leave it at that, as I'm sure you are all gasping with excitement now.


 

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[tikay]

Here's the "Sheikh", & another photo of his motor.







 

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[tikay]

So, a question for you.

Which blonde would you think most likely to want to own a car like that hideous thing?


I'm going for the Camel or MANTIS. I reckon both of them are closet snobs.

[RED-DOG]

By the bye, contrary to popular belief, Guido Fawkes was not put to death as such. He was due to be "hung drawn & quartered", a thoroughly unpleasant do I imagine, especially the bit where they cut your willy off just before cutting you into 4 pieces.

If that happened to me I would be hung drawn and fifthted.

[RED-DOG]

So, a question for you.

Which blonde would you think most likely to want to own a car like that hideous thing?


I'm going for the Camel or MANTIS. I reckon both of them are closet snobs.

I don't want a gold car but I would buy some Britannias at spot if anyone has any spare.

[TightEnd]

By the bye, contrary to popular belief, Guido Fawkes was not put to death as such. He was due to be "hung drawn & quartered", a thoroughly unpleasant do I imagine, especially the bit where they cut your willy off just before cutting you into 4 pieces.

Just as they were about to start the proceedings though, he fell off the scaffold & was killed stone dead by the fall. Lucky fella, huh?

He actually was given a choice of death and chose to be quartered rather than hung, out of a pathologically fear of hanging

then fell off the stage anyway

[Tal]

By the bye, contrary to popular belief, Guido Fawkes was not put to death as such. He was due to be "hung drawn & quartered", a thoroughly unpleasant do I imagine, especially the bit where they cut your willy off just before cutting you into 4 pieces.

Just as they were about to start the proceedings though, he fell off the scaffold & was killed stone dead by the fall. Lucky fella, huh?

He actually was given a choice of death and chose to be quartered rather than hung, out of a pathologically fear of hanging

then fell off the stage anyway

It's possible he jumped. That's not clear.

Like Ronnie Biggs, history has overplayed Fawkes's role in the Gunpowder Plot. It's odd that we are taught his name in school, rather than Catesby's and Percy's. Odder still that we do bonfires when none were burned at the stake.

King James sanctioned the use of torture on Fawkes, when he refused to give details.

‘If he will not other wayes confesse, the gentler tortours are to be the first usid unto him…God speed youre goode worke. James.’

The gentler tortures would have been manacles

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The missing text in the message included permission to use increasingly less gentle torture if the light stuff didn't work. Of course.

The picture above is of Nicholas Owen, who had a pretty gruesome death. He was a small part player but was last to die, so the interrogators decided to milk every bit of info they could out of him. One account is that he died by cutting his own herniated stomach open.

Was definitely a good idea to keep your nose clean back then.

[roshambo]

At Eastbourne, we had a walk along the pier.

Nice pier, as piers go. Had a chippy, a tea room, 2 amusement arcades, a souvenir shop, usual sort of thing.

Could not help but wonder how much money these piers - lovely as they are - must lose.

This one had been on the market for £5.5 milly last year. No idea if that included the freehold. Can a pier, set in the sea, have a freehold?

Click to see full-size image.

i did post a few pages but got lost, this is right up your alley with piers and trains

http://www.savehythepier.org.uk/hythe-pier-train.asp

[mikeymike]

Guido is actually a distant relation of mine - in our family we felt he was harshly treated - i now think i might be related to Boris Johnson as he is attempting to do the same thing minus the gun powder.

PS. If you happen to cross paths with the Sheikh again could you remind him that the merc is only on loan and i would like it back - thankyou 

[Woodsey]

Here's the "Sheikh", & another photo of his motor.







 

Click to see full-size image.

I remember seeing 3 or 4 different cars all that colour parked outside a house in Knightsbridge....