Smoke On The Water

Ah, Bonfire Night. As Al Murray once described it, "the one evening of the year when we come together and celebrate the tolerance and diversity of British society by burning effigies of Roman Catholics". Of course, the grand night was last night, but as always, we've been celebrating it on the closest Saturday. The city council decided not to let anyone into the castle grounds this year - the usual viewing spot for most of the population - so everyone's been forced elsewhere; I staked out a spot on the far side of the river (which we fondly refer to as "the dark side of the Lune") and took this shot, along with many others, looking across the river to St George's Quay with the fireworks and castle visible above the treeline. As always, I have no tripod and only a shite camera, so the picture is only as steady as my numb hands.

Still, it could be worse. Guy Fawkes had all of his limbs dislocated through torture; his Bonfire Night photographs must have been really shit.