On 5 November 1605, Guy Fawkes and a small band of conspirators planned to blow up King James I and Parliament. However, the plot was revealed, Guy Fawkes was discovered in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament surrounded by casks of gunpowder, and after being tortured he was executed for treason.
Today, nearly four centuries later, we still celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot with Bonfire Night celebrations. Fireworks are let off and for the children it is the first treat of winter and one of the most exciting days of the year. For weeks before, small children go around the villages collecting 'a penny for the guy' and a large bonfire is built of wood. The guy, made of sticks and straw and dressed in old clothes, sits atop the great pyre.
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