“GUY FAWKES GUY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1938, Page 4

“GUY FAWKES GUY”

TIME-HONOURED CELEBRATION.

AMUSEMENT FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

Bright and early, the children of Masterton were awake this morning, intent on arousing the whole neighbourhood with their cries of “Guy Fawkes Guy.” Trundling grotesquelooking figures on hand-made trolleys or on dilapidated perambulators that had long been discarded by their original owners, youthful citizens whose thoughts turned to the celebration of November 5 began their rounds at the break of day. Enterprising as some were, they could have gathered even more pennies than they did had they sought to do so in a more thorough fashion. One Masterton resident in a thickly-populated, portion, of the residential area placed ten pennies on his front porch for the benefit of early morning callers and although numerous parties of children were heard in the street, not a single penny was claimed. All the same, the proceeds were quite profitable in many cases and even young girls who decided that they should also enjoy the fun of the occasion were successful in reaping a harvest of several shillings. After their successful exploits in the, morning, nearly all the young fry of the town were the earliest of shoppers this morning and just after opening hour certain shops were thronged with the youngsters intent on exchanging their coppers for fireworks of all descriptions. The next event in the day’s proceedings was a Guy Fawkes competition conducted by Messrs J. R. McKenzie’s, Ltd., in which 45 entries were received. Two or three hundred children and spectators assembled for the occasion, ,the winner being Ronnie Butler, of Worksop Road. After a photograph had been taken of the gathering, the children and their guys proceeded to the Regent Theatre, where a monster Guy Fawkes matinee was the attraction. There were 48 entries in this competition and as many as 500 children, besides adults, assembled outside the theatre. The prize-winners were:— Ronnie Butler 1. Bob Stalker 2, Gordon Blackwood 3. Girls: Jean Carr 1; three special prizes: Billy Finlayson, Berna Tebay and I. Nichol. There was a special yodelling number on the stage which was much appreciated. A photograph was taken of the large assembly of children outside ihe theatre.

Children are not alone in deriving considerable amusement from the celebration of Guy Fawke’s Day. Some of the older- members of the community, it appears, notably a number of office workers, having discovered that a passable cannon could be constructed quite simply by placing a cracker and a projective in a tube, with the lower end blocked, soon found delight in holding a competition for the longest shot. While the young children were canvassing the streets with their guys these older “boys” were conducting a competition at the rear of their lodging place and, it is stated the contest was continued during the morning at the office when the manager was absent.