Radar: Bonfire Night Displays In Liverpool

The smell of cordite in the air, Ride Of The Valkyries blasting out from a council-rented PA, stumbling down Lark Lane or the narrow streets of east Liverpool towards the park, hoping your shoes don’t get caked in mud…

It can only be Bonfire Night - hardly ever called Guy Fawkes Night these days - with all the attendant toffee appling, candy flossing, whizz-banging and crying children-ing that seem to go with public firework displays.

Liverpool city council is staging two shows tonight at Sefton Park and Newsham Park. Both kick off at 7.30pm sharp and will last for about 20 minutes.

The council is keen for people to use public transport where possible – and to keep your own fireworks at home. We’re guessing sparklers are OK.

Looking farther afield, St Helens is staging Spark In the Park at Sherdley Park. Things kick off at 6pm with food available plus rides for the kids, while there’s a children’s firework and fire display at 7pm and the main event starting at 8pm.

In Runcorn there’s a ‘best of British’ music and firework shows kicking off at around 7.30pm and lasting for 20 minutes. There’s entertainment from 6.30pm, with music from a local radio station to entertain the crowds.

Looking across the water, there are eight different displays from Birkenhead to Moreton to Bebington. All kick off at 6.30pm and last about 30 minutes.

Heading north there’s something that looks altogether rather different in Bootle. Nancy And The Bonfire will feature “a magical night of monsters and trolls, dancers and drama” and mark the launch of the Sefton Celebrates Writing Festival.

The blurb looks intriguing, promising a new gate that appears only once every hundred years in Derby Park. This being a magical gate it leads to both the past and the future, from which will appear Nancy, a young girl from 1912. Head over for a magical night as Nancy tries to find her way back home. There are no actual fireworks on bonfires, but you can use your imagination eh?

Oh, and one last thing. Check for hedgehogs, eh?

Nancy And The Bonfire

Derby Park, Bootle. Entry via entrance at the corner of Worcester Road and Oxford Road, 6.00pm start

Liverpool Council Displays

Sefton Park, 7.30pm start
Newsham Park, 7.30pm start

St Helens Council Displays

Spark In The Park - Sherdley Park, 6.00pm start

Halton Council Displays

Runcorn, 7.30pm start

Wirral Council Displays

Lingham Park, Upton, 6.30pm start
Upton Park, Moreton, 6.30pm start
Woodchurch Leisure Centre, 6.30pm start
Birkenhead Park, 6.30pm start
Central Park, Wallasey, 6.30pm start
Mersey Park, Tranmere, 6.30pm start
Mayer Park, Bebington, 6.30pm start
Leasowe Adventure Playground, 6.30pm start

Image by RichardLowkes via Flickr, Creative Commons