A decade ago, when I first moved to Glasgow, I thought Bonfire Night was held to celebrate that Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the House of Lords. To honour someone’s efforts rather than their victory was pretty progressive for a constitutional monarchy, I thought.

My mum, who was raised in the East End in the 1960s, told me it was her favourite holiday as a child.

“We grew up in a concrete jungle and there wasn’t much around. We spent weeks collecting leaves and sticks to make the bonfire in the back garden,” she said. They would make a dummy out of the debris and scream at the flames: “Burn him!”

A lightbulb went off. Ah, I realised. The celebration is that the plan was foiled, not that it was hatched at all.

As November 5 drew nearer, I was astounded at the perpetual whizzing, cracking and roaring of fireworks through the streets. On the night of the Glasgow Green event, the restaurant I worked in was packed, the city awash with life. But those days are long gone now. And November’s pyrotechnic bursts at all hours through residential streets have intensified. A certain lawlessness has taken hold.

Bored youths armed with Moonshot Rockets come out in full force to wage antisocial chaos around the country on Bonfire Night. The violence came to an unprecedented crescendo last year when riot police were attacked with fireworks and petrol bombs by around 50 youths in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh. Around 70 officers were injured due to a lack of proper protective gear. Others suffered minor injuries responding to disturbances in Glasgow, Dundee and in other parts of Edinburgh. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said nine crews were attacked during an eight hour period across Scotland.

The violence lit a fire under local authorities, springing them bring Firework Control Zone (FCZ) legislation into action. In August, Edinburgh became the first Scottish council to vote for a ban on the use of fireworks in certain areas: Niddrie, Balerno, Seafield and Calton Hill. Glasgow City Council announced this week that Pollokshields would be the first FCZ in the city. At least Edinburgh has Fawkes Festival. Meanwhile, Scotland’s largest city has tried to quietly quit hosting anything for Bonfire Night.

(Image: Newsquest)

FCZs are long overdue. Rogue bangs and pops are intimidating, especially to those who have vulnerabilities like sensory disorders or a history of trauma. And don’t forget about all the petrified apartment pooches. Fireworks get aimed at innocents young and old by delinquents who also have a propensity for firing them at each other. But while I wholeheartedly welcome the FCZs and believe they should be extended to other residential areas, I can’t help but feel like the city is missing a trick by skipping out on a tradition loved by generations.

Last year, Glasgow Life refused to give a reason as to why Bonfire Night was subtly axed. Instead, they responded to requests from journalists with a redirection, saying they were focussed on delivering “winter and Christmas entertainment aimed at attracting visitors who will also enjoy Glasgow’s shopping, entertainment and nightlife sectors across several weeks in the lead-up to and during the festive period.”

This year, a spokesperson for Glasgow Life said that again there were no plans for Bonfire Night at Glasgow Green. “This approach, which we took last year, is more environmentally friendly, reduces disruption to local residents and allows for investment in other events,” they said. The festive programme will be released in the coming weeks, they added.

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If I had my tin hat on, I might start to wonder what was really going on. Does the council hate Guy Fawkes Night? The quango’s tight-lipped approach to cancelling Bonfire Night means there is little to no chance any other organisation can look to put something on at Glasgow Green. Last year, members of the Showmen’s Guild expressed their disappointment in Glasgow Life’s decision and said there was no effort to hold talks to save it. The event has been attended by up to 80,000 people in the past. It was the only properly free event for Glaswegians. And it was organised, and safe.

What people are left with is GlasGLOW at the Botanics which is nearly £30 per adult. Or George Square’s Winterfest, which is uninspired at best. Whatever cash Glasgow Life saved on Bonfire Night last year did not go towards fireworks at the light switch-on (there were none). And last December Glasgow’s year-on-year footfall had decreased by 9.6 per cent, according to figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium. Surely, we should be embracing large events that bring people into the city centre? They don’t even need to have fireworks – a bonfire would be just fine.

Amid the cost of living crisis, it is understandable that events need to be scaled back, but Glasgow Life has never fingered cashflow as the reason for Bonfire Night’s demise. If financing the event is untenable, why not get the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, the Showmen’s Guild and the Night Time Industries Association on side? The event floods the city with families, friends, colleagues, and couples who go out for dinner and drinks before attending the Bonfire Night event. It creates a sense of community among people in the city, giving them a holiday to celebrate together. And it discourages the localised pyro havoc that has mushroomed throughout residential areas due to a lack of centralised celebration.

If the event is too costly to put on for free, charge people a reasonable amount that would cover the costs without seeking to make a profit. Give people who live in the area a ticket for free. It should not feel like pulling teeth to get a decent event put on in the city.

So businesses, penny for the Guy?

Marissa MacWhirter is the editor of The Glasgow Wrap. Each morning, Marissa curates the top local news stories from around the city, delivering them to your inbox at 7am daily so you can stay up to date on the best reporting without ads, clickbait or annoying digital clutter. Oh, and it’s free. She can be found on X @marissaamayy1