We're always a little bit sad when we miss out on Australian celebrations over here in England. We do try to mark the important occasions like Australia Day and Anzac Day. (I can tell you though, partying on January 26 on a cold winter's day is just wrong! Australia Day requires a BBQ, a swim and sweltering weather.)

In November, we miss out on the circus that is the Melbourne Cup. Melbs Cup Day represents a chance to wear a silly hat and drink champagne. Unfortunately, the Cup's three pm starting time means a four am start for us. I'm not that keen to wear a silly hat or drink champagne.

Luckily, we've been able to transfer our affections to Guy Fawkes Night (November 5^th). A 150 year old horse race challenging a 400 year old tradition. If Guy Fawkes Night involved champagne it could have beaten the horsies.

On Saturday evening, we headed to Battersea Park and watched the fireworks display from the bank of the river Thames. It was quite pretty, but really what is a fireworks display without the Harbour Bridge as a centrepiece (Deja vu? I'm sure I said the same thing last year.)

For me, the most amazing thing about the evening, was memories of Guy Fawkes Night from the year before. Last year, we also watched the Battersea fireworks display. We watched it from the window of Phil and Liz's flat. For me, it's strange to be able to think "what was I doing this time last year?" and have London as the backdrop for the memory. Before last year, London was just a place on a map, half a world away. Now it's the place we call home (base).

With a year's experience we are no longer London babies. We are fully-fledged London toddlers. I'm not sure that we're going to make it to adulthood.

Bonfire Night Experience 1: We were lucky to be invited to Phil and Liz's housewarming on Sat 4th. They live next to Battersea Park and their apartment has a view over the park (and thus the Battersea fireworks display).

The Fireworks display was lengthy and pretty impressive. (But really, what is a fireworks display without the Sydney Harbour Bridge? There were no impressive centre pieces here.) The background soundtrack to the fireworks was unique, due to Phil's taste in music. You can watch a video of the display which was taken on our digital point+shoot (so the quality is questionable, but it's still worth a viewing).

We had a faboo time at the party. Phil is British and Liz is Canadian and our Ultimate team seems to have representatives from many continents. As you can imagine the party was a cacophony of different accents. Us Aussies tried hard to compete with the Americans in attendance, but really they were just too loud.

Thanks for inviting us Phil and Liz we had a brilliant / awesome time. (photos)

Bonfire Night Experience 2: On Sunday evening, we visited to Bek to poach internet access. My journey there was lit by fireworks exploding in all different directions. I think every teenager was out on Sunday night letting off fireworks. (Fireworks are on sale in Tescos, and what teenage boy doesn't like blowing things up?) The air was smoggy with fireworks smoke and the smell tickled my nose.

While we were at Bek's, Claire (Bek's flatmate) had some visitors who put on their own Fireworks show out in the square. Claire's Aussie friends lit fireworks and let them detonate while in hand. One boy was wearing a curly, nylon wig which I'm sure would burst into flames at a single spark. One boy dropped his firework on the ground and it exploded just metres from the bunch. We watched from the safety of the doorway until fear for our personal well-being drove us back inside. I now understand why fireworks were banned in Australia.

I have fond memories of Bonfire Night back in Australia. On the Queens Birthday Holiday weekend Aussies everywhere would gather around bonfires and set off fireworks.

I remember it as a real community event. All the residents in our area would meet in the local park. There would be a huge, crackling bonfire (the result of weeks of collecting scrap wood.) The kids would play silly, childish games like "how close can you get to the bonfire?". You could feel the heat emanating from the fire. I'm picturing red, rosy cheeked children happily scampering around.

And the Fireworks! An assault to the senses. Bright neon colours, the crackles, fizzles and bangs, and the acrid smell of smoke in the air. I can remember that there was always a scuffle between the kids to try and catch the toy man who parachuted out of one type of firework. My favourite firework was the Catherine Wheel. It would spin forever and the colours were so pretty.

Fireworks were banned in Australia in the mid-1980s and that put an end to Bonfire Night. So, it was with childish anticipation that I awaited Fireworks night here in London. Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night is an occasion that marks the failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605. (It's a 400 year old tradition! Impressive!) The Catholics tried to blow up Parliament to ignite a coup and eject the Protestants from power (All the historical British conflicts seem to be religious. I guess it's still happening today, just different religions and on a global scale). There is a poem too:

Remember, remember the fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. I see no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

(You can read more about at Wikipedia. You should also watch V for Vendetta, it's really good.)

This year, Guy Fawkes Night fell on a Sunday, so there were official Fireworks events on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening last weekend in different areas of London. We had two very different Fireworks Night experiences, but more about that tomorrow.