An amateur film recording residents from the village of Skinningrove working to prepare for and hold their annual Bonfire Night celebrations in 1998. The theme of this year’s event was nursery rhymes and the structure being built, that of a shoe, maybe a reference to the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe as the figure of a woman also features besides the shoe during the night’s firework display. As well as construction work on the structure a percussion group is also recorded performing on the...

An amateur film recording residents from the village of Skinningrove working to prepare for and hold their annual Bonfire Night celebrations in 1998. The theme of this year’s event was nursery rhymes and the structure being built, that of a shoe, maybe a reference to the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe as the figure of a woman also features besides the shoe during the night’s firework display. As well as construction work on the structure a percussion group is also recorded performing on the beach. In a large room a group of six performers play a version of ‘Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star’ on a set of homemade percussion instruments. On the beach alongside the Skinningrove Beck a large wooden bonfire structure in the shape of a shoe is under construction. A man stands atop of it painting it white, other join him in helping to paint the rest of the structure. As the construction work continues the percussion group seen previous now stand nearby performing. [Blank] As work continues on the bonfire, sections of what appear to be a large mouse puppet are unloaded from a van and another section of the bonfire is brought over to be installed onto it. At the rear of the bonfire a large pyre of wood ready to be burned while in the near distance a small crowd of onlooker watching proceedings from Marine Terrace. The percussion group returns and performs again from the beach as onlookers watch on. At night crowds gather along Marine Terrace with the street illuminated by lanterns. A smiley face illumination is set alight as a firework display begins. The figure of a woman stands beside that of the shoe and begins to burn as fireworks are set off around her. More fireworks are set off from the bonfire structure itself. With the fireworks over four people walk over with burning torches and set the structure alight. The crowds watch on as it burns intensely lighting up the night sky. The film ends the following day with workers clearing away the smouldering remains of the bonfire filling skips with rubbish that are being pulled by tractor.