[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes, the focus was always on bonfire night. We used to make up raiding parties and go and pinch wood from other gangs bonfires.....we had a garage and all the wood was stored in the garage.....except for the few days before bonfire night. Dads used to help us build the bonfire.....we rigged up all kinds of things so that we would know if our pile was being raided.
Mums used to make parched peas, spud pie, parkin, treacle toffee and toffee apples. The whole of Marsden Street in Accrington used to get together and it was like a street party.....we would put potatoes into the fire and then we would get some brave adult to rake them out for us.....we must have eated almost as much wood ash as potato.....it never seemed to do us any harm.