Growing up in Loughborough was fantastic and especially as I fondly remember during November.
 First of all there was Bonfire night then a week later the excitement continued when the funfair rode into town. My mates and I always made sure that we had enough money for the rides by putting aside some of the big money! That was to me made from "Penny for the Guy mister?"
 Towards the end of every October we would stand with our Guy and wait for knocking off time outside the Herbert Morris foundry on Empress road. We did quite well and always seemed to come away with a bucketful of change. The couple who ran the local Beer off did well too, as it was they who sold us the fireworks!
Every year there was this one bloke who's face was always black with soot. He would pretend to be Indian and say to us
"Ooh I'm so solly me no speaky the English!" But fair play come payday he'd rattle our bucket with loose change, along with the odd washer as well!
If we had the courage and the commissionaire wasn't around we would go across the road and stand outside the very swish glass revolving main entrance doors. One year a bloke pulled up in a flash white Jag and chucked us half a crown! We had plenty of fireworks and fair rides that year!