Winchester bonfire night always surpasses expectation. I was lucky enough to be asked along to photograph the event. Winchester fireworks attract some 21000 people and are organised entirely by volunteers of Winchester Round Table.

The evening starts at Winchester Guildhall, as the crowds gather they are entertained by various artists, this year it was The Rock Choir and Romsey Old Cadets Marching Band. A torch-lit procession then proceeds up the high street led by the Winchester Fire Engine and along Jewry Street before descending down North Walls and onto the recreation ground. The first thing you notice is the scale of the bonfire, pallets stacked as high as a house and in the shape of a castle. The fire is ignited by firing canon lit by Winchester’s mayor. As the fire burns the crowd are entertained with tunes played by Hampshire Event DJ’s and dancing by Integr8.

It’s really great to see a bonfire at a fireworks event, so many have now withdrawn the bonfire from their event, presumably due to health and safety requirements. However, Winchester’s bonfire is still burning strong and it is MASSIVE! It’s a sight to see.
The fireworks themselves are truly breathtaking – I lost track of time but the display must have been a good 15 to 20 minutes. The whole event is really well put together and all in the name of Charity. This year they raised a whopping £60,000 and their chosen charity was Winchester Hospice. I’ve been lucky enough to photograph on behalf of the Hospice too. You can read my post about a night on HMS Victory here.

If you haven’t yet visited Winchester Bonfire Night be sure to put the 7th November 2020 in your diary – I hope to see you there!