I'm very lucky to live in such a gorgeous, interesting and historic town as Lewes. Never more so than on Bonfire night. Lewes puts on the most spectacular procession and firework displays.
Lewes Bonfire, describes a set of celebrations held in the town of Lewes, Sussex that constitute the United Kingdom's largest and most famous festivities, with Lewes being called the bonfire capital of the world.
Always held on 5 November (unless the 5th falls on a Sunday, in which case it's held on Saturday 4th), the event not only marks Guy Fawkes Night - the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 - but also commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs from the town burned at the stake for their faith during the Marian Persecutions.
Lewes is home to the largest and most celebrated of the festivities in the Sussex bonfire tradition. There are seven societies putting on five separate parades and firework displays on the 5th, and this can mean 3,000 people taking part in the celebrations, and up to 80,000 spectators attending in the small market town with a permanent population of just under 16,000.
So as a photographer, it's the best place to be. I love photographing all the people in their costumes. I'm still primarily a portrait photographer, so I still chose to make the photographs about individual subjects.
