Torches

In the words of the Captain of Torches, Pete Welch:-

No Bonfire procession would be complete without a phalanx of flames carried by the participants – a foretaste of the finale and an amazing sight in our modern streets. At Hastings, we traditionally have ‘1066’ torches, although there are usually a few ‘spare’ in case we run short!

Producing these fire-sticks is quite a task though – they don’t grow on trees, you know! Well, of course, they do, but the process of cutting and collecting the torch sticks, or ‘bats’, commences in the early spring, where possible before the new year’s growth has got very far.The bats when cut have to be trimmed of side-shoots and spurs, checked for length (from ground to belt-buckle – about a yard) and stacked ready for wrapping.  We aim for fairly straight bats, but sometimes a ‘twister’ will be left in, to add a bit of variety.

Next, hessian sacking is cut into strips (old peanut sacks are very popular!) – roughly two strips per torch, on average.  These strips are then attached to the wider end of a bat, either by knot or by nail, and wrapped around to produce a ‘head’ – similar in appearance to a very large match!.  The tension of this wrapping is important – loose enough to act as a wick and set alight easily, but tight enough not to come undone.  A final nail or two holds things together, and the torch is added to the ever-growing pile ready for dipping.

Finally, and shortly before Bonfire, the whole lot are dipped in our ‘secret recipe’, which includes old oil and pitch – a messy business, usually completed over a weekend.  The dipped torches are allowed to drain and dry for a few days, before being loaded up and transported to the procession for distribution to the participants, ready to recreate that fascinating ‘Dragon’s Breath’ in the dark Autumn streets.  Carrying a torch safely, and knowing when to discard it, is something of an art, and for safety we keep torches away from the public.

Used torches from the procession are left at the roadside  for collection by the Black Bogies, who bring up the rear of the procession with their noisy, smoky, and above all HOT fire-carts! – so remember, if a torch is left on the road, it has been judged dangerous to carry – please leave it there for us to deal with.  For those who find the whole thing irresistible (and there are many), why not join the Bonfire Society? We have a lot of fun, and will be pleased to teach you what you need to know!