Southover Open Gardens blooms again!

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Southover Open Gardens is back and blooming again for 2023 with a trail of secret gardens to explore in Lewes on Sunday June 11 from 2pm – 5pm. The event is hosted by us, Southover Bonfire Society, and is raising funds to buy some of the fireworks Lewes is famous for. There are a wide range of gardens to see, including several new ones: from large traditional English spaces to those that are smaller, or with a more contemporary feel.

Entry is by ticket only at £5 per person, kids under 16 go free. You can buy tickets online via QR code on the poster or at http://tinyurl.com/SBSOpenGardens23

You will be emailed a map of the gardens from June 8. As at May 31, tickets can also be purchased from The Swan Pub, 30 Southover High Street, Lewes, BN7 1HU; The King’s Head, 9 Southover High Street, Lewes, BN7 1HS; Lewes Tourist Information, 187 High Street, Lewes, BN7 2DE (open Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm, Saturday 10am-3pm, closed Sundays); St Pancras Stores, Barber Court, St Pancras Road, Lewes, BN7 1JQ (open all week but only from 7.30am-1.30pm on Sundays).

At the event, we kindly ask people to either have their printed ticket or have their electronic version showing on their phones to gain entry.

More info about Southover Open Gardens can be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/opengardensofsouthover/

The Southover Open Gardens event email is: events@southoverbs.com

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May Fayre magic at The Priory

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Get your kirtles and surcoats on, people. Yes we are back again hosting our fantastic Feast of St Pancras May Fayre which returns to Lewes Priory Park on Saturday and Sunday May 13 & 14 2023, 12 noon – 5pm both days. It’s Southover Bonfire Society’s 12th year of fun for all the family and this year we have some fabulous new attractions joining our favourites – including the chance to parade your pawfect pooches in not one but two Medieval Mutts dog shows! We are also very lucky to have green-fingered gardening writer, Ciar Byrne, on hand to help you with all questions of a herbaceous variety.

Plus we have our usual line up of bonkers games to test your skills featuring rolling swedes, splatting rats and very moist wet stocks to pop your nearest and dearest in.

And let’s not forget a treasure island, fab tombola, a flourishing plant stall and plenty of opportunities to win some great prizes. We’ve also got an ale and hearty bar, wood fired pizzas and stalls with other delicious and hard-to-resist culinary delights. What’s more it’s also going to be another biggie this year with hundreds of re-enactors recreating the Battle of Lewes on the streets of our town so there’s plenty of action of the armour-suited variety taking place over the two days.

What’s not to love?

Feel free to dress up in medieval garb for this brilliant family event. Entry is absolutely free. Entry via Cockshut Road, Southover, Lewes, BN7 1HP. Close to Lewes railway station too. More info via email: may.fayre@southoverbs.com

Follow us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/LewesMayFayre

https://www.instagram.com/southoverbonfiresociety/

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Get your 2022 firesite tickets and programmes

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Our 2022 bumper Bonfire-bursting bedtime read – the SBS Bonfire Programme – is out and hot off the pyro press at just £3 per copy. On sale at Lewes Tourist Information Centre, The Swan Inn and St Pancras Stores – plus door to door thanks to our lovely SBS volunteer sellers. You can also pick up our limited edition firesite tickets at the same venues at £10 each. If you are a paid up member of SBS, you get free access to the firesite on the night as long as you have your up to date Membership Card and 2022 Badge with you. But, if you have friends and family who aren’t members, you need to buy your tickets quickly as there is a limited supply!

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2022 Badge Nights at The Swan

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Southover Bonfire Society Badge Nights are back this year and are all taking place at The Swan on Sunday October 16 2022 and Sunday October 30 2022 from 7pm – 9pm; and Friday November 4 2022 from 6pm – 8pm. There will be merchandise and pre loved costumes on sale as well as plenty of Bonfire banter. We will also have our Society photographers on hand to ‘pap’ our SBS members so do turn up in your finery.

Please make sure you have renewed your membership online in advance of Badge Nights. If you are coming to Badge Nights, please remember to bring your red plastic SBS Membership Card(s) with you as we need to update them all with a 2022 sticker. 

If you are not sure where they are, please look for them now. If you’ve lost them, replacement cards can be ordered before midday Friday October 7, for £3 each for collection at remaining Badge Nights.

Please email membership@southoverbs.com with “Replacement Card Order” in the subject field; a Mojo payment request will then be sent for completion. New member cards and previously ordered replacement cards can be collected at any Badge Night.         

You need both your 2022 Membership Card and Badge with you in order to process on November 5. Marshals are checking and you will be asked to leave the procession. You will also be denied access to the firesite and fireworks if you don’t have these with you.

For any membership issues, please contact membership@southoverbs.com

Please remember that our final Badge Night is November 4 at The Swan from 6pm-8pm. Following this, we will adjourn to The King’s Head for our final celebrations.

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Torchmaking on Sundays

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Wilson, our doggedly determined prize torch-maker and author of the Ruff Guide to Bonfire is primed and ready for our first Sunday torchmaking session for SBS members on Sunday (Sept 4) and every Sunday until we’re done making 3,500 of them we need for Bonfire Night. Torchmaking (with training) is taking place at our HQ The Swan Inn, 9.30am til 11.30am. STOP PRESS: We have made all our torches for 2022 so you can now have a lie-in!

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Southover Open Gardens is back

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Southover Open Gardens is back and blooming again for 2022 with a trail of secret gardens to explore in Lewes on Sunday June 12 from 2pm – 5pm.

Entry is by ticket only at £5 per person, kids go free. The event is hosted by us, Southover Bonfire Society, and is raising funds to buy some of the fireworks Lewes is famous for. There are a wide range of gardens to see, including several new ones: from large traditional English spaces to those that are smaller, or with a more contemporary feel.

STOP PRESS: As of Friday June 10 we have sold out of our online tickets but you can buy paper tickets from the following Lewes outlets – please note opening times for Sunday:

Tickets can be purchased from The Swan Pub, 30 Southover High Street, Lewes, BN7 1HU; Lewes Tourist Information, 187 High Street, Lewes, BN7 2DE (open all week but only 10am-2pm on Sundays); St Pancras Stores, Barber Court, St Pancras Road, Lewes, BN7 1JQ (open all week but only from 7.30am until 1.30pm on Sundays).

You can also buy them from our stall setting up at the bottom of Keere Street, Lewes, from 1.45pm on the actual day (June 12). Tickets have the map printed on them too.

Please make sure you have your tickets printed out and with you or, if you bought them online, available on your phone so you can show them at each garden on entry.

If you are on Facebook, please follow us at https://www.facebook.com/opengardensofsouthover/

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May Fayre magic returns!

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Medieval magic is back in all its glory at our fantastic Feast of St Pancras May Fayre which returns to Lewes Priory Park on Saturday and Sunday May 14 & 15 2022.

It’s Southover Bonfire Society’s 11th year of fun for all the family and this year we have some fabulous new attractions joining our favourites including bonkers games to test your skills such as smashing crockery, rolling swedes, splatting rats and very moist wet stocks to pop your nearest and dearest in.

Plus there’s crafts people, a treasure island, fab tombola, a brilliant plant and garden stall, and plenty of opportunities to win some great prizes. We’ve also got an ale and hearty bar, wood fired pizzas and stalls with other delicious and hard-to-resist culinary delights.

What’s more it’s also going to be a biggie this year with hundreds of re-enactors  recreating the Battle of Lewes on the streets of our town so there’s plenty of action of the armour-suited variety taking place over the two days. Can you hear the chainmail and swords clanking people?

Feel free to dress up in medieval garb for this brilliant family event.

Entry is absolutely free and the fun takes place from 12noon to 5pm both days. Entry via Cockshut Road, Southover, Lewes, BN7 1HP. Close to Lewes railway station too.

Follow us on social media: 

https://www.facebook.com/LewesMayFayre

https://www.instagram.com/southoverbonfiresociety/ https://twitter.com/SouthoverLewes

Website: http://www.southoverbs.com/

If you’d like to find out more about the Battle of Lewes, check out http://www.battleoflewes.com/

Watch out for more info and gird yer medieval loins people!! Advance!!

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Picture perfect

Posted on by Sarah Monk

It was a smokin’ hot event and there are some absolutely brilliant photos you can buy to remind yourself of our brilliant Big Night.

Our online photo gallery is chocka with stunning images of Bonfire from our crew of photographers.

Definitely worth buying as a percentage of the purchase price goes to Society funds (helps raise funds for next year) and the gallery is growing every time. A big shout out goes to all our photographic wizards (you can see who took each shot by their initials on each photo or copyright across the image).

Big thanks go to: EH – Emma Howard; HW – Hugh Wilton; IC – Ian Cumming; JM – James McCauley; NP – Nigel Powell; WP – Wilf Power; WR – Willie Robb.

Please do note that photos taken of SBS members and/or with their family at SBS events, may be stored on our gallery and used in our membership communications, and on our social media channels, including Twitter, Instagram and our website.

If you do not wish your photo(s) to be used in this manner, please contact communications@southoverbs.com with further details and a copy of the image (s) concerned.

Photo copyright Emma Howard
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Thank you and good night

Posted on by Sarah Monk

Thanks to everyone who bought a firesite ticket; coughed up for our action-packed programme; and said a Bonfire prayer with us at the very end of the night.

Thanks to our members who make our Society so fantastic to be a part of.

Thanks to our countless volunteers who put it all together – and it does actually take 364 days to do it (and we always need more Society members to lend a hand).

We are now knackered. And that’s official.

Advance to 2022!

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