Remember, remember the 5th of November! We’ve heard the saying, but most of us don’t know what the day is really about. So here’s a quick summary: Back in 1605 a group of English Catholics plotted to assassinate the protestant King James I of England by blowing up the House of Lords. Luckily an anonymous letter to one of the lords revealed their plot just in time and Guy Fawkes, who was guarding the gunpowder, was caught in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament just after midnight on 5 November. Since then, the day has been used to celebrate the king’s survival and turned into a public day of Thanksgiving where the custom of burning Guy Fawkes statues turned into elaborate bonfires and firework displays. Today, the holiday has become less about its original religious connections and more about the excitement of seeing fireworks crackling through the night sky. Due to safety reasons, the City of Cape Town has forbidden the use of fireworks in unsupervised areas and has allocated regulated, safe areas for the celebration. Find an approved place near you to watch fireworks in Cape Town this Guy Fawkes:
1. Maidens Cove parking lot, Victoria Road, Camps Bay
GPS: -33.944608, 18.375710
2. Athlone Stadium parking lot (eastern side), corner Klipfontein Road and Cross Boulevard, Athlone
GPS: -33.961894, 18.518446
3. Macassar Beach parking lot, Macassar Road, Macassar
GPS: -34.076529, 18.748149
4. Swartklip Sports Complex, corner Spine and Swartklip Roads, Mitchells Plain
GPS: -34.049445, 18.640660
5. Strandfontein Pavilion, Strandfontein Road, Strandfontein
GPS: -34.086644, 18.554839
6. Wesfleur Sportsfield, Reygersdal Drive, Atlantis
GPS: -33.559416, 18.490931
7. Table View beachfront in front of the Tourism Centre, Athens Road
GPS: -33.822614, 18.476324
8. Bishop Lavis Sports Field, Lavis Drive, Bishop Lavis
GPS: -33.947492, 18.582705
Four new fireworks approved areas for 2015 include:
9. Metropolitan Sports Grounds, Melkhout Street, Bonteheuwel
GPS: -33.953328, 18.555823
10. Delft Central Sports Grounds, Main Road, Delft
GPS: -33.985492, 18.641890
11. Sarepta Sports Complex, Kuils River, Cape Town
GPS:-33.930152, 18.664402
12. Blue Downs Sports Field, Hindle Road
GPS: -33.988217, 18.687138
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
To report a fire, call 107 from a landline or +27 (0)21 480 7700 from a cell phone. Members of the public with information relating to the illegal sale or use of fireworks can report the information to the Metro Police Call Centre on 0860-POLICE (765423) or to SAPS on 10111.
What other places do you know about for watching firework displays in Cape Town?
Main image by dkeats (Flickr)
