My regular look ahead to events happening next month that would probably be in my events guide, if only they weren’t happening outside the psychological barrier of the M25 motorway.
| Jones Ale Soul Cakers | 1st Nov |
| Traditional mummers plays and soul-cake celebration by the local Morris dancers. | Chester, Cheshire |
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| Halton Souling Play | 1st – 2nd Nov |
| The Halton Souling Play is a traditional play performed in Halton in the 1880s and now revived by members of the Earl of Stamford Morris. | Halton, Cheshire |
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| Bridgwater Carnival | 2nd Nov |
| A huge procession of illuminated carnival floats and displays of the Bridgwater Squibs fireworks. | Bridgwater, Somerset |
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| London to Brighton Run | 3rd Nov |
| Around 500 vintage motor cars in the annual rally from London to Brighton on the South Coast | Brighton |
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| Ripley Assize of Bread & Ale | 5th Nov |
| Traditional ale tasting by the local Morris Men in a recreation of a 13th century statute requiring the ale to be tested for quality. | Ripley, Surrey |
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| Turning the Devil’s Stone | 5th Nov |
| Annual turning over of a 1 ton stone in the village to forestall bad luck for the rest of the year. | Shebbear, Devon |
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| Lewes Bonfire Night and Parade | 5th Nov |
| A famous parade and bonfire with tar barrels – they try to dissuade visitors arriving on the day itself due to crowds. | Lewes, East Sussex |
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| Tar Barrels | 5th Nov |
| Ancient tradition for the townspeople to carry flaming tar barrels through the streets to a bonfire | Ottery St Mary, Devon |
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| Burning Boat Parade and Fireworks | 9th Nov |
| A procession with flaming torches, drum bands, floats and walkers from local groups and, bringing up the rear, a Burning Boat. | Rye, Sussex |
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| Hatherleigh Carnival | 9th Nov |
| Another tar barrel rolling festival – this one lasts all day. | Hatherleigh, Devon |
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| The Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular | 9th – 10th Nov |
| Hailed as one of the finest fireworks displays in the South East, the Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular will this year be set to music inspired by ‘Fire’. | Maidstone, Kent |
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| Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show | 9th – 10th Nov |
| End of season event with tractor auction, displays and trade stalls – in dozens of huge tents. | Newark, Notts. |
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| The Wroth Silver Ceremony | 11th Nov |
| The UK’s oldest continuous annual ceremony, where the local parishes pay the landlord for permission to drive cattle over his land. | Knightlow Hill, Warwickshire |
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| Shepton Mallet Carnival | 13th Nov |
| The Somerset Carnivals date back more than 400 years, and are one of the most spectacular unique events in Somerset today. | Shepton Mallet, Somerset |
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| Lumiere Durham | 14th – 17th Nov |
| The city centre is transformed with huge public lighting displays over four nights. | Durham, County Durham |
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| Clovelly Herring Festival | 17th Nov |
| There’ll be herring specialities, cookery demonstrations, traditional shanty singers, street entertainment, and local stalls. | Clovelly, Devon |
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| The World’s Biggest Liar Championships | 21st Nov |
| Annual contest in memory of Will Ritson, a 19th century publican called the world’s biggest liar for the tales he told. | Stanton Bridge, Cumbria |
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| National Tree Week |
23rd Nov – 1st Dec |
| National Tree Week is a chance for communities to do something positive for their local treescape. | Nationwide |
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| Aldermaston Candle Auction | 25th Nov |
| Since the early 1800s, Aldermaston has held a candle auction every third year. The auction, which sees a horseshoe nail driven through a tallow candle an inch below the wick, is held at the Hinds Head pub. | Aldermaston, Berkshire |
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| Annual Holly and Mistletoe Auctions | 26th Nov |
| A number of trade sales of Christmas decorations – most fresh wreaths sold over Xmas around the UK come from here. |
Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire |
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| Christmas Tree Festival | 28th Nov – Xmas |
| Each day, a local church is lit up by over 90 Christmas Trees, each decorated for one of the 81 charities taking part. | Fakenham, Norfolk |
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I note the preponderance of fire-festivals, & the mumming ….
A prelude to the dark months