Town's big bonfire night raises £7,506

LITTLEHAMPTON was ablaze with fire on Saturday night as the 53rd Bonfire Night procession lit up the town, raising £7,506 for charity.

That was just over 600 less than last year, but once again, through their hard work and dedication, Littlehampton Bonfire Society has done the town proud, creating a spectacular display to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the gunpowder plot.

Stacey Cadman, famed for playing Cavegirl on children's TV and is now to be Cinderella, the pantomime at Worthing's Pavilion Theatre this year, lit the rocket on the roundabout near the library that started proceedings.

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Then, on an open-top bus, she waved to crowds, along with co-star Garfield.

Stacey was not the only celebrity present. Big Brother's Eugene was driven through the parade route in an open-top BMW, sponsored by JD's Gym. No stranger to Littlehampton, Eugene said he was honoured to take part.

Thousands of people lined the streets to watch the procession wind its way through the town to the huge bonfire on the seafront.

Littlehampton Bonfire Society led the procession, resplendent in their Red Indian costumes and carrying flaming torches.

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As usual, an array of floats was entered in the procession, showing great imagination.

Littlehampton Carnival Society's spectacular Land of Make Believe float featured Prince Charming, Cinderella, Father Christmas and the non-fictional Littlehampton Carnival Queen Natalie Abbiss and her princesses Leanne Parks and Becky Palmer.

A superb pirate ship entered by Tori Productions children's theatre group in Worthing, sailed its way around the streets with 36 shipmates aboard, all full-voiced with songs of life at sea.

The Arabian Nights was the theme for the Rustington under-13s Youth Club's brilliant entry, complete with flying carpet, genie and lots of little princes and princesses.

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Party Point's spooky haunted house brought a Hallowe'en flavour to the proceedings with its entourage of ghouls and witches, as did Honeywood House's Hallowe'en entry, complete with Holly the witch's cat.

The Companions Club also had a Hallowe'en theme with some great costumes and Bognor Regis Seafront Lights lit up the procession with their huge Jack o' lantern.

Littlehampton Youth Wing's LA Devils were impishly dressed in red, complete with horns and tridents.

Huge steam engines chuffed and whistled their way along the route again this year. These wonderful machines, lovingly restored by their owners, added a real sense of history to the occasion.

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An amazing range of military vehicles, from small jeeps to a huge Humvee, were displayed by the West Sussex Military Vehicle Trust.

Miss Bonfire, Littlehampton's own home-grown celebrity Melanie Short, rode through the parade in her spectacular gold carriage. As a life-long member of the society, Melanie felt the night was a dream come true.

Extra spice was added to the procession by the belly dancing troupe from The Silk Road. They twirled and danced their way through the streets with great aplomb.

Littlehampton Lifeboat and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service completed the parade, displaying their immaculately kept boats and vehicles.

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Bonfire societies from around the area brought extra torchlight illumination to the parade. Groups from Burgess Hill, Crowborough, Eastbourne, Mayfield, Rotherfield and Mark Cross, Titchfield, Uckfield, Waterloo and the society without a home, Who the Devil Are We? all joined in.

Musical accompaniment was provided by the Ramsay Caledonia Pipe Band, Arundel and Littlehampton District Scout Band, Portsmouth City Band, Newhaven Youth Marching Band, HMS Collingwood Volunteer Band, Sussex Army Cadet Force Corps of Drums, TS Sussex Band, Wessex Military Band and the Expedient Jazz Band.

When the procession reached the seafront green and the mammoth bonfire there, the first flaming torches were thrown by Littlehampton Bonfire Society members to get it burning.

As the crowds gathered on the green, the fireworks display started to a chorus of oohs and aahs.

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Unfortunately, with the wind gusting at up to 40 miles per hour, the decision had to be taken not to launch the higher rockets on safety grounds, but the display was spectacular nonetheless.

It also had to start right on time and could not wait for the tail-end of the procession to reach the green, otherwise, due to the freshening wind, it may not have gone ahead at all.

Littlehampton Bonfire Society's secretary Richard Cooper said: "In view of the weather, we were very pleased at how it went.

"We hope to put the event on again next year, but that very much depends on the support we receive. We had lots of new sponsors this year, but need more for next year to make the event a success.

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"Thanks go to society members, volunteer and community groups and to everyone who took part and helped out in any way. Without their help, we could not run it at all."

The beneficiaries of this year's street collection, all of goes to charity, are Littlehampton and District First Responders, Honeywood House, a respite hotel in East Preston for the blind and partially sighted, and Smile For Rich, a fund-raising charity supporting the Wessex Neurological Centre Trust.