Uckfield care home brings back old bonfire tradition

Hurstwood View in Uckfield decided to celebrate bonfire night with an old Sussex tradition, Penny for the Guy.

Traditionally, children would make a guy, then wheel him or her through the neighbourhood asking for a penny! Sometimes accompanied with rhymes and songs. The money raised was traditionally for the children to buy fireworks or the money would go to a local charity in their area.

 Hurstwood View residents and staff spent the afternoon making their own Penny for the Guy with old clothes and stuffing the Guy with newspapers. He was then taken on tour around the care home to be shown off to other residents and staff. He was then placed outside the front entrance for 24hrs to show the families of the residents the lost tradition of the Penny for the Guy.

 One of the residents at Hurstwood View, said: “I remember doing this as a child with my friends, we used hay and newspapers to stuff the guy and then placed him in a old pram. It was so much fun!”.

 Esther, General Manager at Hurstwood View, said: “It’s great to see an old Sussex tradition being brought back to show the younger generation. Check out our Facebook page for other activities that our residents have got up to, Hurstwood View Care Home.”