Lewes Bonfire: Cliffe Bonfire Society cancels participation this year

Cliffe Bonfire Society said it was not taking part due to the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

In a statement released today (Sunday, July 26), it said: “It is with a heavy heart that the Committee of Cliffe Bonfire Ltd, trading as Cliffe Bonfire

Society, and the directors of Brightnight Ltd formally announce that our celebration of the deliverance of King James I and Parliament from the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and its associated protection of our democracy on November 5, 2020 is cancelled.

“This is only the fourth time in our 167-year history that we will have been ‘druv’ in order to save lives, preceded by the 1960 Lewes Flood, the First and Second World Wars and the typhoid outbreak in Lewes in 1874.

“As before, this decision has been taken primarily to protect our members’ and community’s safety, but also to ensure that we do not burden our emergency services when their presence may be needed elsewhere.

“This was a difficult, but in the end, an inevitable decision. No one has a crystal ball and we have to assume that the virus that has plagued the world this year will not be eradicated by November 2020.

“It is extremely unlikely that the government guidelines and legislation will change much in the coming months, particularly regarding social distancing (for members and spectators), the need to ensure that no one feeling ill attends and also to register participants, provide hand sanitiserm and even take participants’ temperatures.

“These are very likely to stay in some form even for large, organised events and sports arenas. As a society run by part-time volunteers it would be almost impossible for us to comply with these requirements for the 1,000 plus people who participate or the thousands of spectators that this fantastic event attracts.

“Last but not least, we have to accept that we would be classed as mass gathering and therefore that we would contravene current legislation. Rest assured, the Cliffe will be back, hopefully in 2021, more spectacular, louder and better than ever.”

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