Bonfire night tonight, of course as any Zimbabwean will tell you, this is something we missed out on as kids because you just couldn't get fireworks and I think for a while they were banned anyway as they sounded too much like gunshots. Anyway, I've just been reminded of the history of bonfire night on the radio. I bet there will be some spectacular  firework displays about, either tonight or the weekend.
Talking of Zimbabwe,some of my earliest memories are when my mum used to take us for walks in the bush, always in the afternoon,when my dad was sleeping and didn't want to be disturbed. It was so fascinating to discover everything, all the sights and smells. How comforting it was to sit under the umbrella of an acacia tree, chewing on a long blade of grass, watching all the insects and birds going about their business. My mum was forever pointing things out to us and teaching us, like some live National Geo programme. The time would pass quickly and would always end with us drawing pictures with sticks in the sand.