The Gunpowder Plot

When I travelled to Birmingham on Monday morning it rained - the right day to spend the day in Birmingham's shopping mile - the Bullring. At least you will not get wet in there. A few minutes before 11 in the shop I just had entered there was a loudspeaker announcement to ask all people in the shop to observe two minutes of silence in remembrance of all death and fallen troops of the two World Wars. I had totally forgotten it was the 11. November - Remembrance Day here in England.

And it came to my mind that there is another commemoration day here at the beginning of November - Guy Fawkes Day - to remember an occurrence that luckily never happened. This Guy Fawkes Day is a wee bit connected with Wolverhampton.

The reason for this commemoration day was the gunpowder plot which in 1605 should induce that the British King together with the Parliament House on the day of the opening of the Parliament - the fifth November - would be blown up and a catholic king would replace him. The Catholics saw this as a protest against their oppression by the king. In England King Henry VIII had founded the Church of England and Protestants and later Presbyterians got more and more powerful while the Catholics had lost influence and were more or less - most of the time less tolerated.
The plot was planned by Robert Catesby together with explosives expert Guy Fawkes and in the cellars of the building 2.5 tons of gunpowder were deposited. On the day of the opening of the parliament the complete King's family and all members of parliament were there and one would have got rid of them all with one blow. But there was a leak in the group of the plotters - probably Lord Monteagle, whose part never was untangled - and when the building was search Guy Fawkes was discovered who just was about to set fire on the gunpowder.

The punishment for the plotters was cruel and merciless - all of them were first hanged than drawn and quartered. Even two farmers from Wolverhampton who had not been in the plot but conceded them a hideout when being on the run lost their lives like this.

Historically this event had an effect especially on the Catholics and it was not before the end of the 18. Century till they managed to emancipate. And the people of Great Britain got the Guy Fawkes Day which is celebrated till today with fireworks. And till today on Guy Fawkes Day the cellars of the parliament are searched to hinder Guy Fawkes will have success after all.

When I arrived at the Civic hall this evening I was searched as well though I suppose no one though I would have gunpowder in my rucksack. But one wants to be sure there'll be no incidents.

Monday evening was a really thrilling affair as in none of the groups much was decided yet. And so of course there were some surprises. The biggest upset was the Reigning Champion Raymond van Barneveld totally unexpected changed from head of the table to third of the table. He lost to Mervyn King and was out of the tournament while Mervyn King and Tony O'Shea progressed. And to be sure at least O'Shea had deserved it.
In Group F Mark Walsh celebrated some kind of consolidation win at the expense of Justin Pipe. Hamilton and Thornton progressed under the last 16. In Group G Mark Webster and Wes Newton went head to head and the third nine-dart shoot out in the history of the tournament was necessary. Already after the first throw it was clear that Mark Webster would win it and progress together with Simon Whitlock who headed the table only because the best leg difference.
In Group H Scott Waites didn't miss out on anything and had no problems to win his third match - for Dave Chisnall the tournament to be sure was a nightmare! And then of course we had Ted Hankey who is always fun to watch. He's on stage the just the opposite of Paul Nicholson who has always straight-faced. With Hankey the emotions run free which is entertaining for the crowd. But not his emotions won him his matches this year - he really threw some solid darts.


I really had enjoyed the evening which was watched this time by BDO player and former BDO World Champion John Walton.


Even the rain had stopped!










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