November comes

Yes, I know we have only just entered October and what a glorious start to it with balmy weather and the fauna and flora not knowing what to do, I would like you to cast your minds forward to the next month. The month where we remember two days, the fifth and the eleventh.

A few years ago, I wrote an article in the Whatlington News about the Whatlington Renegades. Some of you may ask who are they? Google provides 174 articles about them. They are one of many bonfire societies in Sussex, thirty-nine in fact with seven coming from Lewes. The first Sussex bonfire starts on the first Saturday of September with the Uckfield Carnival Bonfire and ends with the Barcombe and Robertsbridge Bonfires on the third Saturday of November. 

One forum describes the Whatlington Renegades as "in their skins and skulls appear to have escaped from a Conan movie." One website shows a picture of Gerry Glenister's badged tailcoat who used to carry the drum for the Whatlington Renegades, does he still carry the drum? I have found a photo on Flickr with the badged drummer, is this Gerry? 

I have found a photographic blog with some of the Whatlington Renegades making torches for an early bonfire on the 10th of October 1998. Included are John Beeching, Peter Breach, Brian Gasson,  Gerry and Jean Glenister, Eileen LeNett, Min, Roy Robins and Margaret Trowell. This site describes the Whatlington Renegades as a society with no rules or membership usually found drumming at the rear of the procession.

But can anyone tell me who runs this society today, is it still John Beeching? What can they tell me about their history of the society? You never know, we may get something before the fifth of November.

Of course, the other time in November is when we remember the fallen from the wars of the 20th and 21st centuries. Does anyone have a photograph of the War memorial at Whatlington Church? I expect the service will be held at the Village Hall, but can anyone tell me of past Remembrance services?

I have just looked at the audience statistics for the blog, admittedly we haven't got many readers yet, but a waterfall starts with one drop. However we have had five visits to the site from Russia, does anyone have any ideas why Russia may be interested in a small Sussex village?