Bonfire in the Darkness

In preparation for the rigours of the seafront every night in December, we celebrated All Hallows Eve, All Saints and All Souls on Sunday 3rd November with A Bonfire in the Darkness.  In the stormy, rainy conditions it was heartwarming to light a brazier on the promenade and bring some light into the dark night.

The rain was pouring and the wind was howling as we turned beach hut 395 into a beachside confessional booth.  Everyone who came was invited to step into the privacy of the hut and write their deepest, darkest secrets on a piece of black paper with a white pencil but to keep that secret to themselves by screwing the paper up and keeping it in their pocket.

Once everyone had completed that task we followed a torchlit procession (mostly - until the wind blew the torches out!) down to Hove Lagoon.



Beside the lagoon we took all our screwed up confessions and placed them in a custom made cardboard boat which was carefully placed on the surface of the water and set alight.  We then watched as our darkness created light and floated off into the distance.

On our return to the beach hut we were each given a white stone on which to write our name as a sign of the renewed life we wish to live and we took these stones to the edge of the beach and hurled them into the sea for a baptism in the surf.

Cleansed and renewed (and pretty damp!) we then returned to the bonfire which had become a source of sustenance for our new life with hot dogs nicely warming in the heart of the fire.

We'll shortly be publishing the itinerary for this year's Beach Hut Advent Calendar when we're hoping for better weather as we journey through advent on the seafront every night from 5.30pm - 6.30pm.