Ashes to ashes, funk to funky…

[For those who came in late: PROOF: Rebekah Wade is a guy!]

In the case of Tony Blair, my two eldest boys were a bit young to fully appreciate the implications of burning someone in effigy (a situation that led to the creation of The World According to Leo Blair), so the creation of that guy was very much a personal affair.

This year, however, it was very much a family affair…. which I thought fitting, given The Sun’s reputation as a family newspaper.

(ahem)

Anyway, the whole clan chipped in this year (even the very youngest crumpled a bit of newspaper), so we were free to enter the guy into the competition line-up under the ’9 years and over’ category.

Which. We. Won.

Huzzah!

I was called in on spruiker duty at the last minute, so I missed the judging… and the burn… but I did get to enjoy a fair bit of back-patting as the torch-wielding villagers filed past the main gate on their way into the bonfire.

I’m pleased to report the following:

- The guys were arranged with slightly less care this year, but the end result was quite pleasing; Rebekah Wade appeared to have been cast aside like the trash she is.

- I also have reliable testimony of distinct toe-curling before Rebekah was consumed by fire (see the pre-burn report for why this is important).

I was, however, slightly disturbed to learn that the mock-up of the newspaper proved surprisingly resilient to flame, and survived well past the point where the heat of the fire made it impossible to get any more photos:

A clear indication, I would think, of the challenges to come.

The next morning, the boys and I returned to the site of the burning to complete the ceremony by collecting some ashes.

These ashes will be put to good use very shortly. Watch this space.