Sussex Champions Is a tile that is awarded to the Best Dressed Bonfire Society in the Season. This because through out a “Bonfire” season the society visits other societies on what we call an “out meeting” which is where we go and support other societies at their own celebrations and at most of them (ones in the Sussex Association of Bonfire and Carnival Societies) points are awarded for the best dressed visiting societies 1st 2nd and 3rd places. The points awarded are then added up from each awarding celebrations which this year are the following celebrations: Uckfield, Crowborough, Mayfield, Burgess Hill, Rotherfield, Littlehampton and East Hoathly and the at the last meeting of the year the Carol Service in Uckfeild. The results are officially announced. At the Carol Service the previous year’s Sussex Champions leads the societies to the church and the winners of the season just ended lead the out societies looking forward to the next year. The 2009 Sussex Champions are the Burgess Hill Bonfire Society. Littlehampton Home Celebrations At out meetings only a sample of the different costumes worn by the Society is on show. When it comes to our home celebrations members that have trouble getting to out meetings and people who do jobs like marshalling during out meetings help to show how much of a diverse range of costumes we have in the Society be it from members in resplendent Indians, to members in magnificent Tudor dress. Then from members as peace keepers from the old west (Cowboys) to Viking warriors in full battle dress we have them all. As a society we are then joined by invited societies from around Sussex each society in the own pioneer (set) costumes. To encourage a high quality of costumes from visiting society we award a cup to the best dressed visiting society this is the W.E. Butlins trophy. Over the years it has been one by many different societies. Here is a list of the most recent Societies from 1995 onwards:
1995 Uckfeild Bonfire and Carnival Society 1996 Firle Bonfire Society |