This time of the year we have GuyFawkes on the 5th November. He was one of a bunch of Catholic terrorists back in the 17th Century, who, after Elizabeth I died, tried to blow up James I and the Prince of Wales by planting 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellar of the Houses of Parliment. We know the name Guy Fawkes because he was the poor sap caught downstairs in the celler on the 5th November - I think he was framed - poor sap. Others were caught too and they were all hung drawn and quartered, but he was the first so it's his name we all know now. And so now, we of British decent like to blow stuff up on November the 5th to mark that failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliment.

I had a lovely time on Sunday night watching Rosie and her husband light fireworks. The smell of the gunpowder smoke teleported me back to age 5. I'm not going to terrorise you with tales of Citizen Club Bonfires from when I was a child - already subjected Rosie to that.

Hope you all have a nice safe Guy Fawkes blowing stuff up - although, looking at the weather, mostly you'll be saving your crackers for the weekend.

It's an eventful day, actually.. being the first Tuesday in November, the Melbourne Cup ran this early evening. Its the race that stops Oceania in it's tracks. Australia has public holidays surrounding it and Kiwis in offices everywhere wear silly hats and have sweepstakes and wine and watch the race. People who never gamble on anything, will often take a small wager on the Melbourne Cup. I got to see the race today, but unlike every other year, there was no great build up - too busy at work, you see. We were invited next door to Executive Recruitment to join with their Cup celebrations, which was awfully kind of them. By the time we got there the race was just about to start, and we went back to work not long after it finished. Hopefully, next year, we'll have more time to dig into what it means to be a Downunderer on the 5th of November.

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