Mischief Night

[denis567]

Watching tonight's episode of 'Lark's Rise to Candleford' when the cast were involved in Mischief Night activities reminded me of when I was a youngster in the 40's and 50's.
I lived in Yorkshire and we always had Mischief Night on December 4th, the night before Bonfire Night. When I went to do my National Service in the RAF, colleagues from other parts of the country had never heard of Mischief Night.
We used to do harmless pranks, similar to what they did on the programme, a favourite being tying door knobs together, then knocking on both house doors. (remember in those days most houses were terrace houses with the doors being directly on to the street).
This activity seems to have died out now, but seeing the programme, reminded me, and I wonder if many others can remember Mischief Night.

[spudqueen]

I remember Mischief Night from the 60's when I lived in Lancaster, it was on the night before bonfire night, ie November 4th (maybe you have a different bonfire night in Yorkshire!). We lived opposite the Lancaster Canal and nearly every year we had to fish our gate or dustbin or something out of the canal the morning after. I think it's a good thing it seems to have died a death now, I dread to think what some of these hoodlums would get up to nowadays.

[jb190281]

being from north wales, id never heard of mischief night. but my partner, from liverpool, always celebrated (if thats what you'd call it?!) on Halloween eve

[denis567]

Sorry spudqueen, typing error, I did mean 4th November

[Jemisa]

It seems mischief night is every night now-a-days, if you read the papers you'll know what I mean...

Jem

[puternut]

Both myself (a native of South Bucks) and my wife (Cockney) and both early 50's have never heard of Mischief night.

She used to knock on doors and run away at any time of the year - Knock Down Ginger??

Agree that it would be absolute murder now though

[Messalina]

We still had Mischief Night in the 70's when I was a kid in Yorkshire. I seem to remember candle fat on car windscreens was popular - though not the the car owners.....

[carolegif]

We had mischief night (I was born in Liverpool).but when we moved down south, they had never heard of it. Nowadays it would be outlawed, but everyone used to join in and it was just fun.

[craft1948]

We always celebrated Mischief Night in York when I was a child. The last time my sister and I went out we glued a Bed & Breakfast plaque onto the Mansion House door (where the Lord Mayor lived)