A BENE for the guy!

Visitors to Burnley's annual bonfire on Fulledge recreation ground on bonfire night will receive a complimentary "Bene 'n' hot", one of the town's favourite tipples.

Burnley is the Benedictine capital of Britain with the Burnley Miners' Club boasting the biggest sales of the famous French liqueur.

It won't be just the bonfire keeping people warm at Fulledge this time with the free liqueur and hot water drinks from sponsors Benedictine.

The Burnley Bene entente cordial dates back to the First World War when soldiers from Burnley and the rest of East Lancashire served in the part of France where Benedictine is produced.

Since then the order at the bar has always been "Bene and hot water."

Members of the 550 strong Burnley Miners Club get through two crates of the liqueur each week, invariably with hot water.

Historically, Benedictine was "discovered" by the eleventh Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment in the harsh winter of 1918 when it was based at Fecamp.

They quickly acquired a taste for the Bene 'n' hot warming brew and it became the regiment's favourite tipple -- travelling well when the soldiers returned home and demanded it in their local hostelries.

The Burnley Miners' club is a hosting a Cheese and Bene night on Wednesday to celebrate the 1st year anniversary of the Benedictine Lounge.