Fire brands
The old kind of torch was made by taking a length of wood - a bit over a metre, usually, and wrapping about 20-40cm of one end in tinfoil (to stop it burning through). Then wind on lots and lots of cloth strips (we used to get pre-shredded material, but eventually we ended up having to shred our own), taking care to leave some wood exposed at the top, until the torch is the right size (ask someone who's made one before, or compare with a picture from a previous Beltane).
Now cut a piece of chickenwire large enough to wrap round the torch head (this is to stop bits of burning cotton flying off into the crowd) and staple it firmly in place.
You will need gloves for the bits involving chickenwire, but you'll find that they're too clumsy, so you'll take them off. And get wee cuts, and put them back on and.... etc.
I'm glad we've the new torches, me....