Originally Posted by peanut (Post 36163471)

It was noticeably quieter this year where I live. A few went off around 7pm, but then really nothing at all after that. A big difference from the last and previous years.

Originally Posted by Jaymoss (Post 36163319)

The sale of Fireworks to the public in my opinion should be banned because people take the mick nowadays and spread it over 2 months.

Had 10 years of hell over November and December with my dog being terrified and once the season started he would go into panic every night whether there were bangs or not. Horrid time. He is pretty much deaf now and hardly notices shame he had to get old to be able to stay settled

Originally Posted by Jaymoss (Post 36163341)

If it was just the weekend of Bonfire Night, Diwala and New Years Eve it would be ok but it simply isn't anymore. When I was younger it was always the weekend and when my daughter was little we went to an organized display with a fair

Originally Posted by Rillington (Post 36163768)

Agreed.

I think the only reason that the month-long fireworks season exists is so that major supermarkets can make serious profit from their sale.

In the world of health and safety it is genuinely beyond comprehension when anyone can buy something which causes life changing injuries.

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That was the very same for where I used to live as a child. The town's sports club organised an event which saw many people from the town. This took place on the Saturday nearest to 5th November. And on the 5th, the actual village had a private, but still organised, event which was attended by those who were part of village life and held on private property. Many brought a box of fireworks and they were let off by adults standing behind a rope to ensure nothing could go wrong. That was it. Now it's a month-long season for what is supposed to be a one-night thing and the only beneficiaries are the big supermarkets who make serious profit out of selling them.

Originally Posted by Rillington (Post 36163777)

They will have started selling them on 15th October and will continue to sell them until 23.59.59 tonight.

The reason supermarkets are to blame is that whilst you rightly say the fireworks shops can sell fireworks all year round, you have to go out of your way to find them and even in big cities you hardly ever hear a firework. However on 15th October, once the supermarkets put them on sale, it all begins again and everything you describe in your posting happens in cities all across the UK due to them being available in just about every supermarket, apart from the smallest ones.

If fireworks season did not exist and if fireworks were only allowed at properly licensed events, whether it be run by a council, sports club or an event like I described, then all the things you talk about, which happens every fireworks season, would not happen.

Originally Posted by Mythica (Post 36163786)

I'm sorry but you can't blame supermarkets for this. I'd say mid October to start selling fireworks is a realistic time frame for bonfire night on the 5th. It's the government that need a big crackdown on anti social behaviour that is to blame.

Originally Posted by Rillington (Post 36164152)

I totally accept the premise of your point. A previous (I think Labour) government chose to create a fireworks season lasting from 15th October until the 10th November and the supermarkets choose to take advantage of this by putting fireworks on sale from when they open on 15th October and market their sale as heavily as possible to maximise their profit. This is why I feel I can blame supermarkets for driving fireworks season due to their desire to profit form it.

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh (Post 36164231)

I would also blame insurance companies that can make displays too expensive to run and councils cancelling displays. If public displays are pulled or made too expensive people will want to set some off at home.