The explosive 2005 Firework thread
 

Well its started once again, and I've just heard the first few bangs and whistling sounds echoing in the night sky from fireworks.

People seem to get hold of them earlier and earlier ! Its mad. There is still a whole month.
This should be the time of preperation.
I know from last year that quite a few forum members spend time planning their shows so this thread is for all talk about fireworks.

What are you planning ?
I'm thinking of using the apple trees in my garden to create some atmospheric scenes and also get some big explosive colourful crackling rockets.
I want to also mix some music to go with the display this year. I'l have to see if that gets finished in time.

So, there you go. Whos doing what ?
We'l be getting out the jacket potatoes, and having a little buffet and hot dogs as we watch the sky....and hopefully all will go well.

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There are that many fireworks going off round her people can just look out the window and see a fantastic display!

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Bought mine on Monday.

We have the usual family party planned for the 5th (should be between 15/20 depending on who comes).

Basically its food at about 7pm, smaller fireworks and sparklers at around 7:30pm, followed by the main fireworks.

As usual I expect it to take me about 2/3 hours to set them all up in the afternoon.

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I've got a display pack this year from JT Frith.

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Bloody fireworks, my dog still dithers and she's ten years old, mind i just watch all the displays for free. :Scrooge:

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The biggest display near here is in the field next door to where I work. So I just go up there with the family and have a nice big free show :)

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They should be banned, or at least only sold to properley organised groups ;)

Marky now waits to see how many wheely bins and phone boxes will get blown apart this year :(

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Started again? What you mean that there are supposed to be times of the year when you can go a week without hearing a firework going off somewhere??

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We're off to somewhere by Eastbourne.

A friend of ours has been trying to get us to goto this one for years, but as it falls on a Saturday this year its easier. So, we booked a cottage for a long weekend and we're making a mini-holiday out of it.

I'll see if I can find out the info on which one it is.

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:zzz:

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:sniper:

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Yup I agree! Infact someone from the Fire brigade was on the telly last year saying exactly the same thing!!

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I like them i think they are great, if used by a sober adult :p:
in the right place at the right time ;)

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This one........

http://www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk/

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The problem is that there are those who buy them and are safe with them and then chavs and idiots who buy them to blow things up.
I was trying to think of a way to ban stupid people from getting hold of them, but at the end of the day, they will get hold of them one way or other.

I know some people who are going up to Alton Towers. They are meant to be quite good there with a huge fireworks display over the old castle.

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There are some lethal firewirks available to the public these days and there are shops open virtually all year round selling them.


This year we will be having 3 big events around the same time i.e.

Guy Fawkes night Nov 5th
Eid (end of Ramadan) around about the same time plus
Diwali - Hindi festival of light again, around the same time.
time for a trip abroad methinks!

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I heard some fireworks t'uther day....and then remebered that we're coming to Fireworks night etc!

My dog is usually ok with load bangs...bought him a noisy sounds CD when he was younf (now 19 months).

My 8 month daughter will have a shock when we gander upto the local park at watch the fireworks...I betcha see cries we come home early! :( :) ...bless her!

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My doggy used to be okay with Fireworks but they're just so loud now she just runs round barking at the ceiling!!

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Our dog goes mad when he hears fireworks, its umbeleivable. Then when we open the door he sits there watching them in the garden.....not a peep outa him.

Might buy some this year, although I could stand in the back garden and watch Stocktons free display, but it was utter hoof last year.

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Come to Darlington, always full of A-list celebs at our display.

I think one year we even had the cheeky girls.LOL

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They have already started this year around here, had several lots go up without fail on a Friday night for about the past 3 or 4 weeks. Just had wheelie bins brought into us this year so we will see how many are melted soon. Personally I think they should only be sold to proper displays.

For more information on firework safety check this out. Also here and here.

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I agree with that 100% :)

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I have to say that it is a LOT quieter round here since the new legislation came in.
It is almost bearable, relatively speaking of course, but I will reserve judgement until the weeks after Nov 5th.

If any of you really must buy fireworks for your own use then please visit the DTI website and readup. I don't care how old you are and how much you think you know it all, it does not harm to have a refresher in safety and the law.
Main site:- http://www.dti.gov.uk/fireworks/
Download Link to the "fireworks toolkit" PDF:- http://www.dti.gov.uk/fireworks/download/toolkit.pdf

Here are some main points ...

It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to posess fireworks in a public place.
It is illegal to sell fireworks to anyone under 18 (including sparklers).
It is illegal to sell caps, partypoppers etc to anyone under 16.
It is illegal to sell bangers, air bombs and mini-rockets.
It is illegal for retailers to split packs of fireworks to sell individually.
It is illegal to sell from a place not licensed or registered with the local. authority and fire service (selling from vans is illegal).
Don't give sparklers to under 5s.
It is illegal to set off fireworks in a public place (meaning any place you do not own/rent or have express permission to use).
Never use illegally imported fireworks (legal fireworks are labeled with the BS7114 standard).
It is illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am except in the following circumstances....
Nov 5th ** UNTIL MIDNIGHT**
New Years Eve **1am the following day**
Chinese New Year (Jan 29th 2006) **1am the following day**
Diwali (from Tues Nov 1st 2005 for 5 days) **1am the following day**


If you are having a big firework party with booze then refrain from letting drunk idiots handle any fireworks.

Most firework injuries are eyes, face and hands. Please don't become another tragic statistic. Please download and read the DTI firework info.

Consider giving the money you would normally spend on fireworks to charity.

Goodnight (I say as several whistles and bangs just went off outside about 8 minutes ago at 1:10am).

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What annoys me about the whole thing is that most likely very few members of the current generation even know who Guy Fawkes was, or why Nov. 5th is the particular date for Bonfire Night. If they don't even know what they're supposed to be celebrating, why bother?

While I was at grammar school, I recall reading accounts of what - allegedly - happened on 05/11/1605; there is some doubt as to whether there was in fact a plot at all. Guy Fawkes may have been the biggest fall guy of all time.

Either that, or the only person ever to enter Parliament with honest intent. :D

I also can't help wondering about all those alkali metals, useful in industry and getting scarcer all the time, effectively going to waste. If the resulting oxides were somehow recoverable, I'd be more in favour.

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Its more fun doing it yourself though...

1. If you only do it on 5th November
2. or New Years
3. You do it safely
4. You take into account all of the rules listed above

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Indeed it is fun to hold your own party and have fireworks.
You've just got to leave the fireworks to someone who's done it before and respects the safety measures, and you are fine.

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Well then maybe fireworks should only be sold to people who are 'qualified' to use them.
Make them sit a safety course or somethnig like that and obtain a certificate to say so.
Sort of like a license i guess.

Of course, it won't happen because it's too much work!

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Speaking as someone who was partly responsible for nearly loosing some ones sight whilst 'larking around' with fireworks as a teenager (not something I am proud of btw), I firmly believe that the age limit on sales should be raised to 25.

I only go to organised displays and have had nothing to do with fireworks since that day (other than going to organised events).

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I'm not too sure if there's much point in age limits.
Of course it'll stop some kids getting hold of them. But there will always be older people who will buy them for the kids and even the irresponsible aldults themselves...

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Read this political correctness gone mad. :mad:
Fifth of November is...Compost Night?


:mad: why can't thay just sod off. :mad:

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Well liviing in Catslemilk in Glasgow there are many neds/chavs around and already I've been hearing fireworks the last few nights.

The biggest annoyance so far was about 4am sat morning a group of them were setting allsorts of different fireworks off on the green outside.:mad::fit:

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Had a large selection of fireworks thrown at the house/car last night. Phoned the local cop shop and was treated to an answering machine. :mad:

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Should fireworks purchased for domestic use be made illegal? Only public authorized displays should be allowed?

Personally I'd say no to banning fireworks for domestic use, a few people ruin it for others. Discipline the people who ruin it not the others.

Seems to be the first reaction to anything instead of addressing the issue, ban it.

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Bought mine earlier this week. Got a few rockets, a selection pack of assorted roman candles and rockets, and then a few individual huge things for towards the end.
Oh and of course.......sparklers too.

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Went to the university's fireworks display last night. 20 minutes worth of big loud explosions, kaboom :)

display was organised by this company, photos i took here :)

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No, banning them would be out of all proportion to the problems they cause. They are already very tightly controlled. The age to purchase them has been raised to 18 (goodness only knows why it was ever 16), the times you can set them off have been restricted, as have the regulations on their storage and sale. All good moves IMO, and adequate to provide a balance between people's enjoyment and safety.

I have a few stored at home to let fly tomorrow night. We're hosting a birthday party for a friend complete with fireworks.

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I think the main objection to fireworks is against those fireworks that explode i.e "bangers".

If bangers were abolished I think a lot more people would not have their sleep interrupted when some selfish so-and-so sets them at 3 o'clock in the morning.

I think then there would be less opposition to individuals having fireworks if that happened because most of the other fireworks are fairly quiet.

I once saw a beautiful firework display over the main pier in Bournemouth. It was a treat to watch and not a banger was to be heard.

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Posession as well as purchase is illegal for under 18s.
__________________

Bangers are now illegal. As are Air Bombs and mini-rockets.

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Setting mine up at the moment. Can't wait.

If I can give anyone any advice to new firework handlers...

- Always make sure your rocket launch pipes are firmly in place and pointing away from the crowd.

I'l post some pics up tommorow. Hope everyone has a good fireworks night :)

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I have heard them every night this week and once this morning at 3am. The problem is tracking these people down and the police certainly don't have the time.The simple answer is to stop manufacturing them.

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These are likely to be illegaly imported fireworks often sold by the same people who sell illegal DVDs and Tobacco out of their council house. The only other explanation is that a few commercial grade fireworks have found their way into private hands. We've had a few window shattering "air bomb batteries" going off nearby this evening which were clearly illegal.

On the whole around here, so far, it's been nowhere near as bad as it used to be in previous years. Still needs vast improvement though. Can't for the goddam life of me see why the firework law covers a ban from only 11pm to 7am. Who the feck needs to set off fireworks at 7:01am or at any time during the daylight for that matter?

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It's sounding like downtown Bagdad outside my house.

My 2 year old nephew is scared of the banging

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yeah mine too. my dad is the caretaker of a school, so we live within the school grounds, they are having a fire works display (600+ people are on the field) I have both the dog and the cat shaking with fright in my room....
I also absolutely hate fireworks. so tbh can't wait for the whole night to be over :( in my house i'm like your two year old nephew ;)

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Bex try and play music/TV to the pets and distract them

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i have my telly on.... to keep me sane more than them

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Jeepers it's been loud tonight..Much louder than when I was a kid. :erm:

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Sounds like down town Baghdad here :mad:

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I reckon they should be banned, for private use, as they are dangerous, especially when they break your conservatory roof!
We now have a huge hole in the roof along with a rocket lodged in it, luckily it didn't go all the way through as it could have started a fire, especially as we were out at the time, (not at a fireworks display i will add!)

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What the hell was that?!?

For something that size to be fired into the air, it must have been a very large firework

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Havent got a clue, must have been going at some speed aswell, its gone through virtually the whole roof, there are bits of the rocket on the patio outside aswell, the major problem is if it rains, were going to have a huge leak now! :mad:

Were just glad it didnt actually cause any sort of fire, as there was a faint buringing smell when we first got in.

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Looks like a big hole in your insurance premium as well.

Agree fireworks should only be used by experts. What happened to you could just as easily have happened to me with our neighbour setting off fireworks in their back garden this evening!

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I think that home displays aren't that great either generally just make a lot of noise and cost a lot of money, major displays are the best as they are properly organised and the people doing it now exactly what they are doing!

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Lucky it didn't go all the way through to start a fire, like you said.

It doesn't look like a normal, over-the-counter rocket though. :shrug:

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I was just thinking the same, far too thick.

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:scratch: Agree, looks like it's a similar material to plastic bullets!

Perhaps it's a professional one which has got into the wrong hands?

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From the size of it, when it went off, it would have been quite a bang.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/4411226.stm

One of many :(

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I was at the Glasgow green display and must say It was great. They had them in time with various pieces of music and also a laser show as well.

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Well it certainly has been a night of loud bangs.
My fireworks party is finished now and as I type this it is 1.27am and I cant hear a single firework, so I am guessing people around here are taking account of the new rules which is good.

The roman candles were great against the backdrop of the trees in the garden and then the rockets were quite cool to as we set several off in sync, all carefully planned and installed properly.

Then had food and cakes in the garage and all in all had a good fun time.
The main thing..... it didnt rain, and everyone got to do sparklers too.
I'l post a few pics tommorow.

I hope everyone else had a good evening.

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Yep, a good party was had here as well. Plenty of burgers (from the bbq) sausages, chicken etc, followed by the fireworks. Sadly a few of the smaller ones failed because the fuses got damp, we had about 10 mins rain around 5:30pm, after I'd set them all up :afire: All the larger ones were protected by plastic bags, just in case, so they were fine.

Still, they are drying out as we speak, so it looks like another mini show on Monday. :)

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Well, we had a good firework display.. My cousin bought a lot of fireworks (around £300 worth), and him and I spent a good couple of hours lighting the fuses and running.

It was a good night.. Plenty of fireworks, plenty of food on the BBQ, plenty of beer, and a karaoke machine.

Nope, I didn't sing. Just stood and watched in amazement at the people who were.

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£300?!? !?! Madness!

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In your opinion maybe. :dozey: Mine totalled around £200, but then I got a good discount at a factory shop.

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Well, you have to pay a fair bit to get big fireworks, and we had quite a few big fireworls..


Anyway, no one individual payed all the money. Most family members put in some money for the fireworks..

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Sorry I didnt mean it badly or anything you're free to do what you like, but £300 or whatever just seems like a lot of money to blow up to me but then I earn about £400 a month so... :)