Fireworks / Bonfire night

[Taf]

It sounded like someone dropped 4 Bunker Busters at the end of the street. And it was pouring down at the time!

It all fizzled-out before 10pm.

[Hom3r]

I in some part blame the pet owners.


Let me explain, our pooch (Back in the 80s) was a bit unhappy with the bangs.


So my mum sat with him and spoke to him calmly and watched the fireworks, he eventually just slept in front of the fire snoozing.


I think that is the owners vibes that its pick up and thats why they are unhappy.

[peanut]

Times have changed a lot. In the early 80's I used to buy bangers, mini rockets, air bombs and air bomb repeaters etc with pocket money and money from 'penny for the guy'ing' which (the guy) went on the local bonfire. Those fireworks were really cheap to buy at that time. Also remember buying them on the way to school as there wasn't an age limit back then.

Bonfires luckily have died out which is no bad thing. Some bonfires back then were huge too. Also gone are the public service announcement on the safety of fireworks as that used to be a big thing in the past, probably due to banning most of the fireworks we could buy in those times.

I do think pets and cost of living has a lot to do with it dying down quite a bit, that and people tend to just go to organised displays now.

Originally Posted by peanut

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.

Same here. I guess it helps when it’s on a weekend as it is less of an incentive for people to shift it to whichever evening is more convenient, however I fully expected Friday and Saturday to be loud in our neighbourhood, especially as Sunday is a ‘school night’. However there was next to nothing until around 6pm last night, and then it was like the Somme for about an hour. A lull, then those who clearly were planning on a 7.30 start all got going and it was noisy, though less so, for another half hour or so. After that, just a sporadic bang or whoosh here or there. But all together, definitely a lot less. I wonder whether everyone’s too broke to want to spend 10 minutes burning £100 in their back yard.

[Rillington]

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

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

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.

---------- Post added at 14:07 ---------- Previous post was at 14:02 ----------

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

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

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.

[Mythica]

Banned and for only organised displays. Though this year wasn't so bad, usually in this area it starts around August/September time. I love fireworks, so it does pain me to say it but they are getting into the wrong hands far too easily and are being used to terrorise estates. Aimed at people, pushed in letter boxes, aimed at cars including Police vans which I witnessed with my own eyes to which they just drove off (don't blame in in reality). Heard them go of in daylight hours. Until someone does something about the anti social behaviour, they are far too dangerous in the hands of those people.

---------- Post added at 14:18 ---------- Previous post was at 14:16 ----------

Originally Posted by Rillington

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.

---------- Post added at 14:07 ---------- Previous post was at 14:02 ----------



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.

I can't speak for all supermarkets, but Asda started selling them around mid October, so in reality, they aren't really to blame. I believe you get firework shops open all year round.

[Rillington]

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.

[Mythica]

Originally Posted by Rillington

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.

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.

[Anonymouse]

I often wonder if today's kids even know who Guy Fawkes was (Google notwithstanding). There's some debate as to his exact role in the conspiracy, if indeed there was one.

I'm reminded of something I once heard: Guy Fawkes was the only man ever to enter Parliament with honest intent.

I don't know. Some traditions should be put to rest. Maybe this is one of them.

[Rillington]

Originally Posted by Mythica

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.

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.

[tweetiepooh]

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.

[Mythica]

Originally Posted by Rillington

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.

Do you blame supermarkets for people getting fat?

[Rillington]

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

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.

Agreed.

My view is that fireworks should only be allowed at a licensed event, whether it be from the council, a community club and if an individual wants to use fireworks, they obtain a permit from the local council.