Fireworks

[Airkid]

Hi all

As I type this it sounds like a warzone outside my window - the usual local suspects "celebrating" November 5th a week early - and they will be "celebrating" it for the next fortnight. I have a number of beefs about this crazy habit - primarily it turns my little dog into a nervous wreck and lots of others no doubt. Secondly, as a recreational black powder target shooter, I have to jump through a number of hoops in order to obtain a Home Office certificate to buy and keep black powder, and have somewhere safe to keep it. I am also subject to regular inspections of this safe storage. My firework-mad neighbours can go to the nearest corner shop and stock up on enough explosive to blow the average house down with no questions asked. Tonight's "display" has been going on for close to an hour now, and it'll be the same tomorrow, and the day after and......
Last year it got so bad that I wrote to my MP (Lib Dem) to point out the bit about certification, but needless to say, it fell on deaf ears. She gave me some old ***** about the "firework industry employs a lot of people" (I never voted for her in any case - useless person)
I have always enjoyed properly regulated firework displays to commemorate Messrs Fawkes, Catesby et al, but these impromptu back garden mortar barrages to celebrate birthdays, weddings, New Year, Man U winning something , Brexit etc are just a pain in the arse and rather typical of the middle finger attitude of society as a whole. Is it just me..??

Phil

 

[Chris Oldfield]

No, it's not just you Phil. When I lived in a certain borough of South London between 1999 & 2009, from the beginning of September right through to Christmas there was a massive fireworks display every night due to a religious & cultural festival. November 5th paled into insignificance alongside it. And of course, this was regularly accompanied by Police sirens at all hours of day & night, & usually on a Friday/Saturday night a Police helicopter with searchlight hovering overhead whilst hunting burglars/murderers/arsonists or any other type of criminal you care to think of. We once had a Police dog put through our house & garden at 0300 in the morning because they were chasing a burglar who had been found on premises, & tried to make his escape by vaulting back garden fences.
Personally, fireworks don't do anything for me any more after having experienced the real thing during military service, & like you I have a small dog who now she's older is getting frightened by loud bangs etc, but all in all I'm glad I moved to the country. The first thing I noticed when I moved to the South-West was how quiet it was, & I could actually hear birds singing! I can appreciate & sympathise with your position though, having lived through something similar for ten years.

 

[sd0324]

You guys would hate me so much on the 4th of July. Lol.


Steve

 

[Wayneb]

I used to be a black powder buff, I don't shoot anymore but I wish I could. Things have changed soo much where we live.'' But" we still have a gathering of neighbors in our backyard that all enjoy the fireworks. My wife still likes em....But I could do without em....I think it's a geezer thing.

Wayne

 

[sd0324]

My little Terrier doggo seems to like fireworks and firearms. She gets excited about it.


Steve

 

[valiant]

Ive always found it a bit of a contradiction about firearms and fireworks..! I remember as a kid that it was one night and one night only and if it fell on a Sunday, then not at all!! Nowadays it goes on for weeks! Can't see the point, or the attraction - they just upset the dogs and all the other wildlife and make a huge mess with all the cardboard tubes and sticks that get strewn about...!!

 

[housecarl]

It's the same around here.
More money than sense, cash literally going up in smoke.

 

[sd0324]

I'm honestly surprised to hear this, didn't really think fireworks were a thing in the UK due to regulations. I learned something new. I light it up on the Fourth to celebrate our Independence but that's it. Some here make it a week long celebration (Mexicans) and piss everyone off. I get that part.


Steve

 

[Nap]

Hi Folks

Years ago it was nice to go to a organised event ...but that was it for me every year ...and only if I behaved !! ......

Now it's any excuse to light the touchpaper

Animals are suffering and scared ....as Carl says money going up in smoke

Not for me

Nap

 

[Airkid]

Not just me then...

 

[Mirofsoft]

 

[fogie]

Folks here still speak about a village down Land's End way
that used to fire a midnight cannon on a particular night of
the year (..........something to do with the Spanish Armada
apparently). The gun failed to go off only once in 400 years.
That night in the resounding silence, everybody sat up in
bed and said "What the hell was that ?"

Mike

 

[sd0324]

I team up with neighbors and we do an epic display of nonsense and wasting money. We enjoy it and it's expected during that night. The celebrations a little further out in the country usually involve full auto tracer mag dumps from AKs and 50 cal Barret rifles shooting big tannerite charges. And copious amounts of beer.. To celebrate our Independence from King George (we come with our own set of problems, UK is better off without managing us too)

Steve

 

[Babelfish]

As a pet owner I get people's concerns about animals (although ours aren't unduly bothered by it, they just find a quiet spot, curl up & wait it out). But even though it's been many years since I bought any fireworks I'm also a great believer in live & let live. At least in theory it's just two nights a year here in the UK (5th November & New Year) and in the hands of normal sensible folks on Guy Fawkes Night or at the turn of the year, fireworks can be fun.

The problems start when you get morons letting them off 3 weeks in advance, especially the lame-brains who think it's clever doing it in the street and/or in broad daylight. For that reason I'd be in favour of limiting their sale to one week in advance of the date, and very stiff fines for anyone caught being anti-social / dangerous with them in a public place.

- Steve

 

[sd0324]

Excuse my ignorance, vaguely aware of who Guy Fawkes was and his philosophy but what happens in the UK on his day? I'm genuinely interested. Is it a big thing?

Steve

 

[Babelfish]

When I lived in Germany, me & my Brit expat gang used to hold a Bonfire Night bash in a local woodland clearing every November 5th. We'd buy the fireworks the previous New Year and save them up for the Guy Fawkes festivities 11 months later.

German woodland clearings are good for that sort of thing because they tend to be large enough to safely build a bonfire, and some of them also have purpose-built public "Grillplätze" (barbecue areas) complete with open-fronted wooden huts with seating, picnic tables carved from tree trunks etc. One such was was our annual bonfire venue where we'd build a fire, let off fireworks, eat, drink and generally have a great time. We probably did it for 10 or more years on the spin.

One year, a middle-aged German couple out for a night-time wildlife ramble stumbled upon us having seen the fire through the trees and - being unfamiliar with this strange tradition - appeared rather shocked. So we invited them to join us, handed them a drink and a Bratwurst, and explained it all. Reassured, they remained with us and the later on guy took out his camera and fired off a few photos.

Turned out that he was the editor of one of the local newspapers and a couple of days later an article appeared therein complete with a photo, an explanation of this strange firey rite and titled "Mutmaßliche Teufelsanbeter entpuppen sich als harmlose Engländer". Which translates as "Suspected Devil worshippers turn out to be harmless Englishmen" . When they'd first clocked us, their initial thought was that we were disciples of Beelzebub himself, summoning demons from the Underworld . True story.

- Steve

 

[fogie]

Before Phil beat me to it, I was going to say that just over 4oo years ago
a political plot to remove the government here by blowing up Parliament
was hatched. It's been commemorated on the day ever since - whether in
celebration or in commiseration of the failure is a matter of opinion. Recent
events - especially over the last couple of days - suggests that today we seem
to have a shower in both Parliamentary Houses determined to metaphorically
do the job themselves.

Mike

 

[chippy]

As a lifelong pyromaniac I gotta defend Bonfire night Nov. 5th as the best night of the year , It's cheaper than Christmas, you get to meet friends and family and it's over and done with in a few hours unlike Christmas .
As a kid we had a field at the bottom of our road where all the kids in the road helped to build as big a bonfire as possible and all the houses brought along a box of fireworks , the night went on for ever although it seemed at the time . Years later when I had children we always had a large bonfire party with friends and neighbour's bringing extra fireworks . Loads of food and fireworks even my dog then loved fireworks . We still held firework party's up to 10 years ago .
The problem with fireworks in the UK started back in the early 80s (thank You Thatcher ) when the British Standard on fireworks was relaxed to allow fireworks from China and India into the country under the trade agreement to help third world countries and now we have War Zone type explosions that no one likes and terrifies pets and livestock .
Don't ban Fireworks just bring done the decibel level . We are losing to many Traditions in this country and nobody seems to care .
This year has been mostly OK Friday night was pretty quite compared to previous years and tonight it has been pouring down and really put the dampers on it all
chippy

 

[swralph]

I love Laphroaig.with it's apple on the palette and the after taste of used fireworks on the finish.
Sometimes it makes me want to eat used fireworks.

 

[fogie]

I obviously don't get out enough, so I had to look up Laphoaig ....and this is
what I found - 10 Year Old Cask strength. Very powerful on the nose, with
medicinal notes and hints of smoke and seaweed. Not for me Ralph, not as
young as I used to be But power to your elbow sir.

Mike