Amateur fireworks

[DovertheRoad]

I've longwondered who these annoying f$%**rs are who let off rockets all night from their back garden. And now I've realised - it's people like me. People newly flush with kids. People for whom Dulwich sports ground with the crowds, mud and a buggy is a no go nightmare. This year I've shifted from finding garden fireworks annoying and deeply anti-social to....an adventure. And with apologies to all of my neighbours .....this year, for one night only, at a civilised hour, I plan to become Back Garden Firework Twat.

Specifically I would like to recreate a childhood watching my dad nail a damp and uneventful catherine wheel to our back fence whilst eating economy sausages and waving a mini-sparkler.

If you want to rant/moan about fireworks - use the search to find all those old threads and go there. For this thread I'd just like some advice...where can I get some decent fireworks for some amateur pyrotechnics? How much should I budget? Any tips to avoid injuring anyone?

[jacks09]

Along very similar lines to the OP I will be too.....but down in Worthing with some of the family.

Where can I buy seriously massive fireworks?

[*Bob*]

If you're looking for the wow-factor, the words you should be looking for, written on the side of the firework are 'for display only'. I'm assuming your friends have a 50m garden so that the crowd can retire to a safe distance.

I quite like the verging-on-pathetic nature of the anti-climactic selection box. Those all-in-one display boxes look quite good but seem the ruin and ritual of the one-at-at-time-ooooh-is-that-all-it-does fun.

[TheArtfulDogger]

Bob, I'm mightily confused, if fireworks aren't for display only, what else can they be used for ?

[*Bob*]

As in 'professional display'

[titch juicy]

DovertheRoad Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've longwondered who these annoying f$%**rs are

> who let off rockets all night from their back

> garden. And now I've realised - it's people like

> me. People newly flush with kids. People for whom

> Dulwich sports ground with the crowds, mud and a

> buggy is a no go nightmare. This year I've shifted

> from finding garden fireworks annoying and deeply

> anti-social to....an adventure. And with apologies

> to all of my neighbours .....this year, for one

> night only, at a civilised hour, I plan to become

> Back Garden Firework Twat.

>

> Specifically I would like to recreate a childhood

> watching my dad nail a damp and uneventful

> catherine wheel to our back fence whilst eating

> economy sausages and waving a mini-sparkler.

>

> If you want to rant/moan about fireworks - use the

> search to find all those old threads and go there.

> For this thread I'd just like some advice...where

> can I get some decent fireworks for some amateur

> pyrotechnics? How much should I budget? Any tips

> to avoid injuring anyone?

The whole things sounds wonderful. Can I come round please? Or at least peer over your fence? (you could chuck me a sausage or two)

[Jules-and-Boo]

TIP - don't point them in the direction of the roof/ window / greenhouse / anything breakable. Think champagne cork, with more power.

We blew the neighbour's roof tiles off with our rocket one year (such fun).

You could go all out and have a bonfire and make jacket potatoes.

Sounds great fun - enjoy and be safe. Read the precautions carefully.

[JohnL]

TheArtfulDogger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Bob, I'm mightily confused, if fireworks aren't

> for display only, what else can they be used for ?

Well the Jacky Jumper was almost designed to throw at a group

of rival children (and yes it was horrible and we had no concept

of safety or danger)

[Sue]

Cover up the fireworks prior to lighting them

When I was a kid, someone else's rocket landed in the firework box and we had an unexpectedly brief (but splendid) display :)

[JohnL]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Cover up the fireworks prior to lighting them

>

> When I was a kid, someone else's rocket landed in

> the firework box and we had an unexpectedly brief

> (but splendid) display :)

That was probably a real danger (setting off the whole box near to people)

I do remember the news reports back then and Nov 6 was full of reports of accidents, surprised

it was allowed to go on like that for so long.

[*Bob*]

There can be dangers without the use of specialist safety equipment - such as a Rovers biscuit tin.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Empty glass milk bottles make for excellent rocket launchers.

[Sue]

JohnL Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Cover up the fireworks prior to lighting them

> >

> > When I was a kid, someone else's rocket landed

> in

> > the firework box and we had an unexpectedly

> brief

> > (but splendid) display :)

>

> That was probably a real danger (setting off the

> whole box near to people)

>

Indeed. Particularly because all the fireworks were in a large cardboard box. It was in a neighbour's garden and everybody had brought fireworks to contribute, so there were quite a lot of them in said box.

And unfortunately the rocket landed rather near the beginning of them being set off .... (set off as planned, I mean of course)

Another year, a rocket fell out of the sky and landed on my sister's head. Luckily she was wearing a woolly hat :)) I think it got a bit singed, can't really remember whether the rocket was still burning .......

But it was always great every year going to the local shops which sold fireworks and spending ages choosing them.

[Pickle]

When I was a kid, we were never allowed fireworks, as my Dad was a fireman and "had seen how wrong it can go".

First year after he left the fire service (in his mid 40's) he announced we were going to have fireworks, but that he would do it, being as he was the fire safety expert.

Nailed a Catherine wheel to the fence, which flew off once lit, and set the neighbours hedge on fire. November in NZ is warm and dry, the fire quickly took hold, and having tried to put it out himself, Dad had to ring the fire service and his old crew turned up. Priceless.

[Blah Blah]

Ha ha Pickle. That's very funny. Those Catherine Wheels were always the tricky ones. It's the bonfires I miss. Used to be one in every village, town and street corner. Not allowed to do that anymore.

[first mate]

A small plea, can you let neighbours know your plans. Those with pets, especially pets that are terrified of frieworks, will be very grateful.

DOvertheroad Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've longwondered who these annoying f$%**rs are

> who let off rockets all night from their back

> garden. And now I've realised - it's people like

> me. People newly flush with kids. People for whom

> Dulwich sports ground with the crowds, mud and a

> buggy is a no go nightmare. This year I've shifted

> from finding garden fireworks annoying and deeply

> anti-social to....an adventure. And with apologies

> to all of my neighbours .....this year, for one

> night only, at a civilised hour, I plan to become

> Back Garden Firework Twat.

>

> Specifically I would like to recreate a childhood

> watching my dad nail a damp and uneventful

> catherine wheel to our back fence whilst eating

> economy sausages and waving a mini-sparkler.

>

> If you want to rant/moan about fireworks - use the

> search to find all those old threads and go there.

> For this thread I'd just like some advice...where

> can I get some decent fireworks for some amateur

> pyrotechnics? How much should I budget? Any tips

> to avoid injuring anyone?

[Otta]

We have a daughter who struggles with loud noise, so last year we went to a friend's (who has 2 kids with similar isues) and had a great time with sparklers and "low volume" fireworks.

Aldi is the place to go for fireworks (or was last year anyway).

[first mate]

Otta, yes low volume fireworks are the more social option. Save the big bangs for large organised events.

[Otta]

The packs are graded in terms of volume, which helps.

[Seabag]

This year you'll be fine, then next you'll plan better and up you'll up the game from there on in

By the time the kids are about 7-8 you'll have your gig up to "ProAm" status. Goggles, fire gloves and boiler suits will feature. Special tubes to bang in the ground and head tourches to wear. Barrows with sand in and on and on it can go. (I've probably got some of that kit left over in my lock up :)))

We used to end up with a garden and the rooms facing it, with little faces beaming out. But one nite my youngest, who normally loved the whole event, BURST into tears and was beside himself "You've disappeared Mummy" he wailed.

Poor boy, i'd made so much smoke from a chain launch of monster sized rockets, that the garden looked like Cape Canaveral. Mummy wasn't disappeared, but she was obliterated from sight for a while.

Ah, happy days. Now we stand near Wells Park on a side road, for the best and uninterrupted view of the Crystal Palace event.

Enjoy it though, time flies.

[LadyNorwood]

jacks09 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Along very similar lines to the OP I will be

> too.....but down in Worthing with some of the

> family.

>

> Where can I buy seriously massive fireworks?

Lucky you - I love and hate Worthing in equal measure.... Loved growing up there, but couldn't wait to leave....

[Lordship123]

Does anybody know of a local outlet where I can get some display grade fireworks? Thanks

[malumbu]

9,300 people a year are injured by fireworks each year in the US and arond 4 people die. As a kid I think we had similar statistics at a time when you could pretend to be 14 and buy them loose from the corner shop.

It's a shame that the prettier quieter firworks are less common - OK hardly spectacular but nice when we were kids.

But on the up side the drastic decrease in firework injuries particuarly as the garden displays became less common.

A mate used some display fireworks in his small garden a few years ago. What comes up comes down and bloody lucky not to clout someone in the street.

Funnily enough I made my own illegal fireworks around 30 years ago. Helped working in a lab.

I am not really sure the point of my posting.

[intexasatthe moment]

just chatting is fine malumbu - every post doesn't need to be making a point

[Elphinstone's Army]

I think you were trying to be helpful...

last year, heading home along Cyrena Road, about 6pm,

a wizzing noise and a depleted rocket landed at my feet,

and at municipal display,

a rocket found its way to earth alongside my knee length boot, skimmed it, had I been wearing baggy

boots and said rocket had plunged down between leg and boot would I have been burned/injured?

When we were little, my Dad would be out in the back garden coaxing Catherine wheels to spin, and Golden Rain, went on forever, boring, and a glass milk bottle for a rocket finale, a modest selection but captivating from safely behind the french windows, and sparklers! so pretty, my favourite.

And one year when it was raining, a box of indoor fireworks displayed in the kitchen, which we watched politely.

Bangers through letterboxes were not uncommon, or fireworks tied to cats tails.

Bonfires I miss, all that snap and crackle and unpredictability : now we must be safe, no danger, no thrill.

Stay safe y'all and wear tight boots !