Firework displays

[Whofan]

I was moved to “reach out” ( see other thread on this!!) for your thoughts on fireworks displays because we’ve (SWIMBO, daughter and grandson) just got home after one.

 

It was held in the grounds of Hartlebury Castle, near Kidderminster, and the organisers had made an effort; street food courtyard (actually good food although as you’d expect expensive), funfair rides for children, funfair style stalls (win a prize - hook a duck sort of thing), a bar, some stalls selling “event” type goods, and a dj, together with various characters. Elsa from Frozen, Captain America, etc., and some stilt walkers and fire eaters before the fireworks, which were pretty good.

 

What made the whole thing for me, and allowed an old man to go home happy, was the dj played the whole of Thunderstruck by AC/DC during the second 5 minutes of the fireworks!

 

Oh, did I want to bellow “thunder” at the appropriate times! Sadly SWIMBO was thinking of the people around us when she stopped me from bellowing.

 

They also had a laser display running alongside the music and fireworks that again, was quite atmospheric.

 

It’s definitely firework display time from this weekend till next weekend, I wondered if anyone’s going to a display?

[Black Knight]

We don't do fireworks on/for November 5th.

Our big fireworks time is Halloween. Then its like WW1

I think drone flying displays will replace fireworks eventually

[Whofan]

I hadn't known that about Northern Iteland. In fairness, I know of no other country that celebrates an almost successful attempt to blow up the houses of parliament and kill King James 1st.the

 

What I hadn't known about bonfire night was that a few months after the plot was discovered, the government of the day passed a law to make November the 5th an annual day to celebrate the failure of the gunpowder plot.

 

I feel despondent that bonfire night - a big part of my childhood and indeed my life up to the early 90's when we would have fireworks in the garden or go to friends for fireworks in their gardens has been superseded here (England) by Halloween, which I've always associated with the US.

 

Indeed, I always felt that the spark for the current US style commercialised Halloween here was the film ET, with its scenes of Halloween trick or treating.

 

It's interesting to see how Halloween is regarded in NI, and it's claim to have originated Halloween via Samhain.

If fireworks were replaced by drone displays I would be even more despondent.

 

[Admiral Puff]

I always thought that the 5th of November was to commemorate Guy Fawkes - the only man ever to enter Parliament with honest intent. 

 

We don't officially do Halloween here, although the retail vultures are moving in, and the shops, especially the big chains, are full of Halloween tat from the middle of September (and sometimes earlier). Traditionally, we celebrated Empire Day on the 24th (IIRC) of May with bonfires, fireworks and (most importantly) a half day off school. It's all gone now, particularly since it's become impossible (and illegal) to buy many kinds of fireworks. There is a huge fireworks display around the harbour in Sydney every year on New Year's Eve, but it's professionally run. Although it's a great display, the faffing around to get to a decent vantage point has become too much to make the effort worth it - especially if, like me, you've got to come into town from the country. You can always watch it on television, but the atmosphere's not the same. 

[ckw]

The whole fireworks thing is getting out of hand - we have Halloween, Diwali and Guy Fawkes in close proximity so that "fireworks night" has turned into fireworks week or longer depending when the official days fall.

 

I'm dog sitting for a friend at the moment and the distress it causes her is really upsetting, and I know many dogs (don't know about other animals) are similarly affected. For a supposedly animal loving country I don't know how this ritualised torture is allowed to continue. I think fireworks should be restricted to official displays with advertised times, so that pet owners could take whatever precautions they want but allowing individual households to let off fireworks whenever they like with no warning is really unacceptable.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

 

 

[Whofan]

@ckw,

 

Colin,

 

you’re right to point out the distress that  fireworks can cause all animals, though often we’ve noticed over the years with all of the dogs and cats in our lives and the current two my daughter has, that not all dogs and cats are bothered by them.

 

In fact, the 4 cockers we’ve had (MiL 2, us 1 and daughter one currently) haven’t been bothered at all, the chow is so laid back generally that if she reacted to fireworks (she doesn’t) we’d probably fall over in shock. 
 

But I do know of dogs that are terrified by the noise and flash.

 

I am not surprised by what you say about fireworks being restricted to official displays, in fact I have thought that that is how things will go in the not too distant future.

[ckw]

1 minute ago, Whofan said:

not all dogs and cats are bothered by them

Very true - I've had a dog, and know others, who couldn't are less. But many are. Our current guest starts trembling dramatically at the first firework, and desperately looks for somewhere to hide. When I was a child we had a dog who would climb into the bathtub when fireworks went off.

 

I don't think it's the bang as such - she's not bothered by other loud noises. Its been suggested to me that dogs can be sensitive to the shock wave. Others say its an underlying anxiety order. My brother had 2 greyhounds who were distressed by fireworks - he bought something called a 'Thunderjacket' for them. Seemed to help one, but not the other. In Megan's case, as she's a rescue dog, there could be an unknown incident in her past which is causing her to react - I guess dogs can get PTSD.

 

I must admit, had I thought about it more, I would not have volunteered to dog sit this week! We love having her, but its very stressful watching her suffer! 

 

Cheers

 

Colin

 

 

 

 

[Farmer matt]

I think that part of the problem is that now there seem to be fireworks for absolutely everything. Concerts, weddings, little Johnny's birthday, and they are on top of what used to be predictable but has also expanded greatly.

November 5th used to be that, early evening and perhaps the Saturday either side. New Year used to be midnight, now often randomly from 4pm to 2am.

There seems to be a strong groundswell that dog and cat owners should somehow acclimatise their pets, and tough if you can't. As for the wildlife, horses, or anything else, there seems to be no thought whatever on the part of even official events.

Much as I am against much of the nanny health and safety culture, I still find it amazing that the general public are permitted to buy explosives to do as they please with, especially the 50 or 100 shot boxes.

Personally, I think that for anything beyond sparklers should be organised display only, but I doubt it will happen.

Incidentally my solution to the worst of New Year is dogs in the car by 11.30, and a circuit of the M25, back about 1.30. Done it about twenty times now.

 

Matt

 

[ckw]

17 minutes ago, Farmer matt said:

There seems to be a strong groundswell that dog and cat owners should somehow acclimatise their pets, and tough if you can't.

I would suggest acclimatisation takes place at 6am on Saturday and Sunday mornings using very loud bangs

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Keeff]

I'm not sure how to interpret that comment.... if it's supposed to be humorous, then I've just suffered a total sense of humour failure. 

 

My dog is 20 months old and having to deal with seeing him so panic stricken and fearful following a loud firework let off by someone near us in the days before the weekend was really difficult to deal with.  His response was definately flight, but he had nowhere to run. 

 

Now, while I'm not against organised firework displays as they tend to be advertised well in advance, orgainsers could do more, such as leadler drop in the local area so pet owners are aware. 

 

Manufacture, transport and retail storage of fireworks is regulated .... perhaps this should extend to cover sales to the public rather than being able to buy the one that makes the biggest bang! 

 

Keith ☺️ 

[ckw]

3 minutes ago, Keeff said:

I'm not sure how to interpret that comment

It was a response to the idea that pet owners should be responsible on acclimatising their pets - and suggesting people would react badly if doing so inconvenienced their neighbours. I totally agree with your sentiments.

 

Thankfully I'm long past the young babies stage, but I can imagine its also a difficult week for parents trying to get their young kids to sleep. 

 

It just seems to me that unregulated fireworks is such an anti-social activity. Why is it accepted? I know people who have campaigned against aircraft noise but feel entitled to disturb the neighbourhood with loud firework displays when it suits them.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

 

 

[cmatthewbacon]

I’m not normally much of a Nanny-stater but I really do think there should be a curfew, and limited days per year. It is pretty selfish and antisocial to be setting off heavyweight fireworks and MLRS salvoes at 10.20pm even on November 5th…

best,

M.

[Mike]

15 minutes ago, cmatthewbacon said:

I’m not normally much of a Nanny-stater but I really do think there should be a curfew, and limited days per year. It is pretty selfish and antisocial to be setting off heavyweight fireworks and MLRS salvoes at 10.20pm even on November 5th…

best,

M.

I agree.  Having seen several of our dogs go to pieces over the years, and a couple of our cats too, I think it's about time they enforced the laws that exist to curb fireworks to specific nights.  The last few days have been awful for Tilly, as she's particularly affected by them, despite being unaffected as a puppy, and never having had bad experiences relating to loud bangs etc. that we know of (she's a rescue).  I know of other pet owners who have an awful time too, and have to drug their animals to stop them from going mad with fear.  One of our dogs tried to climb up and through the wall in the lounge one New Year, he was so scared of them.  I'm not an official dog lover either, and it upsets me to see them so frightened.

 

Anyone that thinks that their enjoyment of a few expensive and (usually disappointing) explosions is more important and animals don't matter, or it's no big deal has either no clue or no empathy.  I'm also surprised anyone can afford fireworks these days.

[JohnT]

Just an observation but aren’t fireworks today noisier and just, well, bigger than in the 1960’s of my childhood?  Rockets the public could buy for example just went whoosh followed by a pop or two. Now they can sound like military grade thunderflashes or stun grenades. 
 

Decades ago I would have said humbug to the spoilsports but now I think the game has changed and for reasons of fireworks creep with more days and a disregard for the hours of sleep plus their use for antisocial behaviour I’d say official organised displays only and only for limited times and dates. 

[treker_ed]

As a person with sensory issues around loud noises, and having a wife who also has certain sensory issues coupled with an amount of anxiety issues, we both hate this time of year. We both feel firework sales should be limited to organised displays only. Too often, around where we live, fireworks have been released in very dangerous and anti social manners. There have also been occasions where for several weeks before and after the actual bonfire night, or new year, people have still been setting them off!!!!!! Even at 1 or 2am we've had them going off. So yes, have sales restricted to a set period beforehand, and only to organised displays.

 

At a familial level, my eldest brother, as a child, had a firework thrown at him in his pram!!! Thankfully my mum managed to get him clear before the damn thing went off. But it could have been so much worse. So I have a lot of reasons for wanting this.

[hairystick]

Last night's celebrations were quite impressive around the neighbourhood. It sounded like downtown Donbas.

 

Yes, it seems the fireworks of our youth were a bit quieter than those of today. Presumably because of type restrictions, the manufacturers have upped the intensity of those available for sale.

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day, as a very young kid I used to look forward to bon-fire night, as we used to call November 5th. Dad used to set off the fire crackers we had as I and my brothers were too young. We didn't have all that many. This was early/mid 1960s. Then it got banned, for safety reasons I think. We'd never heard of Halloween.

       November 5th (last night) passed un-noticed here, unlike Halloween.

 

       As a sheer co-incidence, I've just finished reading Ken Follett's "A Column of Fire", the third book in his "The Pillars of the Earth" series. It takes place in the Elizabethan era of Europe and England. The last major incident in the book was the Gunpowder plot to blow up King James and the English Parliament, which I read this morning.

 

Regards, Jeff.

[Mr T]

Fortunately Wilf the cat seems less bothered by fireworks, even loud ones when he is in the house. If something doesn't directly affect him, he ignores it. We went to a local event last night and it was OK with the virtue of being fairly short. But it has been fairly loud around here, perhaps it is time for a change, but I could see the headlines in the Mail. 

On a lighter note I saw a piece about St Peter's School in York, which has Guy Fawkes amongst it alumni. The headmaster pointed out that the conspirators bought the cheapest gunpowder they could find, which was damp and poor quality, as was the wood. He commented it was classic Yorkshire thrift. 

[ckw]

Yesterday I discovered there is a petition on change.org looking for changes (in my view, quite reasonable ones) to the regulation of fireworks

 

https://chng.it/6Bh6QF7hkb

 

It has over 1 million signatures, so I think it has to be heard in Parliament

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Black Knight]

The supply and use of fireworks is heavily regulated in N.I.

It is illegal to buy or sell outdoor fireworks without a licence

Ordinary people can buy indoor fireworks, but the bigger stuff needs a licence. Easily obtainable by anyone who wants to do a large public display

It has in the most part stopped anti-social behaviour using fireworks

[Graham Boak]

What a terribly woke nanny state/Good Idea.  Delete as required.

[Farmer matt]

Therein lies the problem. On the one hand a bunch of apparent spoilsports and do-gooders, and on the other the apparently entitled and selfish. With just a few million somewhere in-between.

I do not think anyone is advocating draconian total bans, just for a little bit of thought and consideration, which seems to be the first thing that goes out the window these days.

Such laws that already exist here, not between 11pm and 7am with a couple of 1am exceptions, and not in a public place, are routinely ignored and largley impossible to police.

I very much doubt the situation will ever change, so am resigned to it rather than ever going to beat too much of a drum.

And it of course true that some animals are wholly oblivious to fireworks, I know some owners actually take their dogs to displays.

I would add from my own experience, it is usually best to allow your pet to get on with being stressed in their own way and to choose their own spot, rather than actively trying to distract them or making them go on their bed for example.

 

Matt

 

[Grey Beema]

1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

The supply and use of fireworks is heavily regulated in N.I.

It is illegal to buy or sell outdoor fireworks without a licence

Ordinary people can buy indoor fireworks, but the bigger stuff needs a licence. Easily obtainable by anyone who wants to do a large public display

It has in the most part stopped anti-social behaviour using fireworks

Fireworks are illegal here in ROI unless under licence.  Which is why, during the weeks of Halloween, Dublin is like downtown Beirut.

How do they come by the fireworks?  They all know someone who nips over the border to buy them….

 

It’s all very well banning something but then you have to police it….

[Neil.C]

I've always found organised displays a bit boring TBH.

 

In the last decade or so we have had a fireworks party in the garden for the Grandchildren who really love it.

 

They couldn't make it last night as my son is divorced and gets the boys on certain days so we're having the party tonight with a low noise firework collection. 

 

Dot couldn't care less!

 

[Julien]

As well as the effect they have on our pets, they can also trigger reactions in our veterans. 

 

About time it was more regulated in the UK, and im not one for saying that lightly.