Isn't It About Time Fireworks

There have been fireworks going off every night for the last four weeks where I am - sometimes for 7 hours at a time - and sounding like a bombardment on occasion. These include organised large displays and individuals setting off their own at home. No doubt there will be more tonight and tomorrow while people still 'celebrate' Bonfire Night. Fireworks should not be on sale to the general public - full stop. They should be licensed and only for public displays in agreed areas. Whereas years ago Bonfire Night used to be that - Bonfire Night, singular, now like most things it is dragged out over numerous days and weeks. Really thinking about it, I don't know why the fact that the plotters failed is still commemorated. Fawkes was only the 'goffer' checking the fuses when he was caught - he wasn't even the mastermind behind it.
 
The celebration ought to be fireworks not going off, to be historically accurate. Build a huge bonfire, set the rip-raps and the wheels, and then not let them off, to tumultuous applause or jeers, depending on your political stance. Probably more historically correct to have some volunteers for the rack (not too earnestly applied, as you want 'em back for more next year) and fake executions.

I stayed on at Lingfield last night to sell tickets for their display, which was a good 'un - properly monitored so no-one accidentally barbecued themselves or anyone else, presented over around 25 minutes to music. It was also a good 'un, unlike a couple of years ago, when the bonfire-makers got their wind direction wrong and smoked out the choking crowd, who departed very early and demanded their money back, or the year before that, when the fuses refused to charge on the display (where was Guido when they needed him?) and led to another mass, grumbling exit, ditto demanding their money back!
 
Oh thats so sad Shads - RIP Nip.

Im in the organised displays only camp too - they are responsible for the death of the best horse I ever looked after, albeit after his retirement, and too many of my friends have animals who just cant cope.

hate them.
 
I'm sorry to hear that SL.

It was very quiet around our neck of the wood last night but I fear that many people are going to use Saturday night as bonfire night.

Where we live we have for years suffered with morons letting fireworks off from the beginning of October..this year though that hasn't been the case because the shop that was always selling them to under age kids shut down a few months ago....I don't normally like to see businesses go under ...but the guy running it was an arsehole.

The problem we have is that there is a % of people who are complete twats ...and shoving mini explosives in their hands is the last thing we need.

I hear talk of poverty in this country..but the morons I see with fireworks in public places are usually the cheap sportswear wearing so called "poor" people who I also see walking past where I work to sign on..and the same poor people who have to use the telephone box near the job centre/benefits gift shop..l..to ring for for "crisis loans". Boy does that phone box get some hammer..a freephone number I guess..even though all those abusing the system then walk out using their mobiles

There is a topic all on its own..CRISIS LOANS..talk about the same people ripping the system off..I witness that week in week out

maybe this poverty is a special kind is it?..where you can still afford to be a twat with fireworks..own the latest mobile phone...ipod...but not feed yourself or pay your own way
 
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Sad news, Shadow. Poor Nip.

Fireworks round here not too bad. The local schools both have bonfire nights over the weekend and the one at the racecourse is usually a big affair.

A couple of kids let a few bangers off in the field behind my house last night. Scared Senior Cat silly, but Junior Cat actually ran to window to watch. Well, he did live rough for a year so probably knows that if it is outside and at a distance it won't hurt him. (Pity he hasn't realised that about the bin-men. Silly sod hides in the vegetable rack behind the kitchen door every Friday morning!)
 
It got a bit noisy for a while tonight. It was the main lcoal event organised by the Round Table or Raotary Club or something like that. The heinz glued himself to my leg but wasn't in as bad a state as previously.
 
krizon said:
The celebration ought to be fireworks not going off, to be historically accurate. Build a huge bonfire, set the rip-raps and the wheels, and then not let them off, to tumultuous applause or jeers, depending on your political stance. Probably more historically correct to have some volunteers for the rack (not too earnestly applied, as you want 'em back for more next year) and fake executions.
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You mean the real celebration was actually out in the bay after the Bournemouth air show then Kri - where the "world record attempt" went badly wrong and ended up as a couple of minutes of fizzling rather than the god knows how long and Christ only knows how many thousands of pounds of fireworks going off.... :lol:
 
I was doing grand - the valerian cordial I'd sourced was doing a mega job of keeping her nicely chilled, if a little clingy. Until some arsehole let half a dozen very loud bangers off right outside my house at which point she shit herself. Suddenly I had a dog under the bedcovers with me, scrabbling around for dear life, petrified. I've a few scratches and bruises now!
 
It's honked down with heavy rain most of this evening - huzzah-huzzah! Which has meant that the shrieking hordes who infest the streets after club-chucking time aren't out, playfully hurling thunderflashes at people's windows.
 
Horses dosed with valerian - check. Dog dosed with valerian - check. Dinner in the oven - check. Waterproofs out ready to be worn in a night-time vigil to make sure the horses don't do something really stupid as the bloke down the road is having a massive firework display, complete with those ridiculously loud bangers - check. Could be interesting tonight with this firework display - most of the tenants on the farm estate aren't too happy about the intended party, the estate manager included. There'll be a few of us out there with the horses tonight.
 
Hope you don't have too bad a night with the horses. My normally panicked cat seems strangely calm at the moment, fingers crossed it stays that way.
 
You can purchase them here in Australia across the states, legally, as long as you are over 18, have a permit to let them off, and you meet a few requirements.

But like all things, people can and will get them illegally. Nothing can or will stop them.

If in doubt, just go to the ACT or NT, because there are no restrictions!!!!

Personally I don't see the need of letting them off in suburban or rural areas, particularly with animals around. My brother's lab is petrified of the sound of them. He almost broke his neck one night trying to escape from the noise, when some moronic kids randomly let them off up the road at the park. Thankfully the little prats were caught by the cops.
 
I got a soaking but the horses didn't so much as turn a hair - gave them a cursory glance, sneered, then got back to assaulting me to see if I had any treats for them. My friend's horse watched them for a while with rounded eyes then soon got bored, so it wasn't a problem at all. What I want to know is how a mare who shits herself at a dock leaf, or a puddle, or where the road is slightly darker as it's wet, or at painted lines on a road, can shrug off fireworks as not worth the interest - mares!!! Even the baby (well, not so much a baby now!) wasn't bothered, nor my old boy either. The dog had enough valerian in her feed that she's slept all evening...
 
First time the pup has heard fireworks and didnt turn a hair - unlike hte old dog who we had to lock in the loo!
 
When my daughter had ponies the field was next to a firework factory. The horses were so used to flashing lights and explosions that they never batted an eyelid on bonfire night [in fact, the village bonfire display was always in the next field as well]. Whippety dog is having a vervous breakdown at the moment and I've realised I'm out at the theatre tomorrow night so she'll be at home on her own [never thought about such things when I bought the tickets last December]. I'm hoping the dap diffuser spray will help, and I may have to risk letting her have the sofa with the telly on and hope I've still got a sofa when I get home.
 
Try putting a dose of valerian in her feed - it's natural and it has a calming effect, as well as helping aid sleep. Valerian in my old girl's feed [lots of!!!] and leaving the television on when I went out to see the horses and she was fine - which is pretty amazing for her. In fairness living here the noise from fireworks is minimal; back at home it was constant, loud, and never-ending.
 
Shadow Leader said:
I got a soaking but the horses didn't so much as turn a hair - gave them a cursory glance, sneered, then got back to assaulting me to see if I had any treats for them. My friend's horse watched them for a while with rounded eyes then soon got bored, so it wasn't a problem at all. What I want to know is how a mare who shits herself at a dock leaf, or a puddle, or where the road is slightly darker as it's wet, or at painted lines on a road, can shrug off fireworks as not worth the interest - mares!!! Even the baby (well, not so much a baby now!) wasn't bothered, nor my old boy either. The dog had enough valerian in her feed that she's slept all evening...
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Good question Shads! We had this gelding who crapped himself at anything that moved the first day he went to the races. His first day at the track was so memorable, for all the wrong reasons! The moment he left the comfort of his stall, he was beside himself with fear. This was the same horse earlier who a few weeks previously had a pitbull that belonged to one of the strappers, trying to play with his tail, that went flying halfway across the stable from a nice hind kick, because the dog tried to nip his legs. Dog never went near the horses again!

He fretted at everything that day, water, lights being turned on, even someone pointing from a long distance. Yet when the speakers went over the track, he stood there undisturbed! I mean it was like he was possessed by movement or something! Our stable foreman took him that day, I came along as it was always a requirement for there to be 2. But after the race, the horse literally rammed the poor foreman into the fence, and stood shaking like an absolute leaf, with John sandwiched in between him and the fence. I grabbed the horse's lead, and then all of a sudden he went quiet, and was angelic. He only raced 3 more times, which I had to take him. The second time, the owners requested I take him by myself and for John to come along. Horse was like an angel. He did rear, when some kid walked up to the fence. Yet again when the speakers went on he didn't care.
 
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