Page 1 of Anybody else fed up of Bonfire Night?

It`s only a quarter to six and already it sounds like Baghdad on a bad night outside. Some of the bangs sound like heavy ordnance, there`s such a hefty thud as they go off. In Manchester kids have blown up pillar boxes, phone booths and even a police car with these imported Chinese fireworks. How the hell do these pikey shopkeepers who import these devices get them past Customs??

Isn`t it time we took a long, hard look at the traditional winter festivals we celebrate in this country? First there`s Halloween, which a lot of people have trouble with thinking it`s a celebration of evil. Then there`s Bonfire Night, which is increasingly becoming an excuse for the children of this country to play with high explosives. There are other festivals being celebrated around this end of the year that don`t seem to involve blowing things up. Couldn`t we take all the good things out of these various festivals and put them together into perhaps an extended weekend some time around the start of November that`s more about eating, drinking and merrymaking? Perhaps something multicultural we could all get into.

J Mark Oates

Halloween and Bonfire night are ok, the egg and flour and OTT fireworks are the problem,the fools that use them and crooks that sell them.

The large exploding chinese firework must cost a few quid,where do the kids get the money from?



Oscar.

I love the displays you get at fireworks night , but my view is that they should only be sold to the people doing the displays.Years ago it was ok for the general jo blogs to buy them but now they are too dangerous.they are like bloody bombs.
If you were found with a hand grenade in your pocket you would be arrested , but with a box of these large rockets etc you wouldnt.

Oh and shouldnt the heading of this thread be called "Anyone fed up with bonfire week".

It wouldn`t be so bad if it was limited to Bonfire Night and the weekend nearest. But we`ve had fireworks of mass destruction being used on a nightly basis since mid October. Now it will continue until a few days after New Year - as it did last year.

I must have picked up the remains of a dozen rockets from the back garden last year! Everytime I hear one of the big ones go off I can`t help but hoping it`s blown some irresponsible idiots hand off.

Nowt wrong with organised displays and responsible use. I just don`t understand why people on my estate think it`s fun to stand in their postage stamp size gardens and let off explosives on a nightly basis.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 5th November 2003, 20:42

I know, talk about it. From October through we get the damn fireworks constantly - and although I don`t wish that the person firing them loses a hand each time (save for pikey scum, gipsy scum, and the French ;-)), it does get annoying.

Put it this way: to begin with my cat was scared to death by the noises, now he is so relaxed as they are so frequent he just stays on the sofa, sleeping! :-)

Perhaps going with organised displays is a good idea, and stopping irresponsible twats getting hold of `em - especially as some use them as weapons, i.e. through letterboxes, and other such social methods.

My local radio station down here did a massive one the other night near me...they make a good "Oooh, ahh!" social event, without the added danger of killing/maiming someone.

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Just got in from a lovely, safe, well organised public display, which was great!! I do think, even if we don`t have an outright ban, there should be a serious reduction in the range of fireworks available to the public. On sale this week I have seen rockets as thick as my arm, and 200 shot fireworks. No-one should have these for their back garden. I love to see fireworks, but I enjoy them a lot more when I know they are being set off safely.

Organised displays - beautiful - couldn`t agree more. In fact it`s been a smashing Bonfire Night with lots of lovely rockets and very few (what sound like) howitzer shells. And it`s all quietened down by half past eleven. Imagine my surprise. :D

It`s the lunatic fringe setting them off (previous years) at 4am not just Nov 5th but every frickin` night between the beginning of October and the beginning of January. Don`t get me wrong, I love the traditions, I love the stuff that goes right. I hate the side effects - the kids in hospital come Nov 6th, the traumatised pets, the wannabe terrorists seeing what they can blow up next. It`s like everything we do as a nation from drinking to politics, there`s always some silly bugger who doesn`t know what moderation means and spoils it for everybody else.

<heavy sigh>

J Mark Oates

This item was edited on Thursday, 6th November 2003, 00:10

Ban the bloody things (excpt public displays). This is the only country they are not banned. The ban came into force in Australia over 30 years ago. Here they are still talking about it...every single October/November, then forgotten!

Hi there,I quite like bonfire night and setting off a few fireworks in the back garden with treacle toffee and parkin......so there.... :p

How do your immediate neighbours and those in the vicinity feel about It?