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:eyes While driving into Wick tonight I saw fireworks going off and it got me to thinking that we never have a firework display or bonfire on 5th November, so we are really missing out. Instead of buying all those fireworks at the end of Gala Week in the summer time, why not save half and have a nice bonfire and firwork display on 5th November, Guy Fawkes day. Does anyone else agree?? :Razz
Well I for one agree with you about that Fran.
If it was held fairly early in the evening I'm sure the kids and the Big Kids who had them would love it.
I had a proper lancashire bonfire party last year with potato pie and black peas and fireworks and parkin and it was FAB.
Not doing it this year cos i am broke but Bonfire parties are always good fun for all> I think there is an opportunity for great fun to be had
Nearly four hundred years ago, in 1605, a man called Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London with barrels of gunpowder placed in the basement. He wanted to kill King James and the king’s leaders.
Why did Guy Fawkes want kill King James and the king’s leaders?
When Queen Elizabeth 1st took the throne of England she made some laws against the Roman Catholics. Guy Fawkes was one of a small group of Catholics who felt that the government was treating Roman Catholics unfairly. They had hoped that the next King, James 1st, would change the the laws but he didn't.
What happened?
A group of men led by Robert Gatesby, plotted to kill James. Guy Fawkes was one the group.
The men bought a house next door to the parliament building. The house had a cellar which went under the parliament building. They planned to put gunpowder under the house and blow up parliament and the king.
The king and his leaders were to meet on November 5.
Guy Fawkes was given the job to keep watch over the barrels of gunpowder and to light the fuse, but he was discovered before he could blow up parliament. Guy Fawkes was put in prison and tortured until he told them the names of all the people involved in the Gunpowder Plot.
What do we do in England on November 5th?Every year on 5th November, the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes is remembered. Throughout England, towns and villages light huge bonfires, let off magnificent fireworks, burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes and celebrate the fact the Parliament and James I were not blown sky high by Guy Fawkes.
As well as burning effigy of Guy Fawkes, the bonfires are used to cook potatoes wrapped in foil and heat up soup for the crowds that come to watch the fireworks.
In main town and cities, torch-lit processions are also popular on this night too.
During the days before Bonfire Night, children used to take their home-made guys out on the street and ask for "a penny for the Guy" for fireworks.
Also children, in some areas, blacken their faces as Guy Fawkes might of did when he plotted to blow up parliament.
Flaming Barrels
In Ottery St Mary, teams of stalwart men carry flaming tar barrels on their shoulders down the length of the town’s High Street. When one man’s 50-pound barrel gets too hot to handle, another man takes over - then another, and then another, until the flames die out and the barrel crumbles into ashes.
Food
Jacket potatoes are baked in the bonfire and ate with a mug of hot soup.
Parkin Cake, a sticky cake, is traditionally eaten on this day.
SO Why are we in Scotland celebrating a purely English custom......I dinna understand it
as good as the celebration sounds
Golach
Surely we're all for celebrating anyone who tried to kill an English king :) (joke)
But you could say the same about all the Christian celebrations that the non-church going community celebrates, easter, crimbo etc.
But what is it they say? "any excuse for a party!!!"
Food
Jacket potatoes are baked in the bonfire and ate with a mug of hot soup.
Parkin Cake, a sticky cake, is traditionally eaten on this day.
Golach
Jacket potatoes - HAH. Give me a good old potao pie with a thick crust served with beetroot and red cabbage. Add black peas with lots of vinegar, Parkin and Bonfire toffee set in little foil cases mmmmmmmmmmm
Jacket potatoes and soup HAH thats SUCH a southern softie menu for bonfire night
But you could say the same about all the Christian celebrations that the non-church going community celebrates, crimbo etc.
"
70 days to go to Crimbo......BAH Humbug!!!!!!!!
Golach
Now that's often puzzled me..why do the english celebrate the fact that the plot failed ?Surely it would have been something to clebrate if it had succeeded.[lol]
What, and blow up a good Scots Stuart King who Ruled the English?
Jaws ye're right..can't have Stuart kings being blown up! But Parliament that's a whole different kettle o' fish.
"And shall Trelawney live or shall Trelawney die?"
Westminster has MUCH to answer for.
Does any one know of any displays this year apart from the thurso one if they are having it still?
JammyDodger69
21-Oct-04, 14:40
Aye ma backgarden, hehe fire fire.. wooooooshhhhhhh BOOOOOM!!!!!
Sorry!! :roll:
lol don't worry i have some to :P 45 rockets and 2 boxes of 17 ground ones but i will do them at the beach so the neighbours don't complain
I wish everyone had your commonsense William. Our dog and probably lots of other dearly loved pets and their owners would be delighted if people would consider them and not put of fireworks in built up areas. Its not only pets that get frightened, young children and the elderly should also be considered. Please everyone think of these sensitive people and animals before you start letting of fireworks willy nilly. Find somewhere well away from built up areas. Please.
I agree with Phoenix. although I suggested some of the fireworks from gala night were saved to have them on 5th November, i would really like to see them banned. Its not just the poor dogs and cats that are terrified, it was upsetting to see the terrified birds flying out of the trees on gala night with the people,fire and fireworks. When fireworks are let off at other times it must terrify old people, and it must bring back memories of the war to them. I would like to see all fireworks everywhere BANNED for these reasons. :evil
If fireworks were set off every night then people, pets, farm animals, birds, bees, worms, rats and beetles would all get used to them and would cease to be frightened by them!
The more things we keep wrapping in Cotton Wool the more things will be frightened. If we keep Banning things because somebody, anybody, anything, anywhere might be, or is, made nervous by whatever then eventually nobody will be able to do anything!
As for old people possibly being frightened because it reminds them of the bombing during the War I must admit I have never heard that one before, that really is a new one. It's funny that the old people in the late 1940s and 50s who had just come through the war did not suffer such fear.
Pets? Keep them in, keep them entertained and turn up the TV. Any wild birds which fall out of trees suffering fron Shock, keep them warm, keep them quiet, lie them down and let them go when they recover and advise them to return if they hear a car backfire.
Why is it that somebody somewhere can always find an excuse for "Banning" somebody elses' pleasure?
The Angel Of Death
22-Oct-04, 09:52
I agree with Phoenix. although I suggested some of the fireworks from gala night were saved to have them on 5th November, i would really like to see them banned. Its not just the poor dogs and cats that are terrified, it was upsetting to see the terrified birds flying out of the trees on gala night with the people,fire and fireworks. When fireworks are let off at other times it must terrify old people, and it must bring back memories of the war to them. I would like to see all fireworks everywhere BANNED for these reasons. :evil
Come on fran get a grip there is only 2 times a year that fireworks get put off gala night and the 5th (new year sometimes as well) and as for the birds there birds whe cares about them (bet your not saying that when one lays a big one on your car after washing it !!!)
As Jaws said if it was an everyday occurance they would get used to it i seem to remember they used to have a hooter to signal the end of the shift at the distilary in wick did that "scare" the birds or old people no they got used to it
How not ban halloween as well i bet that scares the old folks and the birds as well those kids going round dressed up looking like the devils spawn sure scares me quite a bit you know
How about banning planes or even loud cars trains noisy dogs drills for digging the road etc the list goes on and on im sure there are billions of thing that "scare " old people and animals but most people and animals just get on with it
If not how about getting a grant from the council for a set of earmuffs should solve most problems
Remember one mans pleasure is anothers poison
Fireworks? I love them, but if I find the prat who was putting them off in Wick yesterday morning sometime before 6 am , he'she will be wearing the next one (lit!) where the sun don't shine
Fireworks? I love them, but if I find the prat who was putting them off in Wick yesterday morning sometime before 6 am , he'she will be wearing the next one (lit!) where the sun don't shine
Well said KitKat, I totally agree with your sentiments [mad]
I enjoy a firework display along with the next person ( and living in Edinburgh we get a lot more displays than most)
BUT I hate BANGERS and the idiots and morons that buy and I use the word buy very loosely, coz down here the policy "if I cant get the money oot o the wrinklies I'll just steal it" rules.
Also no one has mentioned the danger of these explosive devices in the hands of dare I say it "our teenage children" who have shown all and sundry that that they are capable of conducting themselves in a sensible and mature manner.
Since last week bangers have been going off at all hours of the day and night in the streets around here.
I personally would BAN the purchase of Fireworks to all members of the public so all manner of beasties including humans would be safe
Golach
I wish everyone had your commonsense William. Our dog and probably lots of other dearly loved pets and their owners would be delighted if people would consider them and not put of fireworks in built up areas. Its not only pets that get frightened, young children and the elderly should also be considered. Please everyone think of these sensitive people and animals before you start letting of fireworks willy nilly. Find somewhere well away from built up areas. Please.
thanx :)
Angel of Death.........Where is it that you live that fireworks only go off twice a year? Weve had to date since October came in 3 nights of them. Id have no objection to them if it was only one night, that we'd be able to cope with, but these mindless morons who go around letting of bangers just for the sheer hell of it for god knows how many nights before Halloween and Guy Fawkes night I do object to. :evil
If I knew who they were Id send them all to Clyth and wherever it is you live Angel of Death. Gateway to Hell is it?
You both show a complete lack of respect. :evil
JammyDodger69
22-Oct-04, 16:55
Wick!!
For your information Jaws. Your theory of the more nights they let of fireworks the more they will get used to it and the less frightened they will be.............It doesnt work like that. Talking from experience the more nights they are let off the more frightened the animals get. Go talk to a Vet Ill bet he can tell you a few stories about aniimals and fireworks. [evil]
:roll: WELL SAID PHOENIX, :evil [lol]
tides of pentland firth
22-Oct-04, 20:18
I live on the Wick of Wick and can easily hear the ones going of in Pultney as I write. It must be hellish for anyone living within close proximity of that.
Tides
exactly!!!!!!!! [mad]
Golach
tides of pentland firth
22-Oct-04, 20:58
But I thought you lived in Edinburgh. Shourly you can't hear them as well? I wouldnt be surprised.
gravedigga
22-Oct-04, 21:13
I've been hearing them going off the lst few nights, i live on the pultney side of the town and i don't think it's that big a deal.
Think the fireworks on Bonfire night are quite bonnie too :)
Phoenix, Fran, I had a dog that was terrified of Traffic. Can we get all traffic banned as well because there must be other animals just the same, besides, vehicles should be banned because they might frighten the horses, ask the Victorians. Next spring watch how the poor little lambs flee to their mummies in terror when something goes past on the road.
Some animals are neurotic and that cannot be helped, but I strongly suspect that the main problem is that it's their owners who really have the problem over fireworks and the pets are a convenient excuse. Animals will quickly pick up their owners anxiety and become anxious themselves, ask any vet.
If animals do not adjust how is it that animals at the end of heavily used Airport Runways become totally imune to the low-flying jets taking off under full power when animals elsewhere are easily panicked by low jets under far less power?
And what most Vets are far too polite to tell you is that when many owners take their pets to the Vets the animal needs about 20 per cent of the attention and the owner the other 80 per cent.
You sure your not speaking about yourself Jaws. I absolutely love Fireworks, I do not have a problem with them, I do have a problem with low-flying jets, my dog doesnt, I also have a problem with traffic flying by me, my dog doesnt. So thats another of your theories knocked on the head..[smirk]
Lol what you all like?? :Razz
Its okay William. Its only Jaws he just loves winding people up. Dont you Jaws? :p
Oh dear phoenix, at you sure you only joined less than a month ago?
Now would sweet little me do anything like that?
How could you think such nasty things of me? :evil :evil :eek:
well well JAWS looks like phoenix has you sussed all ready haha
Its my sixth sense that tells me things Jaws. ;)
If you are not aware new legislation has been introduced regarding the use of fireworks -
• You can't set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am except for on November 5 when you can set them off until midnight and New Year's Eve, Chinese New year and Diwali when they can be set off until 1am.
• You must be over 18 to buy fireworks, except for caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns where the legal age of purchase is 16.
• It is an offence to throw or set off fireworks in a street or public place and it is also illegal for anyone under 18 to possess fireworks in public.
• It is an offence for people who aren't firework professionals to buy and possess category 4 fireworks. These are only to be used at public displays by firework professionals.
More info can be found here - http://www.dti.gov.uk/fireworks/fire_you/new_leg.htm
Sadly the matter of animals and fireworks is not as easily cured by desensitisation - the suddeness of the sound is part of the problem. Many dogs are not bothered by this type of sound, for example Gun Dogs (funnily enough) but even dogs which are bred to used as this type of working dog can be useless due to their fear.
Some dogs which were never bothered by thunderstorms or fireworks can develop a fear of this type of noise almost overnight - I know, we have one such dog.
Many owners can accept that on one or twon nights of the year sedation of their dog or pet may be necessary, but when the nuisance extends over two or three weeks it really does wear you down. You then get wound up when the idiots in the village decide its time to let off a few more at 1am. Kind of understandable....
The new law doesn't really do anything. The police are already over extended with serious crimes and are probably going to grade anti-social behaviour using fireworks pretty low on their list of things to go rushing to. I mean round here if you get burgled you may be lucky to even see a copper. Can you imagine the response if you report yoofs letting off fireworks in the street?
It is a half measure, something this government seems to be good at. I don't want to spoil peoples fun, and I enjoyed fireworks displays as a kid, so I would not dream of denying todays kids this enjoyment but I really think that the whole industry needs to look at who it sells these explosives to the public. Is there a need to sell them to Joe Bloggs? Is there a need to have shops full of these things for 2-3 weeks before Nov 5th? I don't believe there is and as a lot of the shop bought fireworks seem to originate outside of the UK, I suspect that the fireworks industry in this country would not object to the restrictions of these cheap fireworks. I may be incorrect but UK manufacturers tend to produce fireworks for public display.
With Kimbolton Fireworks and the Rev Lancaster just down the road I almost live in Fireworks central....
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/MadPict/images/flaminblob.gifMadPict
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/MadPict/images/gruff_ext.gif
And now to confuse everybody. MadPict I agree with you!
Fireworks should be kept properly in their place. Unfortunately the idiots who set the loud ones off at stupid times are the people who have not got the brains to get attention any other way. At school the only way the staff could tell that they were getting older was by the fact that the illegible scrawl got higher up the Toilet Wall.
The new laws are only a vote catching PR exercise and I am sure that plenty of other laws would cover most of the excesses that they cover.
I understand that many of the louder “Bomb” type fireworks are not on general sale through retail outlets in fact I don’t think they still sell the normal “Bangers”.
I’m not sure if the really loud ones are used up here but it seems they are illegally imported and sold on the black-market. The ones that are manufactured here or are legally imported are distributed only for Professional Displays.
Perhaps the retail sale should be restricted to the week prior to bonfire nights with outlets only allowed to take orders prior to that time. It would not stop the odd idiot hanging on to a few for later use but it might stop quite a lot of the nuisance prior to bonfire night and also help pet-owners with their animals.
I heard a Representative of the Fireworks Industry in this Country and the impression I got was that they were genuinely as concerned about the idiots and also the louder, totally unsuitable type of fireworks as the public.
They realised that if they were producing them and selling them to all and sundry that they would be cutting their own throats and would be closed down.
I believe that stricter control of fireworks is the answer, not banning them. I love to watch my friends youngsters enjoying a few fireworks round a bonfire in the back garden.
But I am lucky, only one of my pets is upset by noise, but then again, he’s frightened of his own shadow.
You had a brain transplant in the middle of the night Jaws? :eek:
Late last night some moron set off one of these bangers which sent our dog bananas, Took almost 2 hrs to calm her down. [mad]
Why not sell them only on the morning of the day of Halloween or Guy Fawkes. I daresay the morons will still hang on to them and let them off on the days and nights after these days just to be difficult.You cant win. [evil]
Phoenix, it's a terrible affliction I suffer from occasionally, it's called reality. There is a cure for it but the Medics tell me it will ruin my liver. As it only comes over me on rare occasions I decided it's something I have to put up with but I do try not to afflict it on others.
Has anybody asked around the County to see if any of the shops know where these things come from or checked to see if they can see any for sale. They are obviously getting them somewhere and it would be interesting to know the source.
What things Jaws? Did I miss something somewhere? :confused Oh and my sympathies with your reality problem, must be an awful thing to have to live with.:D
Theyre at it again tonight with these bangers Grrrrrrhhhhhh [evil]
Sorry, I knew what I meant. By "These Things", I meant those minature explosive devices which masquerade as fireworks!
Naefearjustbeer
24-Oct-04, 11:50
Sorry, I knew what I meant. By "These Things", I meant those minature explosive devices which masquerade as fireworks!
As far as I am aware you canot buy a box of Bangers anymore . Due to the fact they were the number one nuisance firework. Air bombs were also particulary loud I dont think you can buy these by themselves either, but you can get them if you buy a big selection box where you will get one or two noisy fireworks. This probally puts them out of the budget of your average yobbo. I bought a large box of fireworks the other day with about 30 separate fireworks, out of the 30 I think about 2 of them will produce a bang. The rest are probally classed as useless by the yobs to throw in the street because you wont get much effect with a shower of brightly coloured sparks..
Tugmistress
24-Oct-04, 12:18
you are probably using the main source of fireworks available if the ones people want are not in the shops?
i haven't searched but i would assume, like everything else, you can obtain fireworks over the net.
personally i love to see firworks, but am also very lucky in my location, i look out over most of thurso and can watch every one elses fireworks, go "oooh very pretty" and not hear the noises and the dogs don't go nuts. (the old fart still reckons he can catch the jets going over though :roll: )
So where are they obtaining "These Things" from. Could be these clever morons make them themselves , my son did inform me awhile back that they used to take a few of the quieter ones and make them into one big one to get the "Big Bang" effect.. Must cost quite a bit, wonder where they get all the money from.... :confused
Fireworks - most people love them, and enjoy watching them. But the fact is that fireworks do cause distress to animals, as well as causing injury to them as well.
My own personal opinion is that fireworks should only be allowed to be used in properly organised events, where the public can all get together and enjoy the display in one place.
People say "Get a life, fireworks only go off once or twice a year" - not true. We hear fireworks most nights, at this time of year. The problem is that people buy fireworks at various times, to enjoy in their own gardens etc. This only prolongs the distress caused to animals.
If you could see pictures of animals who have been injured by fireworks, it would certainly make you think more about it.
I feel that everyone would benefit, if special firework displays were organised for everyone to enjoy, and if it stopped people buying their own fireworks, I would certainly support it.
Just my opinion though.
Naefearjustbeer
24-Oct-04, 17:16
So where are they obtaining "These Things" from. Could be these clever morons make them themselves , my son did inform me awhile back that they used to take a few of the quieter ones and make them into one big one to get the "Big Bang" effect.. Must cost quite a bit, wonder where they get all the money from.... :confused
We err I mean when I was at school quite a few years ago it was common practice to tape up the fireworks the idea was that they would make a bigger bang as the force required to burst the tape would increase the explosion. I dont know if it made much difference or not. But boys will be boys and like to experiment with such things. As for affording things I used to save up my lunch money for a week and buy a couple packets of bangers. They were not very expensive.
Naefearjustbeer
24-Oct-04, 17:26
If you could see pictures of animals who have been injured by fireworks, it would certainly make you think more about it.
The thing is anyone who injures an animal by throwing or aiming a firework at it deserves to be strung up by the neck. If you take fireworks away these sick people will just find another way to hurt the defenceless animals, Or they will start finding ways to make or aquire illegal fireworks from questionable sources, these illegal things are likely to cause worse injuries than home standard fireworks. Can you imagine the devastation that a big rocket stolen from a large organised firework display would cause in the hands of a juvenile yob, they are bad enough with small cheap ones from the shops that wont fly much higher than your house. Just imagine what something with enough power to fly 100s of feet in the air will cause.
The fact is bad people are bad and they will be bad with whatever they can lay thier hands on. banning fireworks will not stop animal cruelty. What about the man who beats a dog with a stick, do you then ban sticks?
well im sick of the fireworks and wish they were banned completely and only sold for events
one was put off right outside my house last night then when i went to window to see who it was i seen someone put one of in the stairwell of a block of flats, smoke was billowing out the place and think it went off outside someones door cos their smoke alarm was going something chronic
I agree with wicker - Should be banned from general sale and only available to licensed organisations.
You will still get the odd ones filtering through because of the internet. You will be unable to eradicate them completly, but reduce the quantity being set off OUTSIDE peoples homes around the town.
I like the big fireworks and the big booms, but when you are relaxing, watching t.v. and an almighty flash and bang goes off, even my heart of mid thirties, misses a beat. :eek:
I could go on, but what is the point, you will still have selfish, mindless thugs doing this every year for many years to come. [evil]
All banning fireworks will do is stop kids enjoying their parents letting a few off in the garden on Bonfire night.
The idiots who are getting them now will continue getting them and will still cause the same problems.
You cannot legislate against Stupidity however many laws you make.
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