to not understand why nowhere local has a fireworks display today

[MrsMooo]

I mean, WTF... Bonfire night is tonight and the local events have been last weekend, next weekend, the middle of this week, but none tonight.

Even the one's that have been odly dotted about don't start their displays till 9pm, some 10pm

AIBU to expect somewhere to have a bonfire night display, on bonfire night at a child friendly time when it's dark by half 5 anyway? Or is a weird sussex thing that no where except Lewes (and stupdily overpriced fontwell) is supposed to do anything on Bonfire night?

I feel the same as step, when I was a child halloween was a very mild event, really, all we did was a bit of apple bobbing at school, and no trick or treating. Bonfire night was a far bigger affair, loads of people had bonfires etc.

I am disapointed there isn't a firework display in my local area either.

yes, step/ getorf, and we all used to do penny for the guy

There are a lot more stringent rules now about having a bonfire and fireworks display, and the insurance premiums have soared.

Yes, everyone innocently doing the penny for the guy thing without thinking or realising what was the reason behind it .

It wasn't even that long ago, I am 33 so penny for the guy would have still been a big thing in the mid 80s.

get orf i am 39 and used to go out will my older brother circa 1980, we once got in big trouble with an old dear for writing a sign saying 'maggy thatcher' and putting it next to our guy!

that is fabulous! I bet most people thought a burning Maggie efigy was a brilliant idea

1. because they are expensive for the materials
2. because the insurance, health and safety and public liability involved is hugely prohibitive to small organisations/people holding an event.
3. Licenses to hold displays are now quite hard to get because of all of the above.
4. because too many people complain about displays near to them.

fwiw, i think it's a real shame. i love fireworks.

1. because they are expensive for the materials Yes, but our school always covers to cost of the fireworks with pre sales of tickets, plus we get people turning up on the night. However, ours is a long established event. The local high school tried to do their first one this year and I think they struggled to cover costs with pre sales. I don't know if they covered the cost in the end or not.
2. because the insurance, health and safety and public liability involved is hugely prohibitive to small organisations/people holding an event. interestingly, I have not seen this to be the case. Perhaps because we are doing it on our own premises.
3. Licenses to hold displays are now quite hard to get because of all of the above. as above. this has never been an issue.
4. because too many people complain about displays near to them. This, from my experience, is completely true. We always had a few residents complain about mess but one went so far as to attempt to sue us and take out an injunction to prevent the following years display. He failed. Kill joy!

I think, generally speaking though you're right: there is too much hassle and expense involved, especially if it is not an established event. it's risky setting up new on because of the upfront costs.

sicky yes, all of that stuff plus the fact it's a Saturday. I think smaller events fear that if they do it tonight, they'll be shunned in favour of the bigger events.

We set off to our little, sweet, amateur Cub one last night but 3 mins from home, we couldn't see the bonnet of the car the rain was so heavy so sadly, we headed home. The to-date fab school one is no more but they say it's a venue thing: they have a new astro turf pitch thus don't dare hold fireworks anywhere near it.

So we're off to the biggie in Winchester tonight instead.

I live in Lewes ,East sussex. I never really think about other displays. I have always assumed loads of places do them. How odd that they don't.
Maybe everyone in the country comes to Lewes. It certainly seemed that way as I struggled to drive through the town at 4.30 this afternoon

Love Lewes celebrations, I'll be there tonight with my mates and my bag of treats.

also love Lewes and Ottery Tar Barrels, but both really struggle with insurance every year.

hope that these celebrations are never stopped, because they are as much cultural/heritage as they are fun.

Really miss the Lewes fireworks. We used to live off Cliffe High Street so were in prime position to watch the parades and then nip back to the house for wine and loo breaks. I will always remember my first ever sight of the burning torches winding down the High Street.

Having said that, one of the local churches puts on a free display in a park near us. Starts at 6, so perfect for families. Good fireworks ( nothing like Lewes of course, but good compared to other places ) and free hot dogs too!

If you're in East Sussex Battle has their tonight.

I think the main thing in Sussex is that a lot of places have Bonfire Societies still which aren't really anything to do with Guy Fawkes and so they have their own bonfire nights on seemingly random nights which probably have some significance to their own Society.

If anyone is interested Emmaus in Portslade has display tonight in the secret garden. Gates open at 6pm so you'd have to be quick though! £6 adults, £3.50 children, I only saw the poster this afternoon sorry.

I quite agree, not a drop of bleedin rain, and our local one has been put off till next Saturday. Sadly the unchild-friendliness of the Lewes Raucousness has put off my friend and godson, so it is a quiet night in watching the occasional fizzle of a firework in someone's back garden. Poor show. Take no notice of the ruddy weather forecasters next time. That Monsoon shower on Thursday scared the life out of everyone

yabu OP, for expecting other people to organise "somewhere to have a bonfire night display, on bonfire night at a child friendly time when it's dark by half 5 anyway?".

We organised our village one, and it's amazing how many people complain about it being too early, too late, too wet, fireworks too late or too early...when you consider it's all run by volunteers. WE did not get the fireworks people tonight at 7pm, as that's when they are booked up and/or unaffordable .... obviously!

...go on, organise your own then.

I'm setting off two - yes, two - fireworks out in the back garden tonight at 9pm.

There will be a hotdog each, as well.

Do join us, if only virtually. I am shit scared of fireworks so this is a big deal for me.

We watched the Saffron's one from our bedroom window the other night, but yes, it does get annoying that there's nothing on the actual night, especially when it falls on a weekend. I heard a couple earlier, but I think they must have been private ones. I also saw on facebook that the rugby club and the football club (is that at Saffron's?) and the cricket club all had something going on, but it's a bit late now! St Thomas a Becket and St Andrew's used to do their own, but I'm not sure if they're still going or not.
I think the lack of displays on the actual night must have something to do with it clashing with Lewes - the traffic in and out of there must be a nightmare. (I've never gone, as I've always had at least one child that I consider to be too small to go!)
I have a couple of friends who're quite involved with the local bonfire societies, I'll ask them what the score is. Not much use for tonight, but it might give you a heads up for next year! :)

Having thought DD 21 months would be too scared, we'd not really organised to do anything today. However, she was asking for 'whizz, boom' and it was a mild evening so we threw the chilli in the oven (does everyone have chilli tonight?) and set off in the car to find a pub/community centre/anything nearby doing a display/holding a bonfire.
And guess what? Nada, zilch, nothing.

There is an council-run organised display in a local park every year but btw it's a bit rowdy/full of teenagers so we wanted to avoid that - but there was literally nothing on.

Made me a bit sad really - when we were kids, you'd see lots of Penny for the Guyers, kids collecting firewood for weeks, random 10ft high bonfires in parks and woodland and back gardens - it all just seems to have gone.

Just got back from the FANTASTIC Winchester display.
Next year will probably do the Southampton one

Did you find one?

I found that it was harder to get info this year - not so many posters etc, I had to spend some time on google & things like eagle radio to find out what was going on.

There's a lot on tomorrow night around here too

Hope you found one OP!

I'm such a miser, I do like fireworks but I get really bored after ten minutes of Ooooh Ahhhh. DH and I have failed again to take DD to see some fireworks, purely because we couldn't be arsed.