To believe that fireworks shouldn’t be available to the general public?

[FatNoMorePat]

Fireworks at this time of night!!!

I’m partial to a sparkler don’t get me wrong, but I just don’t agree with fireworks being readily available for joe public. Particularly when people let them off after 11pm!

I’m not saying get rid of them all together but make it stricter so they’re only let off in safe environments by people who’ve had adequate training who then clean everything up and it’s all done and dusted before 11pm.

Am I getting old??

Your poor girl; must be awful to witness as a parent. The only vaguely helpful mechanism I have is the shower and a "script" I run through for myself if I can along the lines of " I can see xxx. I can hear xxx. I can smell xxx. I can feel xxx therefore I am in xxx". That works if the panic hasn't truly got a grip but not if I am woken from sleep by a loud bang like last night.

I had an horrendous night last night but luckily DH is away so not here to see me in a mess!!! Ironically my dog comforts me as he isn't at all phased by bangs and flashes; he really helps.

One of the dogs has to be sedated too, at this rate the whole family will be on medication.
She sits in the bath with headphones on a lot (hence out last water bill of over 1k for six months ).
I think tonight is going to be bad too as on our FB local group there are lots more displays.
I feel for the wildlife too

Yes, I agree. I have absolutely no problem with organised displays but They shouldn’t be available to the general public.

My dog is terrified. Public displays I know the date and time of so can act accordingly. I can’t drug him every night for 2 weeks because someone might randomly set them off in their garden.

And as others have said, they’re so much louder and bigger than they ever used to be

Someone shared this story on our horse community page today www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/panicked-horse-ran-died-fireworks-13901064?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

I’ve spent the morning picking up bits of spent fireworks from DD’s pony’s paddock - our yard owner said that the house right next door set off loads of huge fireworks last night

There’s a public display near-ish tonight. We know it’s coming, we all have plans as to what we’re going to do with our horses. The yard owner has people staying at the yard tonight. We can’t do that every night for weeks on end

Shitlandpony that's a heck of a water bill!!! And yes, I feel for the wildlife too and for the livestock.

Hope that your daughter and dog (and you!) don't have too tough a time of it tonight.

The determination of some people to shoehorn their hatred of dogs into this thread is astounding.

Shetlandpony I have a white noise machine, it has lots of settings. Might be worth a try?

How do you get the council to organise a display for your birthday or other family celebration

Whoever has fireworks on their birthday needs to get a life. Unless your birthday is on the 5th November, you'd be so pretentious to even think of doing that. Who even does that come to think of it?! Ive never know anyone have fireworks on their birthday!

I'm happy for fireworks to go off around the 5th November, and I will also tolerate them at New Year, but any other times letting them off is stupid and selfish. There's a story being shared on Facebook about a horse that collapsed and died the other day after being spooked by Fireworks. It's not just dogs, it's all animals. As mentioned ad nausem it's not just dogs, it's farm animals and horses. It's the elderly, it's war veterans and people with autism and PTSD.

I didn't realise how many selfish gits there are out there until I read this thread. Why are your rights to let off dangerous explosives more important than other living creatures?

Tbh supplying something that could so easily be used in a bomb does not sit well with me.

ChardonnaysPrettySister we have the apps on her phone but maybe I will look in to a machine. It’s worth a go, I swear the fireworks are louder than ever in the past few years.

Even if fireworks were banned, it's the easiest thing in the world to get agricultural rookscarers, which are cheap as chips and very loud. It's also surprisingly easy to make your own fireworks.

I'm afraid that if fireworks were banned, people who are really keen on them, or intent on causing disruption for shitz and giggles, would make their own, which would be far less safe.

Fireworks are rated and only the lowest categories can be sold to the public. The most powerful of these, category 3, should only be capable of travelling 25 metres. They have to be supplied ready-fused.

Category 4 fireworks can only be purchased by people who hold the appropriate pyrotechnician licence and are unfused.

I think one of the reasons fireworks seem louder is because it's now possible to buy lots of Cat 3 fireworks all fused together in a sort of ready-made display (or "cake", as the local firework people call them). You light a single fuse, and off they go.

For around £100, you can buy a 10 minute burst of fireworks all in one box, all fused up and ready to go, from a garden centre or wherever, and they will sound loud, because they all go off in quick succession. If someone with money to burn buys several big "cakes" and sets them off all at once, it will sound really loud.

I'd like to see the sale of "cakes" prohibited, and go back to selling individual fireworks, either as an assortment or singly.

One of these boxes in the wrong place would be catastrophic

If I was ruler of the UK, they could only be legally used on New Year's Eve and Nov 5th and only sell them to over 25s.

There, sorted.

"I can understand that the police have far more urgent things to deal with than someone letting off fireworks after 11pm"

Yeah like driving halfway across the country to tell a woman off for saying a man cant be a woman.

Ban thunder it's far too loud

@Shitlandpony I’m sorry your DD is struggling this time of year, I’d second a white noise machine.

A few years ago I went through a really bad stage with sensory overload and anxiety attacks and it was awful. The only thing that helped was lying in the bath in the dark listening to rain sounds until I could calm down. It was terrible and would’ve been very expensive but I paid a flat fee for water.

I hope she feels better soon!

Thank you . She is in the bath now, fireworks just started. Here is my bill in case anyone thought I was exaggerating, that’s for six months

I've just heard bangers and a rocket let of two doors down by the kids in the street. I might actually take up our letter box for the first time this year. Not looking forward to tonight.

I wouldn't ban totally but I would restrict the type that could be sold to the public to ones that didn't make loud noises. A few Roman candles eta that makes pretty sight for a few seconds won't hurt but some of them sold make it sound like you are in a battlefield.

Ban thunder it's far too loud

Yessss please do! Ive been actual physical pain because of thunder

I know your reply is meant to he flippant but all it does is show your lack of understanding of people with autism and other sensory issues.

We clearly cant ban thunder but why add to the discomfort and distress of others

Why the hell are posters talking about dogs barking or injuring people? This is a thread about fireworks not about hating dogs.

My dogs don't actually bark much. They bark if someone is around which I exactly what I want them to do. They will bark once or twice and then stop. If they don't stop I tell them to.

Most of my neighbours have dogs and none of them bark much. Certainly they don't make the noise that fireworks do. Also, to my knowledge, other animals are not terrified by the sound of a barking dog nor is wildlife and I am pretty sure that elderly people do not find it reminds them of the war.

There are some very selfish people on this thread.

Two friends have just posted that fireworks where they live started at 4pm - not even dark so definitely morons letting them off. They hadn't given their dogs anything as it was so early so now they have panting, shaking terrified dogs.

The sky is alight with them,, lots having parties, laughing and music. One enormous one went off nearly shat myself heard someone exclaim on the other side of the road to me, the local hairdresser locking up for the night, smiling and laughing at the noise, I wanted to cry and run indoors. Head is still mashed nearly an hour later. Loads of people out chattering excitedly on their way to the local display, its lovely. Little ones on shoulders, lots of happiness.

Something to be said for limiting those massive noisey ones to public displays. They are usually further away from ppl's homes.
I love those cakes. The really loud bangs at close quarters are utterly shattering. My animals don't turn a hair!
Neither are they bothered by thunder and lightning. A fire alarm however, terrifies the dcats! ..and must be utterly horrifying for sensory overload.

Someone threw a firework into my garden last night and exploded the corner of my shed. It was 7:30 - I or my children could have been in there. Absolutely agree with the OP

I can never remember a time when people complained about fireworks tbh, until recently that is.
I wonder what's changed recently, that people are complaining.

I can understand some animals are bothered and for some people with asd it can bother them, but neither are these things new concepts.

and I am pretty sure that elderly people do not find it reminds them of the war.

There are some very selfish people on this thread.

Who will likely be hypocritical enough to be wearing poppies!

Totally agree they should be licensed. I love them but after seeing some of the injuries they have caused - plus the fear they cause for so many, I think it’s time they were restricted.

I’ve heard of them being taped to animals, put through letterboxes, etc.

So many don’t see the danger in them. Keep them to big displays only where they can be enjoyed safely.

They’ve been going off for about a month here. I’m lucky my pets don’t care, but those that do it’s not just a night or two to get though now.