To want to buy a few fireworks?

[Motherdare]

I can’t find any anywhere! What’s happened? Has Bonfire Night been cancelled? I loved it as a child. I just want to get a few sparklers and Roman candles, some traffic lights and fizz pops. I’m not looking for a significant amount of gunpowder - not trying to frighten people’s pets. I don’t want to attend a public display. They’re too crowded and loud. I just want a little party in my garden with parkin and toffee apples.

Where are all the fireworks??

Where I live (not UK mainland) sale of fireworks is strictly controlled. Organised display companies (weddings, bank holiday celebrations etc) can order and store them subject to a licence, but general public are restricted to only being able to buy a few days before Nov 5th, and then only from a limited range of official suppliers, not supermarkets or 'normal' shops.

It means we don't have any of the anti-social fireworks stuff people have been talking about on here, and also we know our pets are ok other than the nights of Nov 5th itself, or the nearest weekend when the organised displays take place. Works for us - no one has complained, anyway!

@SecretKeeper1

And… our local fire and ambulance services are on standby this weekend. The properly organised displays have been cancelled (because Covid / money) so they’re expecting a lot of numpty related incidents.

Are they though? I'm an A&E doctor/urgent care GP. We don't actually see that many firework injuries. Most injuries from Nov 5th celebrations are from bonfires (men people just can't resist poking them) and sparklers - which can cause nasty burns. The 2000 injuries quoted upthread is probably about right, but most will be from bonfires and sparklers. Fireworks can cause serious injuries, of course, but the numbers aren't high. If I were going to ban something to reduce avoidable burns, fireworks would be a long, long way down the list - way lower than bonfires, candles/oil burners, and log burners, for a start.

If you want to ban fireworks, the effects on the environment and pets/wildlife are a stronger argument IMO.

Organised displays near us are very busy.

Balloon releases are really awful so so lethal to wildlife
Those flaming lanterns too.

Yes complain a lot to a charity if they are going to do a balloon release.

YANBU god some people on here are miserable.

Yes @MakkaPakkas it does make me miserable reading stories of dead/traumatised animals that have been terrified by fireworks.

Clearly that doesn't bother you.

@Worldwide2

I have never heard fireworks going off for weeks or months? I'm not trying to cause an argument but i genuinely haven't heard any fireworks unless bonfire/new years eve?

It happens in certain areas more than others, put it that way. And I live smack bang in the middle of one of those certain areas!

@MakkaPakkas

YANBU god some people on here are miserable.

It is pretty miserable when it causes flashbacks in those with PTSD, heart attacks in the elderly, trauma in those with additional needs, damages/kills wildlife and pets, puts pressure on Emergency Services because idiots blow themselves and others up/set themselves on fire because they don't need a strict risk assessment in their square foot of back garden.....

[quote Notahandmaid]@emeraldcity2000 - it's not just about dogs - it's about wildlife, livestock and people too.

Your post implies that because some people don't control their dogs properly that it's ok to terrorise neighbourhoods with fireworks for two weeks a year around bonfire night![/quote]
My points the opposite.
Most people use fireworks responsibly, they are not terrorising anyone. Just like most dog owners are responsible. I don't think you need to ban it because some people are not as responsible.

I wish they would ban the sale of fireworks to members of the public. Between bonfire night and diwali we've had days of them, going on for hours each evening. My cats are in bits and they've woken my baby several times.

They should be allowed at licensed displays only, and only on the actual day of Diwali / bonfire night / NYE.

@Franklyfrost

I'd love to know where you lived all over the country and didn't get disturbed by fireworks. I lived in the back of beyond up a farm track but within sight of lots of villages and a town.

Town display was advertised. The rest weren't and there were four or five a night, some past midnight, for 5 days. Then came New Year's. And because there's a large wedding venue 3 miles away and no wedding is proper without fireworks at 11pm, there were numerous Saturdays with firework displays.

I would say limit to public displays. The only alternative is to have a council register which flags concerned people the date and times of displays. But as a PP from NI said, people don't bother paying a fee or registering.

If I don't know when displays are happening, I can't prepare my dog or livestock. You can't dope a dog or cat forever and sometimes it just leaves them still anxious but too sleepy to move to a comfort zone. You might even be out when an unexpected firework display happens (Nov 1-31st, anyone?).

And as PPs have said, it's not just pets and livestock and wild animals, it's people too.

@RachelHasThoseInBurgundy and there are laws against antisocial behaviour for anyone using fireworks in an unsafe way....

@emeraldcity2000 - Firework users might be 'responsible' in that they don't fire them through letterboxes or attach them to cats (sadly I've seen many stories with similar cases) but most firework users are inconsiderate. If they stuck to the 5th November, I wouldn't be so against them but we get them on our estate for at least 2 weeks around this time of year.

[quote emeraldcity2000]@RachelHasThoseInBurgundy and there are laws against antisocial behaviour for anyone using fireworks in an unsafe way.... [/quote]
That doesn’t address the impact of them on animals and anyone who is traumatised by their sound.

@MakkaPakkas

YANBU god some people on here are miserable.

Love for you to come and sit round my house and watch my dog shaking and slobbering uncontrollably for weeks on end every time it goes dark. At least my dog can have the TV turned up and he's in a house. The wildlife has know idea what's going on and no escape from it. If it was just the one day then fair enough but it's not.

@5thnonblonde

My dog doesn’t mind them, it’s not like all dogs can’t handle it

Oh that's ok then.

I can handle them. Does that mean people who can't don't matter?

I don’t think they should be on sale to the general public, they’re an absolute nuisance. No qualms about professional displays on bonfire night itself but it shouldn’t be a 2 month long thing with every Joe Bloggs setting them off Willy nilly. It always seems to start around Halloween and doesn’t end until early January.

YANBU. I love fireworks and seeing them all go off at this time of year.

That’s on you. Responsible pet owners would do their bit to help their pets through this period.

Utter nonsense, some dogs just cannot tolerate fireworks. There is nothing that can be done about it.

If you really must go see fireworks then go to an organised display. They will be much more impressive than a few loud but disappointing bangs in your back yard and you won't piss off your neighbours either.

I find the whole 'people are so miserable' tripe about fireworks very boring. People are allowed not to enjoy things that others might deem 'fun'.

Our city council and all villages surrounding have cancelled this year's fireworks because of COVID. Again. So people have to do it themselves.

@MooseBreath

Our city council and all villages surrounding have cancelled this year's fireworks because of COVID. Again. So people have to do it themselves.

They don't 'have' to at all do they. No one 'has' to have fireworks

Good, they shouldn’t be sold. A girl I went to school with had a missing finger because of an accident in a firework display ☹️😣

Supermarkets are responding to public feeling. Morrisons and Sainsburys not stocking at all- other supermarkets have only been stocking for the past 4 or 5 days, and displays are low key.
No one needs fireworks.
What is it all about anyway?
An attempt to blow up the parliament? Why is that a cause for celebration?