[kirklancaster]

This is Tuesday the 3rd of November. We have taken the dogs for a walk, fed them and had our own evening meal, and settled down to watch 'American Sniper'. The world outside our home was cold, dark and peaceful, the world inside it, warm, lamp-lit and peaceful.

Just 10 minutes into the film, the peace was shattered by commercial grade fireworks being set off without pause for the next 2 hours 10 minutes.

These were NOT the standard domestic mix of display fireworks, rockets and 'bangers', but 30 to 40 repeater violently loud bangers and really large skyrockets which each culminated in multiple sonic bangs.

Our poor dogs were inconsolable - terrified - and our conservatory roof was continuously littered with descending and still smoldering fragments from the exploding sky rockets.

I'm sorry, but it is NOT Bonfire Night for another 2 days and if past years are anything to go by, this ignorance will continue tomorrow through the day and night, ditto on the 5th, and for weeks afterwards.

It is now time to BAN ALL fireworks except for organised COMMUNAL BONFIRES, and to restrict ALL bonfires to the 5th of November - Bonfire Night.

I KNOW I was young once, and enjoyed Bonfire Night AND fireworks - I STILL do - but the world has changed. Fireworks have become more sophisticated, much larger, more powerful, and many times more loud, and people have more money in their pockets to purchase them in number.

People are also many times more ignorant than decades ago, and less respectful of other people or their terrified pets, and the letting off of fireworks now far exceeds just 'Bonfire Night'.

The great irony is, that - like Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, the ignorant bastards who carry out this assault on our right to enjoy our homes in peace and quiet, would not know who Guido Fawkes or Robert Catesby were if they rose from the grave and bit them.

I'd be interested in any of your views.

[Will.]

It is now time to BAN ALL fireworks except for organised COMMUNAL BONFIRES, and to restrict ALL bonfires to the 5th of November - Bonfire Night.

^ I completely agree Kirk.

We don't celebrate Halloween/Christmas any other day apart from 31st and 25th.

The same should be with fireworks.

[Marsh.]

I agree. They are so annoying and set everyone's pets off wild.

I'm glad they brought in the curfew because I remember when they would go off all through the early hours but now it's time to restrict it to certain days; bonfire night, august bank holiday etc and big events.

[Dollface]

Completely agree I hate fireworks, mostly because of the state they put my pets in, but also because they're so loud and not really any fun at all.

[Livia]

I like fireworks and enjoy setting them off in the garden either on Bonfire night or the weekend before or after. That said, there are farms and a stable not too far from me so I go for the quieter ones that pop rather than bang. I want to watch the pretty lights not take cover from an artillery barrage.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

I like fireworks and enjoy setting them off in the garden either on Bonfire night or the weekend before or after. That said, there are farms and a stable not too far from me so I go for the quieter ones that pop rather than bang. I want to watch the pretty lights not take cover from an artillery barrage.

[BlankSpace]

I have four chickens who are scared of anything and a dog who hates loud noises so she hides whenever she hears fireworks, for weeks now we've had people putting fireworks up day after day and it's just ridiculous. It's so over the top and it doesn't need to be that way!

[Will.]

I think we're having fireworks on Thursday in the garden, we shut the dogs away in a secluded room with bones and the radio on - keeps them calm.

[LeatherTrumpet]

i never hear or see one

when I lived in Richmond it was like Syria for 7 days either side

like a bloody war zone

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Livia

I like fireworks and enjoy setting them off in the garden either on Bonfire night or the weekend before or after. That said, there are farms and a stable not too far from me so I go for the quieter ones that pop rather than bang. I want to watch the pretty lights not take cover from an artillery barrage.

You know Liv - an 'artillery barrage' best describes it. There was no 'pretty' cascading pyrotechnic displays, just over 2 hours of repeating sonic bangs.

My poor dogs are still shaking.

People in the locale have been setting off fireworks sporadically for the last 2 weeks or so, but these WERE the pretty domestic grade firworks. This was different.

My wife had to stop me from going out to find out where the barrage was being let off. She KNOWS I would have ended up being arrested.

I hate ignorant bastards.

[Livia]

I agree with a ban on mortar-style bangs. Where's the fun? They're just annoying and terrifying for animals.

Hope your dogs are okay.

[Northern Monkey]

You won't like my position on them.I would be your nightmare neighbour.I do only let them off on the big night but i do like the big ones.I spent alot last year.My grand finale was a 200 shot display firework that was worthy of an organised display.Im a sucker for them.
We're going to a display this year though so no fireworks at home.

[Kate!]

Completely agree.

[Toy Soldier]

A huge firework went off right next to the kids' window last year - as in, inches from it, it was rattling, I don't think it would have taken much more of a bang to smash it.

Set off by the same neighbours that I had an altercation with last week, of course... that time they were high / drunk and setting off fireworks in the middle of the road. Totally mental. And this is a "nice area" too, these just happen to be some marginally well off gutter ****s because he's done quite well in his trade. They're like something out of "Shameless". Honestly.

Edited To Add: This wasn't in the evening, of course, when it would have been a minor annoyance. It was, once again, at around 2am.

[Jamie89]

On reading the title I was all ready to say something like "well it's just a bit of fun and it's only once every so often blah blah" because I never really get bothered by it, but actually you make some very good points. Mainly that fireworks should be restricted to organised communal events. Or if private, then only at certain times maybe, and they can only last a certain amount of time, and they can't be too noisy. They could be categorized perhaps?
I'd sign a petition for this anyway... as long as we can keep sparklers

[King Gizzard]

Agreed fam

[Livia]

Oh yes, sparklers are compulsory.

[Jamie89]

Also, I don't know why anyone wouldn't rather go to a communal display anyway? Much better atmosphere than being at home surely?

[Ninastar]

I agree. I also think there should be stricter guidlines on who can buy them, as I've read 3/4 things over the last few days about people using them to throw at people... It's disgusting.

[King Gizzard]

There never really is any around here

I suppose you could have a permit sort of thing so you could plan to arrange one if its veto' by a council

[King Gizzard]

Then again if they were outright banned you'd probably get more official events

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Chaos

I agree. I also think there should be stricter guidlines on who can buy them, as I've read 3/4 things over the last few days about people using them to throw at people... It's disgusting.

Yeeeah kids from my school used to get the rockets that have a sort of cardboard tube "holder" around them, and aim / hold the tube while lighting the bottom. Of course every year in the papers there's another story where some kid's rocket has got caught in said tube and blown their hand off.

[Kizzy]

Why don't we just ban everything and go to bed at 10pm?

If they were working over the weekend they might have decided to have their party tonight, or it might be a birthday?

[waterhog]

the thing that bugs me and I say it every year - everyone is so worried about saving the earth and recycling to not cause damage to the earth yet they buy so much fireworks it undoes all the work they have ever done - hypercritical.

[bitontheslide]

Unless I am going completely mad, I'm sure there was a point years ago that fireworks were banned except for organised events, then the law was changed again. Wonder why it was changed back.