Firework Buying Tips2976652
The 'standard' fireworks licence only permits a supplier to sell fireworks for a 3 week period before November 5th, a couple of days before New Year, Diwali and Chinese New Year.
If we deal with what to buy first, then the most important thing to look for is that the fireworks comply with British Standard BS7114. This number must be printed on the box or firework, and shows that the product complies with strict safety standards. If you don't see this number, then leave well alone. These fireworks should not even be offered for sale, but unfortunately non compliant fireworks do still slip via the net.
Fireworks are divided into four categories, only two of which truly concern us here. Category one is for such things as indoor fireworks, and category four is for professional show products, so most of what you see in the shops will be in categories two and three.
The primary criteria for category two fireworks are that the fuse must burn for in between three and 13 seconds, and it should be viewed from at least 5 metres away. For category 3 the fuse is 5 to 15 seconds, and the viewing distance 25 metres. There are also criteria for debris fallout areas, but these are the main defining criteria. You have a tendency to get category two fireworks in the smaller show boxes, sold through mainstream suppliers' such as newsagents and supermarkets. The more spectacular category 3 products are generally sold as person items, and are usually to be discovered in much more specialist outlets.
One very easy, but fairly dependable tip for gauging the worth and likely overall performance of a firework is to really feel the weight of it. Usually speaking, the heavier a firework is, the better display it will give you. This is by no means a hard and quick rule, but it is a very good rule of thumb.
Getting been in the trade for 40 years now, I like to believe I have had a reasonable amount of feed back on the topic of DIY firework displays, and the factor that crops up time and again is that most displays last for too long, with too many 'same again' fireworks! The problem could so effortlessly be solved with a bit of forward planning. Rather of the usual scenario, where six people all turn up with a small box of fireworks, very likely from a non specialist outlet, that fizzle and phutt their way through a lacklustre show, why not collect an agreed quantity of money from every guest instead, and then go to a specialist retailer, and buy a couple of really spectacular fireworks. Everyone will then see a shorter, but far better display.
We now have a normal customer base, which entrust their spending budget to us each year, and rely us to construct a memorable show for them. Initially it might be difficult to persuade them to spend any exactly where in between £40 and £140 on one firework, but nearly without exception, as soon as they have gone that route, they by no means look back!
