Firework Buying Tips284600
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 essential 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 security standards. If you do not see this number, then leave nicely 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 really concern us right 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 main criteria for category two fireworks are that the fuse should burn for between 3 and 13 seconds, and it must be viewed from at least 5 metres away. For category three 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 tend to get category two fireworks in the smaller display boxes, sold through mainstream suppliers' such as newsagents and supermarkets. The more spectacular category three items are usually sold as person items, and are generally to be discovered in much more specialist outlets.
One very easy, but quite reliable tip for gauging the worth and likely performance of a firework is to feel the weight of it. Usually speaking, the heavier a firework is, the better show it will give you. This is by no means a hard and quick rule, but it is a very great rule of thumb.
Getting been in the trade for 40 years now, I like to believe I have had a reasonable quantity of feed back on the subject of DIY firework displays, and the factor that crops up time and once more is that most displays last for too lengthy, with too many 'same again' fireworks! The issue could so easily be solved with a bit of forward planning. Instead of the usual situation, exactly where six people all turn up with a small box of fireworks, very most likely from a non specialist outlet, that fizzle and phutt their way via 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 few really spectacular fireworks. Everybody will then see a shorter, but far better show.
We now have a regular customer base, which entrust their budget to us every year, and rely us to construct a memorable show for them. Initially it may be difficult to persuade them to spend any where between £40 and £140 on one firework, but almost without exception, as soon as they have gone that route, they never look back!
