Firework Buying Tips700458
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 should 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 well alone. These fireworks should not even be provided for sale, but unfortunately non compliant fireworks do nonetheless slip through the net.
Fireworks are divided into four categories, only two of which truly 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 3.
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 five to 15 seconds, and the viewing distance 25 metres. There are also criteria for debris fallout areas, but these are the primary defining criteria. You have a tendency to get category two fireworks in the smaller sized show boxes, sold via mainstream suppliers' such as newsagents and supermarkets. The more spectacular category 3 products are usually sold as individual products, and are usually to be discovered in more specialist outlets.
One extremely easy, but quite reliable tip for gauging the value and likely performance of a firework is to really feel the weight of it. Usually speaking, the heavier a firework is, the much better display it will give you. This is by no means a hard and fast rule, but it is a extremely great rule of thumb.
Having been in the trade for 40 years now, I like to believe I have had a affordable 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 long, with too many 'same again' fireworks! The problem could so effortlessly be solved with a bit of forward planning. Rather of the usual situation, exactly 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 amount of money from each guest rather, and then go to a specialist retailer, and buy a couple of truly spectacular fireworks. Everyone will then see a shorter, but far better display.
We now have a regular customer base, which entrust their spending budget to us each year, and rely us to construct a memorable display for them. Initially it might be tough to persuade them to spend any exactly where between £40 and £140 on one firework, but almost without exception, as soon as they have gone that route, they never look back!
