Firework Buying Tips9806638
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 factor to look for is that the fireworks comply with British Regular BS7114. This number should be printed on the box or firework, and shows that the product complies with strict security requirements. If you don't see this number, then leave nicely alone. These fireworks should not even be provided for sale, but sadly non compliant fireworks do still slip via the net.
Fireworks are divided into four categories, only two of which really concern us here. Category one is for such things as indoor fireworks, and category four is for professional display items, so most of what you see in the shops will be in categories two and 3.
The primary criteria for category two fireworks are that the fuse must burn for between three and 13 seconds, and it should be viewed from at least five 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 locations, but these are the main defining criteria. You have a tendency to get category two fireworks in the smaller sized display boxes, sold via mainstream suppliers' such as newsagents and supermarkets. The much more spectacular category three products are generally sold as individual products, and are generally to be discovered in much more specialist outlets.
One extremely simple, but fairly reliable tip for gauging the value and most 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 indicates a hard and quick rule, but it is a extremely good rule of thumb.
Having been in the trade for 40 years now, I like to think I have had a reasonable amount of feed back on the subject of DIY firework displays, and the thing 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 easily be solved with a bit of forward planning. Rather of the usual situation, where six individuals 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 display, why not gather an agreed amount of money from each guest instead, and then go to a specialist retailer, and buy a couple of truly spectacular fireworks. Everyone will then see a shorter, but far much better display.
We now have a normal customer base, which entrust their budget to us each year, and rely us to construct a memorable show for them. Initially it may be tough to persuade them to invest any where in between £40 and £140 on one firework, but nearly without exception, once they have gone that route, they never look back!
