Firework Purchasing Tips6070651
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 don't see this number, then leave nicely alone. These fireworks should not even be offered 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 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 three.
The main criteria for category two fireworks are that the fuse must burn for between three and 13 seconds, and it must 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 through mainstream suppliers' such as newsagents and supermarkets. The much more spectacular category 3 items are generally sold as person products, and are usually to be discovered in much more specialist outlets.
One very easy, but fairly dependable tip for gauging the value and likely overall performance of a firework is to really 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 extremely great rule of thumb.
Getting been in the trade for 40 years now, I like to think I have had a reasonable quantity of feed back on the topic 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 problem could so effortlessly be solved with a bit of forward planning. Instead of the usual situation, exactly where six individuals all turn up with a small box of fireworks, extremely 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 few really 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 every year, and rely us to construct a memorable show for them. Initially it might 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 by no means look back!
