What A Year It Was

Never has ‘For Auld Lang Syne’ being more appropriate to the Nation’s capital than this year. Following on from a year where we had the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and our wonderful Queen celebrated an astonishing 60 years on the Throne there has never been more focus on our small nation than this year.

We started the year in the sure and certain knowledge that this was not going to be a quiet and reserved one as we all completed the final preparations for what is likely to be one of the finest Years in our nation’s rich history.

Torch Relay

Who could fail to be touched by the efforts of some of the torchbearers as every English Country and every local authority in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland got to see the Olympic Torch. Special dispensation was given to add Ireland’s Capital city Dublin to the schedule and this was the only Country outside of the UK to be included in this magical event.

As some of you may know, the MD and his family and a number of the employees hail from Bradford, Leeds and Bingley. The Torch left Bradford on 24^th June where more than 4000 people lined the route as it made its way through Keighley and them moving onto Leeds where it remained over-night. The following morning the torch set off to Barnsley where a massive 20,000 people lined the route as it continued over to Sheffield to rest over-night in the Don Valley Stadium before setting off to the coast at Cleethorpes.

Jubilee Weekend

Here at Epic, we had absolutely no idea just how revered her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was until we started to get order after order for fireworks to join in the celebration of her Diamond Jubilee weekend. We even had to create a new Jubilee pack especially for the occasion for the hundreds of customer who were putting on a show for their community with food fireworks and fun being at the top of the list.

The Jubilee Weekend was brilliant on a Saturday if a little wet and chilly on a Saturday but the crowds gathered joining in the celebrations were not to be put off by the changing weather in the UK as this is something we have all come to know only too well.

We did manage to get a couple of hours off to join in with the celebrations with our families and friends and enjoyed a good few fireworks in recognition of Her Majesty’s 60-years on the British Throne.

Olympic Games

Let the games commence …. After several years in the planning, the eyes of the World were on London for the opening ceremony. Whilst it certainly was a very British affair, with a couple of the reference being lost on the other countries, it was nothing short of spectacular, depicting the growth of the country following the War, the austerity, the growth of industry and of course, the music of the youth of yesteryear and that of today.

Of course, being fireworks mad, our main focus was on the pyro. Kimbolton Fireworks made us all proud to be British with a spectacular display which lit up the skies over London to rapturous applause.

Team GB did us all proud with the haul of medals totalling 65 including 29 Gold, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze

Again, we had a number of customers who had orders in to support their local sporting heroes including Sheffield’s own, Jess Ennis, the brilliant Brownlee brothers from Dewsbury, rower Ed Clancy from Barnsley and boxer Nicola Adams from Leeds.

Bonfire Night

Of course, one of the biggest events in the firework industry calendar in the UK is Bonfire Night. Each year, increasing numbers of customers are coming along to see us in an attempt to save money putting on one of the big displays that they used to pay to pro firing companies they pay less than half of this cost and do it themselves.

We awaited the delivery from China’s arrival with bated breath and when the first containers arrive, it is always a time of great excitement – a bit like unpacking a HUGE food hamper – and once they are all safely housed either over here in Barnsley or over in our specialist underground storage containers in Lincoln, we are ready to go.

Serving several thousand customers with everything from a pack of sparklers to a £10,000 fireworks display, we made tens of hundreds of cups of tea, coffee and gave several hundred bottles of juice, water and other soft drinks to the throngs ensuring that in keeping with Jimmy’s Customer Care ethos, everyone leaves with a smile on their face. Before we knew it, Bonfire Night was here and the skies over Barnsley and Sheffield were alight with explosions as we sat back and took stock of the good, the bad and the downright obscure.

As 2013 is just around the corner, our thoughts turn to our buying trip as we will be visiting China early in the year to check out the new products, place our orders for some of our old favourites and ensure that this year we bring in enough to meet everyone’s requirements.

And now that we approach the end of the 2012 season, we are offering our gratitude to customers who come along to the store by rewarding anyone spending £150.00 or more with either a DVD player or 5 majestic Sky Lanterns as a thank you.

To all our friends who have helped out during the season and all our customers we raise a glass in thanks and wish you everything you hope for from 2013.

If you need any fireworks to help you bring in the New Year in style, we will remain open every-day except Christmas and Boxing day and whilst our stock is a little depleted in some items, due to the HUGE range, we have alternatives for every product.

THANK YOU AND SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.