Epic Fireworks Blog

Archive for the ‘Indoor Fireworks’ Category

With 35 years in the business of fireworks and special effects, Mitcham based company “Le Maitre” (The Master) are reporting a profit increase of 30%, which in the recent economic climate has to be regarded as nothing short of spectacular.

With an impressive list of clients including HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Richard Branson and the BBC to name just a few the second biggest pyrotechnics company on the planet also has had it‘s work associated with many blockbuster films including “the hunger games” and “Les Miserables” premiers.

Anyone who has been to see Cirque du Soleil, The Killers, or even the UEFA League Championship Finals would have witnessed the work of le Maitre and possibly not realised.

With a research and development team of seven, designing some of the cutting edge of special effects in the world, it is something us Brits can be proud of.

I have been using one of their products for some time without realising its history, as one of the first company’s in the business they patented the “Pyroflash” stage effects system which has been used in numerous gigs over the years to great success. Probably one of my biggest was a corporate “James Bond” event for a major UK bank where I used their pyrotechnic system to blow up sections of a stage in a simulated film scene.

Things look good for the 75 employees of the West London Company who are now also based in the USA.

Take a look at some of their stunning displays and wonder at the ingenuity of us British.

As true world beaters in the industry their indoor shows have wowed the world, I challenge you take a look at these effects and not be impressed.

We here at Epic would like to wish Le Maitre every success in the future and hope your innovations continue to mesmerize and dazzle pyro fans across the world.

Anyone wanting to put on your own outdoor show on a smaller scale, please feel free to contact us, or view our fireworks in action at www.epicfireworks.com We have a wide variety of DIY display packs which will be brilliant for birthdays, anniversaries or any other celebrations and can be delivered to anywhere in the UK.

Disco Stu

Retailers are being forced to demand ID from customers wanting to buy crackers because of new legislation.

Under the UK’s Pyrotechnic Articles (safety) Regulations of August 2010, Christmas crackers have been specifically named as a category 1 firework, which means they have an age restriction of 16 and cashiers are required to check the age of people buying them.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is asking customers to be understanding if they are required to provide identification. The majority of stores use a Challenge 25 policy for selling age-related products such as alcohol, tobacco and fireworks, meaning people who look under 25 are asked to prove they are old enough to buy.

The change in UK legislation, which came into force in the summer, implements an EU directive which required a more sensible age limit of 12. Trading standards officers will now be monitoring how retailers enforce the law. Stores face financial penalties, plus individual cashiers can face fines of up to £5,000 and six months in prison for selling crackers to underage customers.

Jane Bevis, Director of Public Affairs at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The Government has promised to ease up on regulations on businesses but this one seems to have slipped through the net. The original EU directive which would have put the age restriction at 12 should never have been gold-plated to become 16 in the UK. Now that has happened, it’s vital there is a sensible attitude to enforcement until the Government can reverse this ludicrous restriction.

“Busy shoppers with a lot on their minds will be understandably frustrated if they are asked to provide ID to buy a box of Christmas crackers. It’s the health and safety rules which have gone crackers and not retailers themselves.

“No-one wants children to be able to buy things which are dangerous or bad for their health, but extending rules for fireworks to cover the kind of bang provided by a cracker seems particularly daft.”

Listerine’s 100 years as a brand in Australia were celebrated in 2006 with this print advertisement, Fireworks.

listerine fireworks 100 years celebration advert

The Listerine Fireworks ad was developed at JWT, Sydney, by executive creative director Andy Mckeon, copywriter Guy Futcher, art director Adam Fine, retoucher John Rumbold.

Listerine was originally formulated by Dr Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert, a disinfectant for surgical procedures named after British surgeon Sir Joseph Lister. In 1895, the Lambert Company extended the sale of Listerine to the dental profession as a powerful oral antiseptic. Warner Lambert, the producer of Listerine for many years, was acquired by Pfizer in 2000. Listerine was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2006.