The Epic Fireworks Blog

Archive for the ‘Roman Candle’ Category

Birds eye view of the Twister Roman Candle in our showroom in Batley West Yorkshire.

No. of Shots ——48

Effect —— comets, pearls, strobes, crackles, spinners

Colour ——- red, green, orange, silver

Duration ——- 25 seconds

Calibre ——–25mm

Fast and furious the Twister Roman Candle from Marvel Fireworks is a great addition to your bonfire night fireworks display. Coloured stars and sonic sound effects with fantastic spinning silver strobes, tiger tails, comets and crackles. These giant roman candles have always been popular sellers for us and we like to see them in bonfire night displays. Remember, every barrage you have seen is basically made up of Roman Candles, indeed the roman candle was among the first style of fireworks to be invented.

See how the Twister Roman Candle compares to a can of Coca Cola. Below see the video footage of the Twister in action.

After the tremendous turnout for the event, some bright spark in Newcastle decided to light the fireworks in broad daylight, tantamount to a crime. Apart from that fiasco the whole event was a real success. Thankfully these turned out to be just the warm up fireworks and the real thing came later, along with a trapeze artist on a heliopshere (just like the Romans would have used).

Over 12 thousand hand selected volunteers were involved in lighting the 500 beacons along the 84 mile-long Wall National Path Trail from Segedunum Roman fort at Wallsend in North Tyneside through Northumberland to Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria.

The fireworks were spectacular said many of the spectators and although they feared at several points for the safety of the girl stuck on the bottom of the heliosphere, a good day and night was had by all.

The 4,000 large crowd which gathered at Wallsend witnessed a startling performance by the German Theatre group Apu which climaxed with four winged angels standing atop the site’s observation tower as the first of the beacons was lit, all filmed from above by a camera crew in a helicopter (and you thought there was a recession on) this was all topped off with what can only be described as a fireworks display. As it was a fireworks display.  Of course it would be irresponsible for us here to fail to mention that with 500 large fiery beacons marking the Romans wall that there was more than one “Roman Candle” being lit that night (and the award for the worst joke of the day goes to…).

The event, which captured national attention, was used to bring more awareness of the World Heritage site that marked the Roman Empires most Northerly point. It is worth mentioning here that although the Romans were able to capture most of Europe with ease, they were unable to take Scotland finding the Scottish methods of fighting (using broken buckfast bottles) to scary for them, the wall was built to keep the invading barbarian hordes from the North from invading their empire.

Related article by Moregeous: http://moregeous.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/illuminating-hadrians-wall-blog-carlisle/

The 888 roman candle with 35 shots of red, white and green pearls bursting into the air. This fantastic Roman candle is most popular amongst the larger displays, even better when lit in pairs to give that dazzling double aerial effect and at only £19.95 there’s no reason not to.

Like a coming of age tradition, everybody can remember the first time they saw fireworks. Most men will remember the first time they had fireworks too. If you are older than 18 you may also remember bangers (sadly now banned). It seems that most people also had fireworks for the first time before the age of 18. It is something that has always attracted the younger males in society, the potential for blowing things up. In some countries, Spain for example, children are allowed to possess fireworks and use them in a public place as young as 10 years old. They are taught respect and safety measures and actively encouraged to use fireworks safely. In the UK we bombard them with danger posters and warning signs. Surely making the prospect of owning mini explosives all the more appealing? What is the correct age to start using fireworks?

Do you remember the first time you held a sparkler? writing your name in the night sky. Smelling the chemicals burn and fizz and indeed sparkle. What age were you? 4? 5? The legal minimum age for using sparklers in the UK is 5 and anyone under the age of 18 must be supervised. That said sparklers cause more injuries than any other fireworks every year and are glowing hot strips of metal – 3 of which together generate the same heat as a blow torch – that are designed for 5 year olds. Anything seem strange about that?

Do you remember the first time you lit a fountain or a roman candle? the thrill of setting fire to a fuse and legging it (never run around fireworks) as it starts to burn, the phosphorousy smell that ends up embeded in your clothes and hair. And the intensity of the colours and crackles and how every fountain seems so different and exciting. Nowadays if I have seen one fountain, I have seen them all.

Catherine Wheels were always an exciting event. Someone would nail 1 to a tree or fence post, light it, stand back and watch the garden and half the audience get covered in burning hot sparks that leave black scorch marks everywhere. As a kid I loved Catherine Wheels. Today I can’t really find the time for them in a display and when i do see them I am not amazed and staggered by their beauty and colour. Just watching warily for the stray spark that will set my hair on fire.

So have fireworks got worse in the years between taking hours choosing what selection box to buy from the local shop and taking hours to choose how many thousands of pounds to throw up in a 5 minute display? In my opinion, no. Fireworks have gotten a lot better, and it is just as well, as our imaginations only get worse. Either that or experience and exposure turns us into pyrotechnic snobs who will only be impressed by the very best effect and strongest colours.

Whatever the reason, I know for that for every generation the same applies: Fireworks are much better now than when you were young and fireworks will never be as spectacular as you remember them.

The first civilization that employed the use of gunpowder in warfare was medieval China, beginning in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960 AD).

The impetus for the development of gunpowder weapons in China was increasing encroachment by tribes on its borders. From the 10th century until the 13th century, advances in military technology aided the Song Dynasty in its defense against their hostile neighbors to the north, including the Tanguts, Khitans, Jurchens, and finally the Mongols.

The discovery of gunpowder in the 800s and the subsequent invention of firearms in the 1100s both coincided with long periods of disunity during which there was some immediate use for infantry and siege weapons.

The years 904–906 saw the use of incendiary projectiles called ‘flying fires’ (fei-huo). Needham (1986) argues that gunpowder was first used in warfare in China in 919 as a fuse for the ignition of another incendiary, Greek fire. The earliest depiction of a gunpowder weapon is a mid-10th century silk banner from Dunhuang that shows a fire-lance, precursor of the gun.

Hand Cannon from the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368)

The earliest surviving recipes for gunpowder can be found in the Wujing Zongyao of 1044, which contains three: two for use in incendiary bombs to be thrown by siege engines and one intended as fuel for poison smoke bombs^. One of the recipes describes a ‘thorny fire-ball’ bomb designed with caltrops to catch and stick to targets and set them alight. It calls for a mixture of sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal and other filler and combustible ingredients to be packaged into a ball that is lit just prior to being launched from a trebuchet.