Epic Fireworks Blog

Posts Tagged ‘guy fawkes night’

I know that it has been a long time in the offing but it would appear that despite our original reservations that Spring was simply going to give the UK a miss this year and have a two-day Summer and then skip to another Winter … it feels like a scene off Game of Thrones …’WINTERS COMING…’

But, as you can see from all the adverts recommending that we all put on some moisturiser with a ‘hint of sun’ or depilate those hairy monster legs hiding away under your skinny jeans, it would appear that Spring is definitely here.

With this in mind, we are seeing a marked increase in the number of orders and oddly enough we are already discussing with some of our more discerning customers the new additions to the range and the arrival of some of the biggest sellers, like the Sky Thriller rocket or any of the rocket volleys (which were on the shelves for all of about four days if memory serves) in time for Bonfire Night.

In a time where as a woman I have resorted to begging my hubby to read the damned instructions on a thing before attempting to put it together I feel a little perturbed by the fact that there are some men actually PLANNING!!   These men are not to be confused with the local Scout Leader who already knows what he wants and the budget is already set and the dog-eared brochure has been leafed through until it is a shadow of its former self, they are normal men who have decided through the long dark nights we have suffered for the last few months to take the time to plan ahead for what appears to be their first foray into the world of pyro.

2013 season is fast approaching and we are currently doing well in respect of weddings and celebrations but until we the British public feel that Summer is actually here to stay (even if only for a couple of days – remember 2007!) and we can break out the barbecue again we will not be prepared.

Come and see us, chat about what your plans are for Bonfire Night this year or if you have a special event like a 50^th Birthday (mines next year in case you were thinking of saving for a pressie!) an anniversary or your upcoming nuptials, we can help you and your loved ones have a party to remember.

Why not make the most of the lovely weather we are expecting from this weekend and have a drive out to the Derbyshire Peak District and call in to see us on your way home.  We are literally 2 minutes from the M1 or off the road to the Woodhead Pass which passes through some of the most breathtaking scenery the UK has to offer.

I remember back in the 60s, all the kids of a certain age would compete to get the best looking Guy Fawkes.  This wasn’t anything to do with the competitive spirit, but something much more important.  Back then, from a small pit village in Barnsley, it was all about which street had the biggest bonfire and of course, the best fireworks. Organisation of the event being left to us kids for collecting the wood and funds for our festivities.  Back in an age before the health and safety executive kindly looked after our health for us, and us “kids” were able to buy our own fireworks without any questions asked, our driving force was the money we could get for bonfire night.

The better looking guys would bring in the most money, so it was in our interest, to rake in as much as possible, sometimes walking into the local town some five miles away pushing a wheelbarrow with our effigy proudly resplendent.  The best spots for ‘guying’ would be taken up early and you really didn’t want to get into a turf war over this so far from home.  Betting shops seemed to be an ideal place to “tout for business” hoping for a lucky win on the gee-gees to come our way – or a few pence of it anyway.

In 1960 the average take home wage was around £7 a week and a firework fountain would cost as much as 4d for a good one.  This was a lot of money to a young lad of 8, pocket-money for me and my brother back then being a tanner or 6 pence.  4d (there were 240 pennies in a pound back then) nowadays equates to 36p, 6 pence of which is VAT (which was introduced to the UK in 1973), which means that when you consider that our magic fountains are £1.80 for 5 our fireworks are better value now than they were 40 years ago.

And much safer these days thanks to our good friends the H.S.E.

Disco Stu

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 Year’s in our nation’s rich history.

Torch Relay

Who could fail to be touched by the efforts of some of the torch bearers 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 the Saturday if a little wet and chilly on the 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 hero’s 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.