CATTON HALL FESTIVAL OF FIREWORKS

WHAT: CATTON HALL – FESTIVAL OF FIREWORKS 2016
WHY: INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FIREWORKS
WHEN: SATURDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2016
GATES OPEN 5.00PM AND DISPLAYS BEGIN APPROXIMATELY 8.45 (AT DUSK/DEPENDING ON LIGHT LEVELS)
WHERE: CATTON HALL, WALTON ON TRENT, DERBYSHIRE, DE12 8LN
COST: DETAILS AVAILABLE FROM THE WEBSITE

2016 marks the 18th Catton Hall Festival of Fireworks and it continues to get better and better year on year. The competition was introduced in 1998 and has never looked back.

Catton Hall is a Georgian house built-in the late 18th century and the lands have belonged to the current occupiers’ family for over 600 years. The Hall, whilst a family home is also widely used for weddings, corporate events etc and of course is open to the public during the summer. There is a huge diary of events which take place throughout the year from early February to the latter end of September.

The house has 15 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and multiple reception rooms which have been lovingly restored and remain in the care of the current occupiers Robin and Kate Nielsen. It is a grade II listed beauty which holds portraits of King’s Charles I, Charles II and James II. The owner of the building, was a close friend and confidant of the three Kings and James II was of course the son of Charles I, who’s father was the man destined to be assassinated by Guy Fawkes.

The same architects and builders created the beautiful Stanford Hall in Leicestershire. The ‘Manor House’ in Catton was also referred to in the Doomsday Book written in 1086. There is also an ancient oak in the mature woodland around the site so it is a lovely place to have a walk around.

Jubilee Fireworks have been the motivating force in charge of organizing this fascinating event and continue to be a major player in the display fireworks field and over recent years, they have taken the international stage by storm.

International acclaim was theirs following wins at Monaco, Manila and Knokke Heist which are considered in the industry as some of the hardest fought international awards lifting the highly coveted Gold Jupiter Award.

Competing this year is the team from Hamex Pyrotehnika, Slovenia. Established in 1991, they are retailers of consumer fireworks along with display fireworks for both private clients (weddings), corporate events and they also carry out a lot of film, TV and theatrical work. Once again, a team of this calibre have had their fair share of success in international competition taking part again at Knokke Heist, Ignis Brunensis and they even took the runner-up prize in Shanghai.

Next up, Selstar Firework, Chichester was established in 1995 by Peter Cooper who had been a pyro technician from the late seventies when he fired for the Selsey Community Bonfire Society. In 2013, Peter retired, handing the reins over to Stephen Harriot who has continued in the same vein. Their order book reads like a book of who’s who, having fired for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, on the London Eye for the Eve of the millennium celebrations and of course, numerous businesses, schools and community associations across the region.

Final competitors are Alchemy Fireworks of Bedfordshire which was established in 2007. The teams are fully proficient in all areas of pyrotechnics, including of course, displays, close stage work, lancework, daytime fireworks and lasers/multimedia shows. This team first competed at Catton Hall in 2011 and are thoroughly looking forward to showing their wares.

There will be concession stands for food and refreshment and there is plenty of wide open space to enjoy.