[Lardman]

This years appear to have started. Later than normal though so at least that's something to be thankful for.  I much preferred last year without any.

[mumofstig]

NOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
They terrify the cat 

[GraciesGran]

We seem to be lucky in that people post on the village Facebook page when they will be having them, gives us a chance to turn the TV up so the dog doesn't hear.

[snowdrops]

Saw something yesterday that Sainsbury’s aren’t selling them this year because of frightening pets, not sure how true it is though

[Subversive_plot]

This years appear to have started. Later than normal though so at least that's something to be thankful for.  I much preferred last year without any.

I was looking up UK holidays and didn't see one in October?  What's the occasion for the fireworks?  Just curious, it is likely something we don't celebrate here.

Or is it a Halloween thing, and just early?  In many parts of the USA, October is our driest month, so due to the dry conditions, fireworks would be a fire risk.  We celebrate Halloween, just differently.

[Lardman]

Traditionally it's November the 5th celebration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night when I was in short trousers the fireworks were confined commercially to the weekends before and after the 5th November and domestically on the night.  Nowadays people use any excuse to let them off, They're let off from late September until early March for whatever holiday/celebration is nearest. 

[mumofstig]

The fireworks are for celebrating Bonfire night, when Guy Fawks tried to blow up Parliament.
Remember, remember! The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
I wonder if some bright spark will try again this year, with all the unrest that's brewing right now?

The problem we have is that as soon as they're in the stores, kids start letting them of in the street at anytime they feel like it.

SNAP Lardman...

[Lardman]

Health and safety have probably closed off the tunnels now MoS. Incidentally holbeache house is very local https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbeche_House we have a long history of the region being a bit naughty over the centuries

[Yorkie]

Guy Fawkes was baptised in my church, and went to school just up the road from there.  They think it awfully poor form to put a Guy on top of the bonfire (one doesn't do that to Old Boys, y'know!  )

[mrs bouquet]

IMO, they should be banned from sale except for organised displays.  The horses will be galloping around the field with rolling white eyes.   Mrs Bouquet

[Subversive_plot]

In the United States, fireworks are mostly used on two holidays.  New Years Day and . . .  well, so nobody puts ME on a bonfire, I'll not mention the other one 

Have fun with your November 5 celebrations, and poke the old Guy in the eye for me.

[jaydig]

IMO, they should be banned from sale except for organised displays.  The horses will be galloping around the field with rolling white eyes.   Mrs Bouquet

I couldn't agree more, Mrs. B.  The fireworks currently on sale are little more than legal explosives and should never be in the hands of the general public. So that everyone can enjoy them, why not limit the huge ones to public licensed displays only, with a limit being placed on the amount of noise they are allowed to make. Many sound like bombs going off, and it's not only the animals that are frightened to death, think about those poor souls who have been in combat situations and suffer from PTSD. Fireworks for home use should be limited to the ones we used to have as children, Roman candles, catherine wheels, volcanoes and VERY small rockets.

[al78]

IMO, they should be banned from sale except for organised displays.  The horses will be galloping around the field with rolling white eyes.   Mrs Bouquet

I couldn't agree more, Mrs. B.  The fireworks currently on sale are little more than legal explosives and should never be in the hands of the general public. So that everyone can enjoy them, why not limit the huge ones to public licensed displays only, with a limit being placed on the amount of noise they are allowed to make. Many sound like bombs going off, and it's not only the animals that are frightened to death, think about those poor souls who have been in combat situations and suffer from PTSD. Fireworks for home use should be limited to the ones we used to have as children, Roman candles, catherine wheels, volcanoes and VERY small rockets.

I agree apart from the appeal to emotion about PTSD. The solution there is therapy rather than banning something that brings pleasure for many of the other 99.9999% of the population. They occasionally have to deal with severe thunderstorms, so they should be able to cope with a very seasonal series of firework displays. We have had to deal with enough misery over the last couple of years (which still isn't over because the UK excels at doing things badly), don't start taking away other pleasures because some person complains their dog doesn't like a few bangs when there are ways of conditioning dogs to tolerate them.

Edit to remove insulting name

[New shoot]

I agree apart from the appeal to emotion about PTSD. The solution there is therapy rather than banning something that brings pleasure for many of the other 99.9999% of the population. They occasionally have to deal with severe thunderstorms, so they should be able to cope with a very seasonal series of firework displays. We have had to deal with enough misery over the last couple of years (which still isn't over because the UK excels at doing things badly), don't start taking away other pleasures because some person complains their dog doesn't like a few bangs when there are ways of conditioning dogs to tolerate them.

As far as I can see on this thread, people are saying that large fireworks should be limited to public displays and that fireworks for home use be restricted to a reasonable size.  I am not sure whether that is a view only held by 0.0001 per cent of the population, but it is one which is perfectly reasonable to express on here, so let's keep it friendly please and not name call.

[mrs bouquet]

We cannot prevent thunderstorms, which frighten people and animals, but we can prevent fireworks.  Mrs B