Friday 27th Feb 09, 8.46pm
Firework stories don't come more bizarre and boggling than the one related to me today by our long-time pyro-pal Terry McDonald. Terry has led a long and varied life on the island of Jersey, from a spell as a drugs-buster in the CID to his current job as an undertaker. He is also the island's most senior pyrotechnician. But nothing could have prepared him for his present bind. This time two years ago Terry was gearing up to break the world rocket record created by Fantastic Fireworks in 2006. He'd bought 110,000 rockets from a UK supplier and all was set for the record attempt. But then local environmentalists rained on his parade and Jersey pulled the plug. That was just the start of Terry's problems. He was sitting on 110,000 rockets with no means of paying for them and nowhere legal to store them. That was back in August 2oo7. Today Terry is still the custodian of the rockets, which are stored in a quarry and guarded by him nightly from the Mission Control of his caravan. His supplier is threatening legal action to recover the debt and the state of Jersey is threatening to destroy the rockets. Taking my call between shifting bodies in the mortuary, Terry is cheerful but defiant. 'I set out to beat your rocket record,' he tells me, 'but instead of that I'm heading for a record 600 nights in my caravan!' And he has no intention of budging. 'I won't move until Jersey pay me the money they owe.' Judging by the present impasse, Terry could be facing many more nights in his caravan.
27 Feb 2009
25 Feb 2009
One Night In Bangkok
Wednesday 25th Feb, 2009
In the immortal words of Murray Head "One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble". Sitting here I am readjusting to life back at Fantastic Fireworks after having spent the past two weeks travelling in Thailand. My adventures in Thailand are so many but so few that I can speak of. However when asked by Jon for a story the one of my almost kidnapping sprung instantly to mind. After landing in Bangkok and getting into my taxi, a conversation struck up with my driver in which he listed all the "delights" of Bangkok that he could get for me that night if I went to his hotel. After explaining that I just wanted to go to my hotel to sleep he drove me there and proceeded to drive past my Hotel 3 times. When I asked him what he was doing he explained that he was pointing it out so that once I had been to his hotel I could find my way back. As the car drove on towards his hotel and the driver refused to stop when asked, I was forced to jump out of a moving taxi and run away. I had to walk to my hotel in the end but as they say in Thailand "Mai ben rai" (No worries).
In the immortal words of Murray Head "One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble". Sitting here I am readjusting to life back at Fantastic Fireworks after having spent the past two weeks travelling in Thailand. My adventures in Thailand are so many but so few that I can speak of. However when asked by Jon for a story the one of my almost kidnapping sprung instantly to mind. After landing in Bangkok and getting into my taxi, a conversation struck up with my driver in which he listed all the "delights" of Bangkok that he could get for me that night if I went to his hotel. After explaining that I just wanted to go to my hotel to sleep he drove me there and proceeded to drive past my Hotel 3 times. When I asked him what he was doing he explained that he was pointing it out so that once I had been to his hotel I could find my way back. As the car drove on towards his hotel and the driver refused to stop when asked, I was forced to jump out of a moving taxi and run away. I had to walk to my hotel in the end but as they say in Thailand "Mai ben rai" (No worries).
18 Feb 2009
Desert Island Dreams (continued)
Wed 18th Feb 09, 6.21pm
Our Desert Island Dreamers are back in action today, contemplating the fate of being marooned on an uninhabited island in the Pacific with no means of escape. This week's castaway is David Willsher, our Display Manager, who must be shedding tears at the thought of having to give up the love of his life...his brand new Mac! To console him in his weeks, months and even years of solitude, David has chosen the following eight disks:
U2 – One
Editors - Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Coldplay – Scientist
Coldplay – Fix You
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
Bon Jovi – Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night
Goo Goo Dolls – Slide
'As a Ray Mears wannabe, my one luxury item would be a knife (apparently all you need). My priority would be to find water, food, shelter and work out how to make a fire. During the day I would busy myself with the main project of building a boat and during the evening I’d kick back and listen to some tunes. Watching all them Ray Mears repeats on Dave isn’t looking so silly now huh!?'
Our Desert Island Dreamers are back in action today, contemplating the fate of being marooned on an uninhabited island in the Pacific with no means of escape. This week's castaway is David Willsher, our Display Manager, who must be shedding tears at the thought of having to give up the love of his life...his brand new Mac! To console him in his weeks, months and even years of solitude, David has chosen the following eight disks:
U2 – One
Editors - Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Coldplay – Scientist
Coldplay – Fix You
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
Bon Jovi – Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night
Goo Goo Dolls – Slide
'As a Ray Mears wannabe, my one luxury item would be a knife (apparently all you need). My priority would be to find water, food, shelter and work out how to make a fire. During the day I would busy myself with the main project of building a boat and during the evening I’d kick back and listen to some tunes. Watching all them Ray Mears repeats on Dave isn’t looking so silly now huh!?'
15 Feb 2009
The new romantics get back in the groove
Sunday 15th Feb 09, 10.16am
So how did you spend Valentines Day? Chocolates, red roses, a candle-lit dinner? The Fantastic Fireworks crew showed their romantic side by inviting their loved ones to spend the day (and evening) in the cold and soggy rough of a golf course! It was our first* display of the year and there were no shortage of volunteers to get back in the groove. But it wasn't just our dynamic duo of Andrew Gorton and Jules Gibson who put on a splendid show for a Valentine wedding. Out in the field helping them were John Harding and a trio of loyal ladies willing to forgo candle-lit dinners all for the fun of fireworks. However I'm sure they all made it to the pub just in time!Well done to them, and to David Willsher who designed a terrific show. The floating green lights on the eerily still lake looked like a scene from Titanic. If Celine Dion had burst into song at that moment there wouldn't have been a dry eye in the house!
* beating by a matter of minutes two more shows on the same night, fired by Justin Petty and Tony Smith, who also deserve a medal for Valentine Valour!
So how did you spend Valentines Day? Chocolates, red roses, a candle-lit dinner? The Fantastic Fireworks crew showed their romantic side by inviting their loved ones to spend the day (and evening) in the cold and soggy rough of a golf course! It was our first* display of the year and there were no shortage of volunteers to get back in the groove. But it wasn't just our dynamic duo of Andrew Gorton and Jules Gibson who put on a splendid show for a Valentine wedding. Out in the field helping them were John Harding and a trio of loyal ladies willing to forgo candle-lit dinners all for the fun of fireworks. However I'm sure they all made it to the pub just in time!Well done to them, and to David Willsher who designed a terrific show. The floating green lights on the eerily still lake looked like a scene from Titanic. If Celine Dion had burst into song at that moment there wouldn't have been a dry eye in the house!
* beating by a matter of minutes two more shows on the same night, fired by Justin Petty and Tony Smith, who also deserve a medal for Valentine Valour!
12 Feb 2009
Dancing on Ice...
Thursday 12th February 2009, 13.01
...Or should that be ‘Dancing With Death’? A tad dramatic I know, but after a close encounter with black ice, a bendy road and a bollard yesterday, I certainly feel like I used up one of my 9 lives.
I was on my way into Fantastic Fireworks when it happened – hitting a sheet of ice on a particularly sweeping curve in the road. After spinning for what seemed like an eternity I slammed to a halt as I bumped up sideways onto the pavement, ending up facing the direction I had just come from! Fortunately the other cars on the road were at a safe enough distance not to be affected, and even more thankfully, no-one was walking along the pavement at the time. I also managed to miss a bollard and a garden fence by a hairs-breadth, so in hindsight feel incredibly lucky to have escaped unscathed! It was hard to feel so positive at the time though. After managing to get myself off the pavement and out of everyone’s way, shock soon began to set in and with uncontrollably trembling knees and a knot in the bottom of my stomach I was forced to pull over. My lovely colleagues were notified, and far too frightened to continue with my journey, I abandoned my car and began the long walk home.
After a day of rest and recuperation I’m now back in the office, and very glad to be too! I couldn’t be more pleased to be an office-based bod (at least for these horrid winter months) and I am full of admiration for our Firing Teams who struggle on in all conditions imaginable to ensure we deliver spectacular displays each and every time. As for me, I’m now thinking of investing in a team of Husky’s and a sled. I’ll let you know how I get on! x
...Or should that be ‘Dancing With Death’? A tad dramatic I know, but after a close encounter with black ice, a bendy road and a bollard yesterday, I certainly feel like I used up one of my 9 lives.
I was on my way into Fantastic Fireworks when it happened – hitting a sheet of ice on a particularly sweeping curve in the road. After spinning for what seemed like an eternity I slammed to a halt as I bumped up sideways onto the pavement, ending up facing the direction I had just come from! Fortunately the other cars on the road were at a safe enough distance not to be affected, and even more thankfully, no-one was walking along the pavement at the time. I also managed to miss a bollard and a garden fence by a hairs-breadth, so in hindsight feel incredibly lucky to have escaped unscathed! It was hard to feel so positive at the time though. After managing to get myself off the pavement and out of everyone’s way, shock soon began to set in and with uncontrollably trembling knees and a knot in the bottom of my stomach I was forced to pull over. My lovely colleagues were notified, and far too frightened to continue with my journey, I abandoned my car and began the long walk home.
After a day of rest and recuperation I’m now back in the office, and very glad to be too! I couldn’t be more pleased to be an office-based bod (at least for these horrid winter months) and I am full of admiration for our Firing Teams who struggle on in all conditions imaginable to ensure we deliver spectacular displays each and every time. As for me, I’m now thinking of investing in a team of Husky’s and a sled. I’ll let you know how I get on! x
9 Feb 2009
The case of the vanishing Wispas
Mon 9th Feb 09, 10.16pm
If the gross weight of staff at Fantastic Fireworks tips the scales more in the direction of gross this week, look no further than the broom cupboard under the stairs. That's where I have been forced to hide a box containing 480 Wispa bars which were delivered to Rocket Park this morning. Actually, make that 466. For within minutes of their arrival, they started to disappear! This treasure chest of chocolate was a reward from Cadbury's to the pyrotechicians and backroom staff who helped in the making of the Wispa TV commercial in December. But like children in a candy shop our sweet-toothed sisterhood were soon tucking in, dragging David down with them! I've had to take action to avoid a complete meltdown. Hopefully my broom cupboard hideout will enable me to conserve enough stock to feed the Wispa team who gave their services free of charge while leaving a good number for local charities. If I succeed, it should be a weight off the minds, and bodies, of Linda, Kate, Annie, Gail & Hayley! Oh, and David.
If the gross weight of staff at Fantastic Fireworks tips the scales more in the direction of gross this week, look no further than the broom cupboard under the stairs. That's where I have been forced to hide a box containing 480 Wispa bars which were delivered to Rocket Park this morning. Actually, make that 466. For within minutes of their arrival, they started to disappear! This treasure chest of chocolate was a reward from Cadbury's to the pyrotechicians and backroom staff who helped in the making of the Wispa TV commercial in December. But like children in a candy shop our sweet-toothed sisterhood were soon tucking in, dragging David down with them! I've had to take action to avoid a complete meltdown. Hopefully my broom cupboard hideout will enable me to conserve enough stock to feed the Wispa team who gave their services free of charge while leaving a good number for local charities. If I succeed, it should be a weight off the minds, and bodies, of Linda, Kate, Annie, Gail & Hayley! Oh, and David.
6 Feb 2009
We're all white...
Friday 6th Feb 2009
Just in case you were starting to panic by the lack of contact from us here at Fantastic Fireworks or tried to phone yesterday to find that our telephone was temporarily out of service....let me put your minds at rest. It's business as usual at Rocket Park despite the snow which has limited our numbers slightly! Turney has been in and cleared the snow away from the gates and doors. Tom has braved the weather and walked for an hour and a half to get here and I've reluctantly relinquished the santuary of my warm cosy car to walk up from Markyate. The catastrophic effects of walking onto driving snow on hair and makeup can not be underestimated. Thank goodness no-one was here to see me when I arrived!
Just in case you were starting to panic by the lack of contact from us here at Fantastic Fireworks or tried to phone yesterday to find that our telephone was temporarily out of service....let me put your minds at rest. It's business as usual at Rocket Park despite the snow which has limited our numbers slightly! Turney has been in and cleared the snow away from the gates and doors. Tom has braved the weather and walked for an hour and a half to get here and I've reluctantly relinquished the santuary of my warm cosy car to walk up from Markyate. The catastrophic effects of walking onto driving snow on hair and makeup can not be underestimated. Thank goodness no-one was here to see me when I arrived!
2 Feb 2009
There's Snow Business Like The Pyro Business!
Monday 2nd February 2009, 1.15pm
Looking out of the window today at Rocket Park I am greeted by a wonderfully white & wintery view. The trees and surrounding countryside appear to have been liberally sprinkled with icing sugar and all looks serene and beautiful. Easy to say though when you're sat in a warm and cosy office - and if only the snow really were as sweet and harmless as icing sugar!! Only a handful of us die-hard workers have made it in today; those who did practically slalomed their way through our big green gates this morning! Conditions all across the country seem to be getting worse, hundreds of schools have closed, and Luton airport (amongst many others) has suspended all flights. It's amazing how something so pretty can cause so much chaos! Linda, Tom, Jon & I are now sat watching anxiously, wondering how long we leave it before we try to venture home. Judging by the speed it's coming down now, I really don't think we'll be in the office too much longer.... As much we all love our jobs, I'm sure none of us are really relishing the idea of a Fantastic Fireworks sleepover tonight! ;o)
Looking out of the window today at Rocket Park I am greeted by a wonderfully white & wintery view. The trees and surrounding countryside appear to have been liberally sprinkled with icing sugar and all looks serene and beautiful. Easy to say though when you're sat in a warm and cosy office - and if only the snow really were as sweet and harmless as icing sugar!! Only a handful of us die-hard workers have made it in today; those who did practically slalomed their way through our big green gates this morning! Conditions all across the country seem to be getting worse, hundreds of schools have closed, and Luton airport (amongst many others) has suspended all flights. It's amazing how something so pretty can cause so much chaos! Linda, Tom, Jon & I are now sat watching anxiously, wondering how long we leave it before we try to venture home. Judging by the speed it's coming down now, I really don't think we'll be in the office too much longer.... As much we all love our jobs, I'm sure none of us are really relishing the idea of a Fantastic Fireworks sleepover tonight! ;o)
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