Terry camps out for a record

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.