Out with the old, in with the new!

This will be the Last Post on our current web site. Sorry to see it go as we've enjoyed being here and keeping you updated with our latest activities. Things move so fast in the digital age that even a site that's only two years old is already outmoded. In the coming week or so we will be switching to an exciting new site which will be at the cutting edge of web technology. We will retain many of the features that have made this site so easy for our customers to navigate but they will be dressed into a sylish, slick and modern new format. Hope to see you there soon!

August is hot hot hot!

Our busiest weekend of the summer took us to three of the most picturesque places in the country, the Lake District, Castle Howard and Torbay. On Saturday night we entertained an audience of 5,000 at the Castle Howard summer proms concert. We're always nervous when working for a new client so it was a great relief when Andrew Wyke, director of the organisers, Musical Associates, phoned up the following day to say it was 'absolutely brilliant'. Dick Budgen and his team used the wide lakeside setting to produce some beautiful sequences to animate the 1812, the Radetsky March & Land of Hope and Glory. On Sunday night the action moved to Ulverston in the Lake District where the reopening of the Sir John Barrow Monument, a 100ft high inland lighthouse on Hoad Hill, drew another huge crowd. This time it was Rino Sampieri and his team who produced another memorable show. Our photographer Hayley Maddin captured the spectacle in this hot shot. On Monday we were supposed to be on the English Riviera but it turned out to be more like the English Rainiera. Torrential downpours and high winds threatened one of the main attractions of Torbay's Royal Regatta week, the annual fireworks extravaganza. But by mid afternoon the skies cleared, the wind dropped and Paul Roberts and his team had the rare treat of near perfect conditions to rock the Riviera. Choreographed to a dance mix including the Black Eyed Peas, Scissors Sisters, Coldplay and Take That, the show produced some stunning sequences, especially the waterfall effects which tumbled from a height of 300ft all the way down to the sea. 'Fantastic' said Regatta secretary Debbie Selley. 'See you next year.' All in all a fabulous weekend, with special thanks to show designers David Willsher and Steve Boothman.

We did it! Garden Party hits £500 hospice target

A big well done to the organisers and an even bigger thank-you to everyone who supported our summer garden party. Rocket Park was festooned with colourful bunting and an archway of balloons created by our beautiful cheerleaders Kate & Hayley (pictured here). Meanwhile Tom’s countless hours of sawing, nailing and painting produced a fantastic range of stalls including a coconut shy, stocks, splat the rat and the thirst-quenching, mouth-watering Brocade Bar & Grill. There was even a bouncy castle. The barbecue did a brisk trade in burgers and hot dogs, as did the cake stall, the tombola and the raffle. Despite the occasional shower everyone had a great time and when we counted up the pennies they came to a very creditable £300. Adding in the £200 donated online by well-wishers we will be handing Keech Hospice Care in Luton a cheque for more than £500. You can see more photos on our flickr page.

An Invitation To The Fantastic Fireworks Garden Party!

Fantastic Fireworks will be hosting a Summer Garden Party on Saturday 14th August 2010 in aid of Keech Hospice Care - and we would love for our wonderful Firers and friends of FF to join us!

Among the attractions will be the 'Brocade Bar & Grill', a Bouncy Castle, Cake & Home Produce stalls, a Bric 'A' Brac stall, Arts & Crafts, A Fun Dog Show, a Tombola, Coconut Shy, Stocks, 'Splat The Rat', Tug O' War, an Egg & Spoon Race and much, much more!

Quality donations for the Tombola or any other stall would be gratefully recieved, and will go along way to helping us reach our target. If you would like to have your own stall on the day, please let me know - all we ask is that you donate 20% of your profits to us for this amazing charity!

Tickets are FREE but numbers are limited, so please book early! (In case of over-subscription, priority will be given to staff & Firers of Fantastic Fireworks). There will be food and drink available on the day at a small charge, plus games and stalls with all the proceeds going to Keech Hospice Care.

For any enquiries about the Garden Party, to request a stall, or to book tickets, please email katem@fantasticfireworks.co.uk

For anyone who can't make it on the day, but would still like to support us from afar, please see our fundraising page - www.justgiving.com/Fantastic-Fireworks-Garden-Party - where even the smallest of donations will be very gladly received.

It's going to be a great event and we are all looking forward to welcoming you on the day! :o)

Sunshine super show!

Astronauts are used to seeing some pretty amazing sights...comets, asteroids, space stations, the earth from space. Now they can add one more, daylight fireworks! The crew from the Space Shuttle joined crowds in glorious sunshine to detonate a spectacular display marking the end of the annual Portsmouth Festivities. Fantastic Fireworks were called in to create a high impact, visual finale to the event which was due to end in broad daylight. We suggested our new range of colour smoke effects combined with a blast of confetti to give the astronauts and the audience an altogether new experience. Pippa Cleary, general manager of Portsmouth Festivities, said afterwards: 'The fireworks were wonderful, truly spectacular. No one quite knew what to expect and we were all stunned by how amazing they were.'

Happy birthday rock star!

It was one of the biggest showbiz parties of the year and we were honoured to be the entertainment, well the outdoor entertainment. The event was a special birthday party for one of rock's most famous and successful artists. It's a shame we can't say who he is but we respect his privacy and were just thrilled to be entertaining someone who has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Special thanks to Steve who designed the display to the star's favourite tunes and to Paul & his team for firing a wonderful show. As his PR manager said afterwards: 'That was ****ing fantastic!'

Icarus flies high in E15

Once in a while we get a show that's a bit different. This year one of our younger firers, Dan Hoffman, is in his final year at East 15 Acting School, studying for a BA in Technical Theatre. As part of their Final Examinations, students are required to offer a Dissertation. Most opt for something relatively small, such as a set model or piece of scenery. Not Dan. He elected to write, produce and perform a 30-minute multimedia spectacular based on the story of Icarus (the one in Greek mythology who flew so close to the sun that his wings melted!) The show utilised a classical soundtrack, a 4-metre metal sculpture, a dozen Varilites, four gas flame dragons, video projection and other effects. Not to mention atmospheric lighting around the lake and along the woodland walk leading to the show site.

And of course there were fireworks! Dan wanted to emphasise dramatic moments throughout the piece with spectacular pyrotechnic effects, and naturally turned to Fantastic Fireworks for help. We were delighted to sponsor this event, donating some of the pyro, helping Dan select fireworks appropriate for each scene, and advising on the risk assessment. In addition, Ian Woodroof from our sister company ConfettiMagic loaned Dan the use of LED lights and gas torches for the woodland walk.

On the day, the fireworks part of the show was rigged by FF Firers Tony Hoffman (Dan's dad) and Dick Budgen*, both donating their time free of charge. What followed was a real family performance, with Dan operating the lighting and flame effects, and Tony firing the pyro. The result was stunning, drawing loud applause from a very large audience. A First Class effort if ever there was one!

*Thank you Dick for your kind contribution to the blog too!!

Help for Heroes

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations this year Fantastic Fireworks has pledged help to several charities. One of the first beneficiaries is Help for Heroes, the charity which supports service personnel injured in war or conflict. Last Saturday night we were proud to donate a display to an auction of promises at an elegant black-tie supper in Oxfordshire. Bidding steamed past £1000, £2000, £3000 and ended with a whopping £3500! A fantastic effort! Overall the event raised more than £40,000 and we were delighted to play our role.

A night that really fizzed!

Coming home from a show in the small hours isn't something I've done for many years, but last week was a reminder of bygone days of long drives and midnight motorway service stations. As FF's unofficial chief photographer I like to give our clients a memento of their show and our latest outing took me out to deepest Lincolnshire. The event was an RAF Graduation Ball capped by flypasts of planes, parachutists and pyrotechnics. This was the middle leg of three shows in a busy week to bring April to an action-packed finish. As the 'lucky' fireworks company we brought the good weather with us as usual, and with a bright half-moon shining high over ahead it was a perfect night to wow the 700-strong audience. Afterwards a delighted organiser surprised and delighted us by arriving with five glasses and a bottle of champagne. Rarely do we get this well treated!

If I'd Known the Danger Ahead I'd Have Stayed Well Clear

Looking through our archives the other day I came across a video of a truly unique show we did in Liverpool three years ago. It was created from a collaboration between ourselves, the Liverpool Tate and a Chinese art group Yangjiang. Based on a concept exploring the young's ability to usurp the old, the Yangjiang Group developed the idea of a battle visualised in fireworks. Entitled 'If I'd Known the Danger Ahead I'd Have Stayed well Clear' the result is a unique and spectacular pyrotechnic work of art. Well worth dusting down and enjoying again. Watch it here.

A-mazing!

The client said it, the venue manager said it and there was no other word for it! Last night's big show at Hampton Court prompted the same adjective from everyone we spoke to. Choreographed to a soundtrack of contemporary classics, including I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas and Rule the World by Take That, the show crackled with class. Our client, a multi-national company celebrating a recent merger, wanted something special with which to impress the 500 guests. We illuminated the fountain by the Long Water, lit up the sky with our powerful, multibeam searchlight, and provided guests with the warm glow of two Olympic style 'flambaux' flames on arrival. After dinner they returned outside for the big finish, a 7-minute display which sparkled with style and pezazz. Giant flames hissed into the sky as Bjork sang Shhh...it's so Quiet, then a volley of shell bursts shattered the silence. This sequence drew a round of applause before the show drew to a tumultous close with Rule the World and a sky full of gold. A-mazing! Show credits: Design, Ian Woodroof. Senior Firer, Paul Roberts. Sound & lights, Rob Stokes.

It's a long story

'What happened to Lord Brocket? How come he gave up this place?' asked the well-refreshed American wedding guest as he surveyed the stately pile that is Brocket Hall. Looking out over its majestic, manicured grounds and its moonlit lake, it was indeed hard to imagine anyone giving it up. 'It's a long story,' I replied. 'Do you know Lord Brocket? Have you met him?' continued the American, eager for my insight into the English aristocracy. 'Hey do you guys want a drink?' And so with an hour to go before the start of our show last night I recalled our Brocket years. When I first started Fantastic Fireworks back in the early 1980s, Brocket Hall was one of the first places I began sending my brochures. As one of Hertfordshire's premier locations (alongside Hatfield House & Knebworth) it seemed a good prospect. It took about a year before I received a phone call booking our first display. In those days Brocket Hall was run by Lord Brocket, his PA Felicity Buxton and his butler, known simply as Alan. High-powered political conferences were held there and fireworks were a new and exciting way of entertaining the international delegates. One of the most memorable events was in 1989 when a Japanese television company took it over for a day and beamed a live show back to Tokyo. There were London taxis, a helicopter, a red double-decker bus and dozens of actors doing crazy things. The high spot (apart from our own cameo performance of daytime fireworks) came when the Pet Shop Boys and Bananarama suddenly appeared to mime their hits (You Were Always on my Mind & Robert de Niro's Waiting). Magic days! I met Lord Brocket several times and invited him to give a talk on fireworks to one of our training courses. He was always very charming and helpful. Fast-forward 20 years and Alan the butler is still there, as lovely as ever, and Felicity, known to all as Flic, is just down the road running Wrotham Park. Brocket himself pops up in the gossip columns on a regular basis and despite the slings and arrows of losing his freedom, not to mention an outrageous fortune, seems to be in fine fettle. He has remarried, become a father again and can look forward to Brocket Hall one day returning to his children. 'Yes but why did he give all this up,' asked the Amercian. 'Well,' I reply, 'there was a little matter of some Ferraris.' More guests suddenly appear on the terrace and it's time to fire the show. I never did get that drink. Thanks to Justin, Martin & Laura for an excellent show and to Rob for manning the PA.

David is in the CAD class!

Earlier this year we resolved to be better trained, better informed and generally better prepared for the challenges of another busy fireworks season. This month two of our staff have been attending classes which will take us a step nearer achieving our goal. Our Display Manager Hayley Maddin completed a First Aid course, which means that if any of us are bruised, burned, scalded or electrocuted (to name just a few of the many hazards lurking in any office) she can now administer an assortment of bandages, lotions and resuscitation procedures. Meanwhile our Operations Manager David Willsher has been immersed in NEBOSH - the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety & Health. It's quite a mouthful, and so is the course! Two solid weeks of training followed by a week of revision followed by an exam. At the end of itall, David will know his CoSHH*from his CoMAH**and his CAD*** from his CLER****, all of which should mean that Fantastic Fireworks ticks the right safety boxes.
* Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
** Control of Mass Accident Hazard
*** Classification and Authorisation Document
**** Classifcation and Labelling of Explosives Regulations

Oh so wonely!

Today I'm writing to you from my lonely little desk in an eerily quiet and still Rocket Park! (I'm sure I can hear your sympathetic oohs and aahs from here!) But do not fear, I haven't been abandoned or desserted - it's just so incredibly busy for Fantastic Fireworks at the moment that I have been left to man HQ on my tod for a bit while the others go off on all sorts of important engagements...

Hayley & Pascal are currently out at meetings in the Cambridge area, visiting some very interesting people to discuss potential displays... David meanwhile is on the 5th day off a highly intensive NEBOSH course, and will soon be the FF authority on all things to do with Health & Safety... Jon's out and about too, making last minute preparations for The Event Show next week (which we are all very excited about)... and last but no means least, Tom and Paul have worked super-hard all morning in order to have the afternoon off - and very well deserved it is too! So that just leaves little old me in the Display Team, Becky in Retail, and Ian in our sister company Confetti Magic - and working extremely hard we are too! (Just someone please remind me to hide the board-games and party food before the boss comes back later! *wink wink nudge nudge*)

25 and counting!

Hello everyone, Happy New Year, and Happy Burns Night to all our Scottish friends and Firers!

This is my first post of 2010 and, as promised in the Firers Times, should (hopefully!) be the first of many! Our 25th year has got off to a flying start so far. We've begun to revamp ourselves completely with a new logo & a fresh new look, in fact a whole new FF for the next 25 years! David and Steve have just got back from an exciting & fruitful trip to China, where they were on the hunt for all the most fabulous and innovative of the new fireworks for the year ahead. All Firers should now have received my Questionnaire; the new and improved FF Firers Database is shaping up nicely with all the responses I have received so far (thank you). The Event Production Show in Olympia's Grand Hall, London, takes us nicely into February (on Tues 2nd & Wed 3rd to be exact). Here you will find Hayley, Pascal, Jon and myself manning our fantastic new-look stand, logoed up and waiting for you with welcoming smiles and eager for a chat! If you happen to be in the area please do pop in to see us! Who knows, you may even walk away with one of the many bottles of champagne we will be giving away during our two day stint there...

We have so many more exciting plans to take us through the rest of the year and, unlike this famous quote from the aforementioned Mr. Burns, "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Go oft awry"... we know that we will see ALL of our plans through to a thrilling and successful finish!

I am certain that this anniversary year will be a year for us all to remember - roll on the next 25! x

Lost in translation

Being in China provides plenty of opportunity for amusement, if only from the translated public signs, (see picture). And only in China would you find a Yoshiba television in your hotel room, Dandy kitchen appliances around the home, a JBC digging holes and a Rolls Royce angel and grill stitched on to the front of what can only be described as a clown's car waiting to pick up some lucky bride. In fact today Steve and I drove past a restaurant called Fukang Pawn which provided a good laugh. And If that's not enough, for those of you with no friends theres always the ‘knob coffee bar’ where you can meet like minded people.

On a more serious note the people have been very welcoming and hospitable. The locals also seem to enjoy practicing their English as we walk past on the street by shouting out “hello” to which we respond with a very poorly pronounced ‘Nihouw’, one of only four words we’ve managed to learn in our time here.

This is my first time in China but it is Steve’s fourth visit and he is completely shocked at the amount of development that has taken place over the past few years. Towns that were once quite a small community have turned into bustling cities and everywhere you look something is being built. The speed of development is truly quite shocking. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Posted by David via the hub.

A vision for the future

As Steve & David touch down in Beijing, their work colleagues back home are hard at work on the company's blueprint for the future. While office staff across the country were forced to stay at home because of the snow, a dozen of our finest made it to to the Holiday Inn for a full day's agenda. Fantastic Fireworks celebrates 25 years of success this year and while I'm delighted to have got us this far, I wanted everyone to be able to have a say in how and where we go from here. My 'bible' for the day was a book called the E Myth - Why Most Small Businesses Fail. Its premise is that they fail because they don't have a plan. I have to admit that I didn' have a plan when I started the company back in 1985, in fact I didn't have a clue. We succeeded because the fireworks phenomenon was in its infancy and we were among the first to realise its potential. Twenty-five years on we face a new challenge: How to build on our past success in a rapidly changing market place. Firstly it is highly competitive, with hundreds of firework companies chasing the same targets, second our buying public are far more sophisticated, and third we are fighting against a recession. What then will make our clients hear us above the din of all those shouting for their business? Our agenda included topics such as how to provide a better, more consistent customer experience, how to make our displays even more fantastic and, in this health and safety conscious era, how we can maintain and improve our already highly regarded safety standards. There was no talk of sales targets or gross margins, just a united desire to live up to and beyond the name which got us here in the first place. We have a young, creative and energetic team all eager to make their mark. Adding a wealth of experience and expertise to the mix are our highly respected senior pyrotechnicians Ian Woodroof, Steve Boothman & Paul Roberts plus a legion of the most dedicated firers in the land. I'm proud to be leading this team on its first exciting steps into the next 25 years.

Out of the Fridge and into the Freezer

David and myself are packing our thermals for a visit to China and the coldest weather that Beijing has seen in 20 years, (and that means COLD). Tomorrow sees us set out on a mission to bring the best new products back to the UK for the 2010 season. We'll be updating the blog throughout the visit so stay tuned and watch this space!!!! (that is if the internet doesn't freeze over in the meantime)

Happy New Year!

Fri 1st Jan 2010, 5.50pm

Greetings to everyone on this first day of a new decade. Let's hope the rest of Fantastic Fireworks' 25th anniversary year continues in the same spectacular way we started it in Birmingham last night. It was our first New Year's Eve show in the city and we really wanted to make it sing and dance. We were lucky enough to have a perfectly clear, still night with a full moon (including a partial eclipse) and a fantastic location atop the 75m high Hyatt Regency hotel in Centenary Square. As thousands of revellers roared on the chimes of Big Ben our senior firer Paul Roberts signalled the start of the show with a series of mine lifts and a giant Happy New Year set-piece from the roof of the House of Sport. Hot on the heels of this came a 5-minute aerial spectacular fired from the Holliday St car park. As the show rocked on there was a universal gasp of amazement as the roof of the Hyatt suddenly burst into life. Hundreds of comets swept the sky in magical Mexican wave, back and forth, up and across until finally each of the three sites erupted in one awesome final salute. A great way to start the new year!