'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.
