Flip Mode is a superb new addition to the Paramount Fireworks range for 2010. The brand that brough you such classics as Fragma and the irresistible Echo Bomb has introduced another instant classic to its repertoire.

Flip Mode is the very definition of a no-nonsense, fast paced, animal of a barrage and should definately be handled with extreme caution.

A reproduction of the incredible Air Boss by Brothers Pyrotechnics this is already guaranteed to be a good performer and a popular piece. We have worked very closely with Brothers Pyrotechnics to make sure that the same great quality, high-impact and value for money will be there for this one.

Heres the review:

This awesome new barrage from Paramount Fireworks lives up to its name beautifully. 38 large shots fired rapidly in fanned formation from left to right across the sky; simply breath-taking. Screaming comet tails with great crackles turn into whistling tails with timed golden rain and huge gold willow with crackling flowers.

All this in about 20 seconds makes this an absolutely crazy barrage and one that is definitely going to be a favourite of 2010.

Tom and Jerry – Safety Second never play with fireworks so dont try this at home kids.

An angry councillor has written to Bristol City Council’s licensing committee urging them to reject plans to allow a fireworks factory to store more explosives at its site.

Firework and match manufacturer Octavius Hunt has asked the Council to allow it to store more explosives at its factory in Redfield,  even though a report compiled for the hearing features a catalogue of safety and other breaches.

The factory was fined £17,500 for an explosion on site in June 2004, while Avon Fire service has submitted a report following a fire last May, which highlights a a number of shortcomings in the factory’s fire procedures.

A Council officer visited the site last month and noted a number of unresolved operational issues at the factory.

The Health and Safety Inspectorate concluded in a letter dated June 3, 2009 to the Managing Director of the factory “that there had been a history of unintended fires and explosions, the accumulation of waste, failure to follow documented procedure…” and yet they are refusing to make their inspection report available to the committee – forcing the Council to make a Freedom of Information request for it.

Cllr John  Kiely said in a statement: “I doubt you could have made this up, there are a number of very serious questions about the operation of this factory that needs answering.

“This is densely populated area, with older persons bungalows and other residential properties with in yards of this site. Local residents are rightly concerned about having a firework factory, storing explosive material on their doorstep.

“I am also unimpressed with the lack of openness show by HSE’s in making its inspection available to the committee, how can they issue a license when being denied all the facts, on that basis alone I have asked the licensing committee to reject this application.”

Earl Coates, the firm’s quality and health and safety manager, said the increased storage would only be for novelty sparklers and other items such as party poppers.

He said they were the kind of items found on supermarket shelves but because of strict regulations, they were classed as low-grade explosives. He said: “There is no increased risk to the public.”

Epic Fireworks new range for 2010 just keeps getting bigger and better. This latest release is another to ensure we have plenty long duration fireworks to keep your party banging all night long.

Crescendo has 105 shots of brilliant mixed effects and beautiful comet tails that spin and crackle as they rise into the night sky. Of course the video we have for you here is not quite a night sky, it was a bit early in the evening when we tested this one in China, but we feel that its good enough to give you an idea of what the Cresendo will do.

Heres the review:

Epic Fireworks presents the Crescendo, 105 shots of brilliant loud bangs and crackles, accompanied by beautiful violet and blue mines with silver strobing stars. Crackling comet tails rise into large multicoloured chrysanthemums with green, red and silver stars and clouds of crackling gold. With a whopping duration of almost 1 minute 15 seconds this is a fantastic single ignition barrage with a steady and busy performance throughout.

This is a sign from Disneyland, those clever Mickey Mouse fans have adapted the words “loud bang” into “laod bhang” to give a far eastern feel to the name on the sign.

For some reason this seems normal in America. You can almost hear the banjo’s.

Again, in America this may be acceptable but it does seem like a bad combination. Of course you may need a landry service after seeing such Americans drunk and with fireworks.

This sign just seems wrong. They might as well put one underneath it saying “no smiling”.

V is for vandalism. Remember kids, witty sl0gan or not, it should not be scrawled on a wall without the owners permission.

You may or may not have heard of danbos, the little cardboard box fella who gets up to all sorts of adventures on the interweb. We have posted about him before in a photo where he and his little mate are playing with rockets, Cardboard fireworks fans.

In this photo you can see him enjoying a firework in his back garden, you may notice that he not observing the correct safety distance from the firework. Remember firework safety must always come first. Especially if you are made of cardboard.

The 2010 Edinburgh International Festival Fireworks Concert will this year celebrate “Music from the Movies”, it was announced by Festival Director Jonathan Mills this morning at the launch of the EIF programme taking place in August and early September.

The festival opens on 13th August with John Adams’s El Niño. The Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert, the grand finale of all the festivals, takes place on 5th September under Edinburgh Castle. It’s watched by thousands throughout the city.

Futher details and EIF previews coming later.

More on the Festival Fireworks Concert and Edinburgh International Festival

Oriental Fireworks, although a fairly new name in the UK fireworks industry has already established itself as a producer of high quality display barrages. This is well illustrated by the success of the small 25 shot barrage King Cobra. This sensational small barrage could not have been more popular and was one of our best sellers of last year.

This new single ignition barrage by Oriental Fireworks has a lot of noise and is perfect for lovers of loud fireworks. 100 shots of screaming spinning tails rise up to loud reports (bangs) that will definately make an impression at your fireworks display, whatever the occasion.

Heres the review:

Oriental Fireworks has a lot of noise to make and they do it well with the Jet Screamers 100 shot barrage. This is an insane and terrific noise maker. Screaming jets of spinning tails rise into the air and explode with very loud reports. If you want to make a lot of noise and get noticed this is definitely the way to do it. Perfect for daytime events or anyone who likes to make a racket. This is our favourite new noisy firework and we are sure it will be yours too.

So there you have it, not a lot to say about this one except loud loud loud!!!

Yes kids, believe it or not young people had to work for their entertainment in the olden days.

Above you can see a group of rosy cheeked youngsters out collecting firewood for their bonfire. In those days the bonfire was just as important as the fireworks and it was a matter of pride to ensure that your street/village/club had a bigger bonfire than your local rivals. It was not uncommon for young wags (wag meaning something different in those days, not the wife or girlfriend of a footballer) to sneak out to light the bonfire of their “enemies” the night before bonfire night, leaving them with a pile of ashes rather than a big pile of wood.

Such acts often met similar retaliation and this could mean that no-one had a bonfire come the big night. Such is the nature of man.

We must only hope that these barrels did not contain anything flammable. Can you imagine a group of kids doing something like this nowadays? No, you can’t, because health and safety would have a fit, saying such things as:

“Climbing on top of a pile of wood, terribly unsafe.”

“Those barrels could slip and fall at any time.”

“This is an outrage.”

and other such mutterings.

However surely these are rights of passage for a young lad and made them appreciate their hard work  when they see the flames licking up from their bonfire heap and think “I made that”. This is something that is sadly lacking in todays culture. The kids would much rather sit and play their new computer game “bonfire builder 4: The finding of the pallet”

Now this is definately not the safest lad in the village.

It was common in the good old days for everyone to get rid of all their old crap during the bonfire season. Anything that could burn would be thrown onto the pile. Busted old sofas, the obligatory smelly urine stained mattress (when not occupying a skip), broken doors, piles of old tyres (as seen in the photograph above) that would billow out thick black toxic smoke for days. Nothing was banned from being thrown on a fire, after all, our fire had to be bigger than theirs. Nowadays of course, you cannot burn a piece of wood if it has a dot of paint on it as this will pollute our clean air.

We are all for clean air laws and would not condone burning anything that did not comply. But it did feel natural to launch practically any household item onto a fire, it was like a Spring cleaning, in Autumn and positively enforceed community participation.

And this is what is missing today; Community participation. The image above shows people dancing gaily (that meant something different in the olden days too) sharing each others company and coming together in a spirit of community. This was back in the days when people knew their neighbours forenames and surnames and spoke to each other more than just the morning nod as everyone jumps into their cars. Times were when a man felt like he belonged to street or town or village and did not just live there.

The bonfire was an integral part of this belonging, and like bonfire festivals and events that still go on around the world is a vital part of bringing people together. After all, many people still call it Bonfire Night.

What do you call the 5th of November?

a)Bonfire Night

b)Guy Fawkes Night

c)Fireworks Night

Leave us a comment and let us know.

We all love fireworks right? Of course we do, or we would not be human. And we all love lego right? Sure we do, maybe not as much as when we were younger but still, lego is awesome. So, what happens when you attach your love of fireworks to your love of lego?

You guessed it, its the Epic Fireworks Lego Lovers Fireworks and Lego Photo Gallery.

Daredevils around the world have dreamed of attaching rockets to their bikes, these lego chaps have done it!

never ever ever hold a firework in your hand, even if you are made of lego.

This is a really cool lego picture of a young lego couple sitting on the lego grass, watching the lego fireworks for the 4th of July fireworks display – made of lego.

How awesome is this? very, thats how awesome, very. Lego building there own rockets!

This lego crew have sailed the seven seas carparks to buy fireworks at Sheltons.

Much respect to the builder of this incredible piece of lego art. This must have taken ages to make but it looks brilliant.

Star Wars. Enough said.