Souvenir Programme // 2019
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Introduction Welcome to Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City for the British Firework Championships, which is now in its 23rd year. We’re delighted to welcome six of Britain’s most talented pyrotechnic companies, who will each put on an extraordinary display in a bid to be crowned the British Firework Champion 2019. We’re proud to be involved in such an impressive event which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the country to explore and enjoy our wonderful city. As anyone who’s ever stood on Plymouth Hoe gazing at the spectacular displays will know, Plymouth’s stunning and historic waterfront provides the perfect backdrop for this exciting and glittering two day showdown. This really is a must-see family event with free entertainment including music, films on the big screen, fairground rides and refreshment stalls on Plymouth Hoe. The firework displays generally begin on each evening as dusk falls at 9.30pm, with three tenminute displays to enjoy each evening As always, we would like to thank The Event Services Association (TESA) for their continued partnership. We wish you a warm welcome to our brilliant city and hope you enjoy this memorable competition. Councillor Richard Ball Lord Mayor of Plymouth
For more information about what’s on in Plymouth please see visitplymouth.co.uk or follow @WhatsOnPlymouth on Twitter and Facebook.
Fireworks THE MAGAZINE READ BY FIREWORK ENTHUSIASTS FOR OVER 37 YEARS Printed & electronic versions * Practical information *History *Colour pictures of old fireworks
- buy with credit card at www.fireworks-mag.org Fireworks PO Box 40, Bexhill, TN40 1GX editor@fireworks-mag.org
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About the British Firework Championships W
elcome to the 23rd Annual British Firework Championships here in the great city of Plymouth. The Championships have been run here every year since they started in 1997 and give a fantastic display with six of the finest pyrotechnic display teams giving us a spectacular show. This year is set to be another classic with Nemisis Pyrotechnics, Aurora Fireworks, Phoenix Fireworks, Illusion Fireworks, Selstar Fireworks & 1st Galaxy Fireworks all vying to be crowned British Firework Champions 2019. If the weather is good, we’ll be joined by some 100,000 people across the two nights with more watching highlights on TV.
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@BritishFirework In the firework industry, the British Firework Championships are now firmly established as the leading national competition where companies can demonstrate their skills and showcase all the latest fireworks available. In the south west, the event is now a firm favorite in the summer and is the largest free to enter public event. Huge thanks to all the event sponsors who’ve given their support. The event, which is organised every year by The Event Services Association, the trade body for the events industry in the UK, is run in partnership with Plymouth City Council. All you have to do is enjoy the funfair, food and find yourself a spot anywhere on the Hoe or along the coast road to marvel at the six incredible displays.
The British Firework Championships 2019
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What is TESA?
The British Firework Championships is owned by The Event Services Association (TESA) and has been run, in partnership with Plymouth City Council, since 1997. TESA was launched in May 1990 and represents organisers, promoters and suppliers involved in the event industry throughout the UK. The Association was originally established to promote good practice in the industry as well as to provide a focal point for information. However, it also recognises the need to support its members by promoting their businesses and interests.
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TESA has strong links with other trade bodies in the event industry with whom it works from time-to-time. This has most recently been evident in the online publication of The Purple Guide which is regarded as the Bible for every aspect of event organising. For more information go to www.thepurpleguide.co.uk For more information about TESA please contact Kevin Minton on 01291 636335 or email kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk
Why not advertise next year?
Contact Andrew Emery 01291 636334 for details
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How is it going to work? This is the 23rd running of the British Firework Championships here in Plymouth. This has been seen by millions of people over the years and we’re anticipating over a hundred thousand people to watch it live each night this year and many more watching all the TV highlights and online video.
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tarting at 9:30pm (as soon as it is dark enough) there will be three 10 minute displays fired from the Mountbatten breakwater. Each display will use up to 550kg Net Explosive Mass (NEM) of fireworks. That’s over three tonnes of pure explosions – plus all the rigging, stands, wiring and safety gear – we’re talking tonnes of kit! Because we’re firing from the breakwater, you can take a stroll, enjoy the funfair, all the catering on offer before finding a spot anywhere on the Hoe and coast road to enjoy a great view of the displays. In addition, you can join in with the excitement on social media. Tweet us @BritishFirework and send us your pictures. Where are you watching from? Who are you with? Tweet us and we’ll give you a shout out and we might even post your pictures on the official website www.britishfireworks.co.uk
The Judging The Championships are judged by a panel of expert, and local judges, under the guidance of the competition adjudicator CarnDu Ltd. and organisers The Event Services Association.
3.
Use of Colour: Was the use of colour in the display effective in grabbing your attention and adding to the quality level of the show?
4.
Overall Impression: What was your overall impression of the Wow factor of the show in its entirety?
The local judges are asked to judge the displays on four different aspects and these are the questions they will be asking themselves:
In the meantime, the expert panel will be asked to judge the technical aspects of each display based on four key aspects:
1.
1.
The quality of the show design and performance
2.
Compliance with firing brief
3.
Symmetry, patterns and timing of the display
4.
Overall Artistic Impression of the display
The variety of fireworks and sequences used: Was there enough variety in the different effects and did the way they worked together impress you?
2.
Rhythm of the Display: Did the flow of the display work to hold your attention and did it run smoothly?
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Two chances to win
£500 worth of Fireworks This is the 23rd year of the British Firework Championships and to mark this great occasion we have organised a Championship draw with two superb prizes of £500 worth of fireworks to be won. The prizes have been kindly donated by Epic and Ghengis Fireworks. The first winner will receive £500 worth of fireworks from Epic and the second winner £500 worth of fireworks from Ghengis. About Epic Fireworks Epic Fireworks is the UK’s largest online fireworks supplier and they will be providing the winner with their prize. You can find out more about Epic Fireworks on their web site at www.epicfireworks.com.
About Ghengis Ghengis has years upon years of experience in the business and are one the UK’s most significant, reliable and trusted firework retailers based in Chatham, Kent, UK. Visit them at www.fireworks.co.uk. How to Enter All you have to do to take part is visit www.britishfireworks.co.uk and answer a simple question. All correct entries will go into a draw and the two winners will be picked on 19th August 2019.
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Fireworks through the ages Reproduced by kind permission of John Bennet, editor of Fireworks Magazine. No British schoolboy needs reminding of the story of Guy Fawkes,
The Gunpowder Plot conspirator whose name has been linked in the public imagination over the centuries with the attempt to overthrow the government of James I. In fact Fawkes, a soldier born in York, was not the leader of the Plot but was discovered in the vaults before the opening of Parliament. Somehow Robert Catesby’s Night does not have the same ring about it! However, a fire celebration at the time of year at which Guy Fawkes’ Night is celebrated pre-dates Fawkes by at least 2000 years! The inhabitants of these islands celebrated at a festival called Samhain - at which bonfires were lit. It is believed that these were designed to ward off evil spirits as the dark days of Winter approached in days when there was no artificial light to alleviate the gloomy, short days. Why Guy Fawkes (or the Gunpowder Plot conspirators) became associated with the annual firework celebration is easy to establish. Firstly the government wished the populace to be constantly reminded about a Roman Catholic plot which had threatened (or promised if you were a Roman Catholic!) to introduce Catholicism as the main - perhaps only - Christian creed in this country. This would have been why a contemporary declaration decreed that the Fifth Of November should be an annual public holiday in this country. Sadly this decree is no longer observed! The date, the Fifth of November, was also significant for religious reasons in that it was on this day that the
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protestant William of Orange (who was to become William III) landed in Britain to replace the Roman Catholic King, James II. But, perhaps even more significantly, the Plot held all the necessary constituents of a fiery celebration. There was gunpowder involved - even if it was never lit and never, as it undoubtedly would have done, destroyed the Palace of Westminster which pre-dated our current Houses of Parliament. It also involved the burning of an effigy - a relatively common occurrence
at the time. Poor Guy Fawkes was not burned - but hanged, drawn and quartered - a barbaric fate reserved for traitors at the time. Although Guy Fawkes is burnt in effigy on thousands of bonfires in Britain, St Peter’s School in York is an exception, for the understandable reason that Guy (or Guido as he was sometimes known) was a pupil of that school. Indeed, it was only in recent years that the school celebrated the event at all. The word ‘guy’ may not even refer to Guy Fawkes, with some associating the effigy with guisers (people, like mummers, who dress up to stage ancient dances and performances) and others attributing the name to a word, meaning log, which had associations with a Druid festival. Fireworks were associated with Guy Fawkes’ Night from soon after the Plot - as we know from the Diary of Samuel
Pepys. But then they were used to mark any form of celebration. The back garden fireworks of the time - squibs, serpents, crackers often made in unsuitable surroundings of the fireworkers’ homes in busy crowded streets - are described by Pepys, and many of the fireworks familiar to us - like rockets and fountains - were known to him as well. Sadly, not everyone was as detailed as Pepys in the records they kept and - like other aspects of the lives of ‘ordinary’ people - firework use by the populace before Guy Fawkes went largely unrecorded. We do know however that 1487 saw the use of fireworks at the coronation of Elizabeth of York (bride of Henry VII) - where a dragon spouted fire into The Thames. That sad, Queen Anne Boleyn, also witnessed fireworks at her coronation where ‘wild men casting fire and making a hideous noise’ were part of the celebration. Anne’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, created the position of Firemaster - so enamoured was she of fireworks. A firework display was planned to celebrate the first ever ‘Fifth of November’ - but it never took place. Display audiences of the early nineteenth century and before would not have even been able to witness colour in fireworks. Many tricks were tried to suggest that the displays had colour - like coloured glass screens in front of non-coloured fireworks - and the use of pitch, oil and resin rather than gunpowder. Today metallic salts provide colours (strontium red, copper blue, barium green and sodium yellow). Another way in which earlier display audiences were kept amused without colour was by the use of ‘machines’. Machines were backdrops for the fireworks, often designed by leading architects of the day. The British Firework Championships 2019
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Some of these were made of fabric and wood, but others (one in Versailles was made of red marble) were permanent structures and stood long after the fireworks had been lit. The machine would often be in the form of a temple or an important building and they would hide the rudimentary fusing used to communicate the fire from one firework to another - and indeed the fireworks themselves which did not have pretty wrappers as they do today. Another compensation for colour was size and quantity. Huge rockets (far bigger than anything used today) were fired in flights of hundreds and thousands and must have made a tremendous noise. And noise was something which was not in short supply. While there were no ‘cakes’ (the modern fireworks comprising many tubes), ground fireworks (pots) would be fired giving a similar (or even more spectacular) effect. But gold, silver and white were used in increasingly imaginative ways as the years progressed. Fireworks such as six pointed suns with moving parts between and spinning wheels of incredible complexity pleased audiences then. Perhaps because we have such interesting effects now, display operators
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have lost the art of ingenuity? The Maltese and Spanish, though, cannot be accused of this! Today Guy Fawkes celebrations are as popular as ever - both the use of shop fireworks and the witnessing of displays. Safe use of garden fireworks is a considerable joy, and public displays provide more spectacular sights. Modern displays often feature mainly aerial fireworks - and this is the main difference in firework presentation today with a display of a hundred years ago. Many can remember when ground fireworks - including amusing pieces like chickens laying eggs and men riding bicycles were part of the show. Now shells (fired by mortars (long cardboard tubes)) form an important part of the major firework displays. These are quite rightly not available to the general public and are fired by operators who know their business. Fireworks are a source of colour, noise and excitement. Many argue that fireworks represent an art form rather than chemistry. They may have a point. Whatever your view, and whether you use garden fireworks or go to displays, or both, always play safe with fireworks. And they will afford you immense pleasure.
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The Beginning of Fireworks Reproduced by kind permission of John Bennet, editor of Fireworks Magazine. Nobody knows when the first fireworks were made, but fireworks were being used in ancient China long before they were known in other parts of the world. Two important Chinese inventions are used in fireworks - paper and gunpowder. The mixture we call “gunpowder� was used in China to make fireworks long before the invention of guns. It is a mixture of three things that have been known in China from ancient times. The first is charcoal, the black solid formed when wood is heated in a fire. The next is sulphur, found in many parts of the world as a peculiar, crumbly yellow stone. When sulphur is put into a fire, it melts and burns with a blue flame, making a dreadful smell. The ancient Chinese used sulphur as a medicine.
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The final thing that goes into gunpowder is saltpetre, a white powdery material that looks just like ordinary salt. It is found naturally in the drier parts of China and was used as a medicine and in cooking. Anyone who happened to spill some saltpetre into the fire would have noticed that the hot coals burned very fiercely around the melting saltpetre. Perhaps this gave someone the idea of mixing saltpetre and charcoal together and setting it alight. This mixture, if the proportions are just right, burns quickly and throws out glowing sparks. With some sulphur added, the mixture burns even more rapidly, making a lot of smelly smoke. When it is put into a paper tube, or a piece of bamboo, and set alight, the burning mixture shoots out a jet of fire and sparks.
If the end of the tube is closed up, and the gunpowder is lit through a small hole, the jet of fire shoots out further. If the hole is very small, the tube sometimes bursts with a loud bang. This discovery would have been very exciting for the ancient Chinese. They liked to make loud noises at festivals and religious ceremonies, to scare away evil spirits. Before the invention of gunpowder, sticks of bamboo were thrown into fires to make loud bangs. Gunpowder would have been a great improvement. Perhaps at first it was just put into bamboo tubes and set alight. Even if it did not always make a noise, the smoke and sparks would have helped to keep evil spirits and demons away. Eventually, someone worked out how to make a fuse out of very thin paper and gunpowder twisted into a long string. With this fuse, it became possible to make firecrackers that exploded reliably. The firecrackers for religious festivals were often made out of red paper. The fuses were plaited together to make long strings of firecrackers. When these were set off, they made a lot of very loud bangs and little bits of red paper were scattered far and wide. Evil spirits were supposed to be frightened of red, and so they would be kept away by the scattered pieces of red paper long after the firecrackers had finished. Chinese firecrackers are still used in huge numbers every year in Chinese festivals and just for fun! Sometimes a firecracker that has not been made properly does not explode but instead shoots out a jet of fire and flies away in the air or along the ground. This is a very primitive rocket. The ancient Chinese made rockets by fixing tubes packed with gunpowder to sticks, that kept the rockets pointing in the right direction as they flew through
the air. These early rockets were used in festivals, and also in warfare as “arrows of flying fire�. They were very effective against soldiers on horseback. The unknown Chinese inventor who first sent a tube of gunpowder into the sky on the end of a stick would have been very surprised to learn that people would one day travel to the moon with the help of giant rockets. Another Chinese discovery, still used in modern fireworks, was that powdered iron mixed with gunpowder made beautiful, flowerlike sparks. The ancient Chinese did not know about the chemicals needed to make coloured flames and white sparks. Fireworks with these effects were developed in Europe over the last two hundred years. In recent times, the Chinese have set up large factories to make fireworks for sale all over the world. As well as the traditional Chinese firecrackers, these factories make a huge variety of fireworks ranging from sparklers and tiny fountains to the colourful star shells used in big fireworks displays. The British Firework Championships 2019
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THE BRITISH FIREWORK CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 Contestants proямБles
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Nemisis Pyrotechnics Nemisis is an extremely progressive and imaginative display company with 20 years’ experience in the professional firework display industry. We have a reputation of being at the forefront of show design and production, with flair, ingenuity and originality, creating pyrotechnic spectaculars that befit the occasion, venue and the brief, in a professional and safe manner. We now have display teams based in Cheshire, Cumbria, Edinburgh, East Anglia, Sussex and Northern Ireland, and operate throughout the UK and Ireland, all teams are fully trained and conversant with relevant health & safety law and regulation. We are now capable of firing up to eight large-scale displays on any one date at various locations. Nemisis performs displays for all types of occasions from private parties, weddings, through to concerts, proms, carnivals, festivals and corporate launches. We have created and fired displays from every type of location and venue including parks, sports grounds, roof and cliff tops, sea and river barges, coastal displays and castles, for all types of clients. Nemisis has performed for the rich and famous, the not so rich and not so famous, councils and budgets large and small. All have one thing in common; we promise to create a spectacular show that is safe and memorable for all the right reasons. We have fired displays for; Northwest 200 Motor Bike Race, Ireland’s largest sporting event (with over 100,000
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Winsford, Cheshire Contact: Steve Cleaver Tel: 01270 780968 or 07523 166735 nemisisfireworksuk@googlemail.com www.fireworkuk.co.uk spectators), BBC Proms in the Park and for many prestigious castles and stately homes. Safety is our primary concern. All shows are fully risk-assessed and completed assessment reports are provided to all concerned parties. Each Nemisis display is covered by comprehensive public and product liability insurance. All teams are fullytrained display operators and have a team leader who will have fired a minimum of 300 shows.
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Aurora Fireworks Aurora Fireworks based in Wisborough Green, West Sussex was established in 1996. Over 20 years later the business is still family run, by the original owner Robert Byles with his wife Paula and two sons Jason and Stephen. Performing around 100 displays per year, Aurora have had the privilege of exhibiting their displays all over the EU to wide variety of prestige clients and venues. These include the Miller Group, Goodwood House, and numerous music artists. Once again Aurora will be working with their manufacturers in China, Sunsong Fireworks whom they have worked with on product design since 1999 to create some stunning effects. With safety in mind Aurora will be using the Pyrosure, Evolved and SSI system for efficient and safe firing. In conjunction with Plymouth’s goals of becoming a plastic free city, Aurora will be looking to drastically decrease their plastic usage and are taking steps
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Wednesday 14th August
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Wisborough Green, West Sussex Contact: Robert Byles Tel: 01403 701991 or 07787 526634 robert@aurorafireworks.co.uk www.aurorafireworks.co.uk to ensure that any plastics will not contaminate the local environment. The Aurora team were thrilled with their first ever competition result back in 2016, so to be asked to compete again is an absolute honour and we are looking forward to dazzling the Plymouth crowd once again.
Phoenix Fireworks Phoenix Fireworks was established in 1972, born out of Joseph Wells & Sons by Ian Craig, it now has three bases across England enabling country wide coverage for displays. Phoenix were instrumental in organising the first outdoor musical concert with fireworks in conjunction with English Heritage at the Kenwood Bowl and is a founding member of the British Pyrotechnists’ Association (BPA). The company was acquired by Martin Coffin, who has been in the industry for over 30 years. Representing the industry Martin has sat on various firework legislation committees as well as being a past Chairman of the BPA. In 2019, Phoenix acquired Kimbolton Fireworks and will continue supplying the Famous Kimbolton Fireworks brand. Kimbolton Fireworks are synonymous with high quality, a tradition that will continue under the new ownership. Phoenix have been previous winners of both the British Firework Championships and the British Musical Firework Championships. Phoenix have travelled the length and breadth of the UK doing displays; from Inverness to Cardiff, from Ireland to Scarborough and from Norway to India to UAE. Some
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Sevenoaks, Kent Contact: Will DeFries Tel: 01732 822788 or 07572 473282 w.defries@phoenixfireworks.co.uk www.phoenixfireworks.co.uk notable displays that Phoenix have executed include London Eye New Year’s Eve display, the 10th anniversary party for Westfield London, EE’s 5G launch party on the Thames and the Malta International Fireworks Festival. Phoenix have a young and dynamic team who have the ambition and drive to push the frontiers of fireworks forward and come up with new exciting ideas for displays to impress the audience. They continue to deliver truly outstanding and innovative displays, which has been a core principal of Phoenix since it’s inception.
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Illusion Fireworks Illusion Fireworks are Oxfordshire’s largest and most prestigious firework company. Show designer and ambitious owner Karl set up Illusion in 2014 and with the help of a team of passionate pyromaniacs (the Illusion family) pride themselves on delivering bespoke professional firework displays with a ‘Style, Rhythm & Scale’ like no other! Using the best fireworks cherry picked from manufacturers the world over, the team’s unique approach to displays saw Illusion Fireworks proudly become both the British Firework Champions and the British Musical Firework Champions in 2018. The team work hard all year round to Fill the Sky with Magic at events across the UK for clients like Kellogg’s, Chelsea FC and the Royal Family. We are extremely excited to be returning for this year’s Champion of Champions event in the hope of defending our title as the current British Firework Champions!
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Thursday
15th August
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Wallingford, Oxfordshire Contact: Karl Mitchell-Shead Tel: 01491 825809 or 07972 034629 karl@illusionfireworks.co.uk www.illusionfireworks.com
Selstar Fireworks Selstar Fireworks Ltd are proud to be competing in The British Fireworks Champions of Champions for the 2nd time and are extremely excited to be putting on a display for the thousands of spectators. Having started over 25 years ago the company has developed a high level in creativity and professionalism enabling us to create unique firework displays for each individual client. Having one of the most advanced firing systems in the world and state of the art equipment enables us to deliver a wide variety of displays whilst keeping our excellent safety record. Our aim is to entertain you using a vast selection of effects and products sourced from around the world fired with rhythm and patterns to bring the sky to life. The team looks forward to seeing everyone there for two days of amazing displays.
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Chichester, West Sussex Contact: Stephen Harriott Tel: 01243 606777 or 07881 652474 stephen@selstarfireworks.co.uk www.selstarfireworks.co.uk
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Firework displays for all occasions Selstar Fireworks Ltd, 19 West Street, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 9AA T: 01243 606777 E: info@selstarfireworks.co.uk SelStarFirework SelStarFireworks W: www.selstarfireworks.co.uk
1st Galaxy Fireworks From its birth in 1985 by a family of Pyro Addicts 1st Galaxy Fireworks has become one of the UK’s well-known firework specialists. Officially the company started in 1995 and is extremely proud to be celebrating 25 years in business this year. From our humble yet very enthusiastic beginnings all those years ago the team have matured into a fabulous collection of experts all eager to please. The company has delivered literally thousands of displays to many millions of spectators and has a long list of satisfied customers. We have a simple aim to deliver the best fireworks and firework displays at the best possible price. We don’t skimp on quality for the sake of profit; our fulfilment comes from the happiness of our clients. In recent years the company regularly deliver around 250 to 300 shows per year all over the UK and abroad, we also run 4 firework outlets in the east midlands and have a thriving mail order business sending out firework packs to customers all over the UK… The company supplies top brands such as Jorge Fireworks from Poland, Vulcan Fireworks from Hong Kong and Pyromagia from Italy.
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Thursday
15th August
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Sherwood, Nottinghamshire Contact: Lee Smith Tel: 0115 8559000 or 07807 777788 lee@1stgalaxy.co.uk www.galaxy-fireworks.co.uk
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