General Chat

6 fireworks, equivalent to depth charges have just been set off - I'm sure the parents of young children and babies are extremely grateful :-|

.....and more today - just opposite :-|

Tonight was the worst ever. Display type fireworks just over the road. Oh just found a four foot rocket stick on our doorstep.!!

Uzzi, thanks for your good wishes. Yes, Jack Russels are creatures with a mind of their own, crazy, but this is our second one, so we must be mad. The thing is they are such characters, that despite the problems, i just love them to bits.!!
Now that Honey is feeling a bit more settled with us, will try a bit of training, not expecting micacles tho.,! Have read about your dog and the problems.

Hugs to Betty. <3

Tks to all for comments. :-)

Bl**dy depth charges here, earlier :-(

I wasn't my direct neighbours, but the house vibrated.

RMS ....................

you can buy fireworks here in the big city and surrounding areas .................. pop-up firework selling places appear 2 weeks before Hallowe'en, and are all shut up and gone on the morning of Nov 1st.

One is supposed to have a license to buy them, and have to be over the age of, I think, 18 ....................... and you are supposed to have a license to set them off.

and only certain kinds of fireworks can be sold

Not sure how many people get the licenses, but we certainly had some people setting off fireworks in their gardens in our neighbourhood


Certainly there are far far fewer than there were even 5 years ago.

and teenagers setting off firecrackers in the street for several nights beforehand ......................... those are illegal and cannot be bought at the pop-up shops. They must either go, or get someone to buy them, either by going below the line or to one of the reservations.


Despite all the above .................. I have to agree with RMS, that licensing and restriction of sales has definitely worked here.

"licensed displays only never going to happen though"

Why not??? Worked here.

fireworks for :
end of school
beginning of school
Hallowe'en
July 1

All stopped except the fire department put them on for July 1 and Hallowe'en. They did try starting private sales again a couple years ago but it didn't catch on.

Maybe English people like their fireworks more then we do??? :-S

Yay!! I 'caught' Betty just as the fireworks started.
Brushed her furiously for the duration, and she's been totally chilled out on the toaster box (don't ask - she has a 'thing' for bags and boxes, and yes, I comply) for the rest of the evening :-D

A brush, for her, is better than catnip!

Well we heard hardly any fireworks here last night. I think maybe everyone is waiting until the council bonfire/firework and fair night on Friday. We won't be here but that is always popular.

Sue I hope Honey got through the night okay.
As everybody on here must know I am SO against fireworks and aerial bombs being sold at any time other than an official event. I would if I had my way ban them completely. BUT i won´t soap box here

Strangely Nov 5th is probably the 1 day that I don´t have to worry about. :-0
I think your vet charged silly money if it was only a consultation for tranqs. If she did blood tests etc to make sure Honey would be okay with them that would be different.
My vet is great as she knows my epileptic dog freaks so the 3 nights a year that I know we are going to have constant bangs, she hands me the tranqs with no fee (just the tablet cost).

I don´t think Honey is too old to try and retrain if you have the time to do it. Mind she is that breed that have minds of their own and training only happens when they want. ;-) OH had a russell who got kicked out of training school with the comment that Muttley was exceptionally well behaved and very intelligent but only when it suited him. ! :-S They are very very clever dogs. <3

Sales of fireworks at the counter in Tesco etc at the counter are a tiny part of total sales ; UK firework companies mostly do not supply the retail trade anyway ; restricting sale to and use by registered experts would not stop anybody having fireworks at any time of the year ; having to get a licence for the display would stop a great deal of nuisance ...

If anything it would create a lot of jobs for creative firework technicians and even more VAT.

Did I mention dangerous Chinese black imports ?

and the kicker of no insurance cover would be how it got policed.

So why not ?
Ah yes our ancient right to maim young children, terrify pets and generally behave as imbeciles.

Firework sales could be stopped by a total ban but there are jobs involved, a healthy lump of VAT on them and no end of groups that would be "disadvantaged" because it is part of their culture! ;-)

Its surprising how the use of fireworks is' spreading' out over the year. Birthdays, any celebration you can think of. New Year also. If it was one or two nights only would be bearable. Then of course, living in Southampton, we have the huge liners going out and they must have fireworks!!!!! loud and huge.

Not sure how it would be policed.

Annina, keep up the good work looking after those poor pussy cats. :-)

Maggie, small world eh? I do love Winchester, all the lovely old buildings. :-)

I have six house cats and at least four ferals living round about my property and the last fortnight has been awful for them. We never close any doors inside,and have two cat flaps,also a litter tray for emergencies. All the local feline community therefore pass the word round that it is posh at the Froggatts,they have an indoor loo.and I will frequently find a perfectly strange cat performing in my kitchen,they also make use of any food left by my fat lot.

I would ban fireworks altogether,heaven knows how wildlife or farm animals cope.

Dont burn your money,give it to an animal charity,and maybe feel good about yourself.

Private sales could easily be killed off.

(1) by making it an offence to offer insurance covering firework displays on private property not carried out by a licensed expert.

(2) sales of fireworks only to licensed experts.

I like fireworks bigger the better. Like everything else there is a time and a place and it is not the end of the street and the back garden.

I agree Rollo, private sales should stop, licensed displays only never going to happen though :-(

Every year a week of hell for those with cats and small children. A week of hell for wild birds. Surely fireworks should only be sold to licensed displays. I would like to see an end to back garden fireworks at any time of the year. If we are in France in July another week of hell. One year thrown large bangers killed all our young swallows :-(

Betty came out from under the sofa at 10pm, and hasn't left me alone. I try to brush her before the fireworks start. When she's being brushed (the only one of the 3 who enjoys it), I can usually get her to calm down.

£30 consultation!!!! What a rip-off!

I used to live in Freemantle, Sue :-D

Thanks everyone for some interesting stories, they all seem to have their own individual habits. Poor Betty.
The fireworks still going strong here in Southampton.
Must say the tranquilisers have only been mildly sucessful. Better than nothing., but considering consultation cost £30.00 ....

Didnt realise it was a full moon

:-D

Poor Betty, just came out from under the stairs - after 5 hours.
I put food down - she went to go out the catflap (she usually 'does her business' before eating), and another round of b****y fireworks started :-| :-| :-|

So, not only is she hungry, she's also bursting - and under the sofa.

with my 7 month old pup so fare so good
fire works have not bothered her at all
not even when we had how own fire works in the garden earlier