Radio Northampton – November 2010

Helen Ashton, Marketing Manager at Black Cat and Standard Fireworks is a guest on Radio Northampton’s radio show feature, talking about Bonfire Night and fireworks and how to stay safe with fireworks and enjoy Bonfire Night. Let us know your views about fireworks after reading below.

Radio DJ: “It Bonfire Night this Friday, also by the way, Diwali this Friday – so big night for fireworks! Helen Ashton is Marketing Manager at Standard Fireworks. Hello Helen!�

Helen Ashton: “Hi�

Radio DJ: “Thanks for joining us on the programme. Fireworks – the biggest night possibly with Guy Fawkes Night and Diwali combining for a while. People are very concerned about being safe with their fireworks, what’s the key message?�

Helen Ashton: “The key message, we always suggest that everyone is responsible around fireworks, but we suggest that if you buy a reputable brand of fireworks they will comply with all the strict UK and European safety and quality legislation. Buy them from a retailer that you trust, such as somewhere like Tesco or Sainsbury’s or one of the DIY stores, follow the instructions on the firework, stand at the correct spectator distance from that firework and make sure you follow the firework code. We know that over 14 million people this year are going to be enjoying fireworks in their own garden. We just conducted a Mori Poll actually this weekend just passed and that was one of the key findings, that 14 million people said that they were going to be having the fireworks in their own gardens�

Radio DJ: “Which tends to fly in the face of the commonly held view that people prefer to go to big organised events?�

Helen Ashton: “Well I think people do go to big organised events as well as obviously people still do like to have the fireworks – its live entertainment in your own garden. Interestingly one of the other finding of the survey was that 2/3 of the public have said that they feel that Bonfire Night is an important tradition that needs to be upheld so were really pleased about those results.

Radio DJ: “In terms of staying safe, we also are aware of these big, loud, booming fireworks that get let off it seems around about midnight on Guy Fawkes Night and the nights on either side of it. Surely they don’t need to be that loud do they?�

Helen Ashton: “Well there’s a whole raft of legislation over the last few years that has been introduced around fireworks and one of them was to make sure that fireworks are no louder than 120 decibels so some of those really, really loud fireworks could potentially be ones that have not come through a legal route if you like. Because we do know that some of the problems, anti-social behaviour, loud fireworks such as that can be found to come into the country through illegal importers and illegal shops that spring up for 3 weeks of the year�

Radio DJ: “Well yes. You’re saying these shops are illegal are they? I mean you suddenly see a shop that’s been empty for ages suddenly occupied by somebody selling fireworks for a few weeks�

Helen Ashton: “I mean, well it’s hard to say, I’m not saying they’re all illegal; you do have to have a license to sell fireworks though that you would obtain from your local council. So Trading Standards and Health and Safety can actually check that these shops do comply with the laws around the sale of fireworks�

Radio DJ: “As one of the biggest firework manufacturers there are; Standard Fireworks, what are you doing to try and make the law change and be more proactive in stopping these foreign imports and the illegal shops you’re talking about?�

Helen Ashton: “We feel that there is sufficient legislation, as I mentioned there’s a whole raft of legislation that the Police can enforce, like; curfews to stop people setting them off after 11 o’clock on normal days which is extended up to 12 on Bonfire Night and its illegal to sell fireworks to anyone under the age of 18. So there’s a whole raft, I could go on and on. I think the key is that the legislation needs to be enforced so we really support the Police and enforcement agencies who take action against people who flaunt the law on fireworks�

Radio DJ: “We’re hearing in Northampton, we’re aware that the big council display that’s normally held here has been cancelled this time. We believe, I’m not quite sure that this is actually the fact but I think it’s to do with saving money, £20,000 would have been spent otherwise and instead the local rugby club is going to stage one which people are going to have to pay to go to, and quite significant payment at that in some people’s view. Do you see more and more councils going down that route as these cuts bite that we’re hearing about?�

Helen Ashton: “I think there have been some instances this year of some firework organised displays being postponed or cancelled, but then on the other hand, there are quite a lot that are going ahead, even despite the potential fire fighters strike in London that has been talked about this Friday. A lot of people are still saying they are going to have those organised display nether-the-less, so I think the key is, if you are responsible around fireworks and as we say, you buy the reputable brand of fireworks and you follow all those instructions, people can have a fantastic enjoyable Bonfire Night in their own gardens as well�

Radio DJ: “I’ve seen an advertisement this time as well for a box which is full of fireworks, and you just light one taper and let the box do the work?�

Helen Ashton: “Yes, that’s one of our sort of newer products it’s called a single ignition, and your right there, its complete display in a box if you like. You light it once and it does a choreographed display for you so you don’t have to light lots of things so that’s something that people are tending to prefer. But also, a staple Bonfire Night favourite is selection boxes; they’re great for families of all sizes, great for gardens of all sizes and you get a variety of items obviously in the box�

Radio DJ: “As long as your safe and you observe all of the usual safety rules�

Helen Ashton: “Yes�

Radio DJ: “Ok, thank you very much indeed for joining us on the programme, very good to talk to you�

Helen Ashton: “Great, thank you, bye�

Radio DJ: “Thank you for being with us on the programme that was Helen Ashton from Standard Fireworks�

Tags: bonfire night, bonfire season, firework regulations, Standard Fireworks

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