Issue 63

Back Issues

It gives you a wallow in fireworks’ past:
The Rouser – how it was made and the fame it has achieved; Alan Wells researches his company’s 1912 shows for the first illuminated night flights; Madame Girardelli was an amazing firework artist; Glorious colour photographs of Wells’, Standard, Wessex and Brock’s fireworks; Chris Pearce looks back at Graham Wilkinson’s Standard days – and his Pyro 2000 future; My Astra Days – by someone who was there

It keeps you up to date:
New publications – Chris Pearce reviews the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Pyrotechnics and we look, too, at Wilf Scott’s From Pits to Palaces

It covers unique events:
The World Firework Championships in Oman; Darryl Fleming details the Olympic Games displays; Pyrotex win at Monaco

If you use or trade in fireworks, it provides what you need to know:
The Box Matrix Scheme; Portfires no longer need independent UN testing – common sense prevails; Are fireworks without CE marking illegal? – well yes, at the moment they are; Stealth chemicals in your fireworks – how to detect them

It amuses and entertains you:
The Sturtz cartoon and amusing articles; A newcomer describes his work experience with a firework company; The Letters pages provide your views

It supplies firework news:
The World Famous say goodbye; We remember John Deeker, a legend of the firework industry; British Firework Championships – what really did happen? Southport receives Bill Davis’ attention – also Catton Hall; Decline in retail firework sales but display attendances are up

It provides you with colourful firework photographs:
Plymouth, Southport, Monaco; The winners of the Southport firework photography competition; After Dark illustrated; Nostalgia – Standard, Wells’ and others

It provides the unusual:
Liz Stanford goes around the world investigating Indian firework art; Two girls who recorded the history and present image of the firework industry recall its making – you can see the film on the web; some old firework companies we’ve never heard of!

and… Threats to firework use; Biggest ever firework display goes into Guinness; Bungling burglars again; Guernsey shows tolerance towards fireworks; Yes, there is another Fireworks magazine; Chinese tube winding – it’s all been done before; Here’s how to make a big bang; BPA gets City & Guilds accreditation

Writing in this issue: Chris Pearce; Ron Harris; Cynthia Morrison; Mark Harding; Jon West; Liz Stanford; Darryl Fleming; Andy Hubble, Ron Lancaster, Martin Guest, Barry Sturman, Alan Wells, Bill Davis; Lorna Stewart; Imogen Ogilvie; Danny Robinson; Hannah Clarkson; Paul Mulvihill; Verity Howell and John Bennett; Photographs by Paul Brocklehurst, James Woodruff, Stan Johnstone ; Cartoons by Sturtz