Pyro Stuff
SETTING UP FIREWORKS AND FIRING A FIREWORK DISPLAY
Once the display has been designed, the fireworks chosen, purchased, and stored in a licensed explosives store registered with the local trading standards office, a substantial amount of the other hardware needs to be prepared.
Some of the equipment will be available from previous displays, but new ideas and lancework etc needs to be made. The mortar tubes for shells and mines need to be racked into wooden racks, and those used before need to be checked for obstructions in the tubes and security of the wooden frame. Wheels need to have the drivers attached, and waterfalls need to be prepared with their supporting structure.
ON THE DAY
The day of the bonfire celebration is always a long one. Sorting out all the boxes of goodies ! . One of the heaviest jobs is loading all the mortar racks onto a van or trailer, laying them out in the field and staking them firmly. Racks are always placed perpendicular to the spectators, so that if ever one was to fall over it would fall sideways and not towards them.
Wheels, candles, lancework and waterfalls all need to be similarly staked, and the general principle is that all fireworks are placed behind the stacks so that if the fixing breaks they will fall away from the spectators.
Smaller fireworks are laid out nearer the front, with shells at the back of the site, the largest shells being furthest from the spectators. Distances from the spectators and neighbours will be finally decided depending on weather conditions - if the wind is strong certain types of fireworks involving parachutes or rockets may need to be removed from the display.
Loading shells into their tubes can take a long time, and this is one job which you do not want to do in the wet. There may be several hundred of them, and all need to be fused together with quickmatch and PIC to ensure they fire in reasonably quick succession. The whole fusing operation will take many man hours and consume many reels of masking tape, gaffer tape, parcel tape, cable ties, rope, tin foil, cling film and plastic bags.
Cling film and plastic bags are used to protect the fireworks from dew and rain, while tin foil is used to cover fusing and vulnerable parts of some fireworks, which could be accidently set off by sparks from another firework falling on them.
Fireworks which will be set off electrically need to have an electric 'match' or 'igniter' taped to the fuse, and cables then wired back to a central firing panel. Igniters can be wired in series, parallel or a combination of both, and all circuits will be checked for continuity prior to firing. Fireworks which will be lit by hand need to have 6 inches of slow fuse, preferably PIC, so they can be reliably lit and give the firer enough time to retire.
When all the fireworks have been securely staked, fused and waterproofed, it will hopefully not be too dark, and there will be plenty of time to relax, walk around the site and walk through the firing order. Some people will be joining the procession, others watching but there will always be one or two left on the field to look after the site.
THE TIME HAS COME
The atmosphere on the field builds during the evening, as the procession approaches through the village or town, then finally enters the field and lights the bonfire with their torches. As the entrance is narrow, it takes a long time for everyone to get into the field, during which time the firers will put on all the safety gear and check the firing system once more.
Most firers wear heavy boots, tough old clothes made of natural fibres, gloves, goggles and a hard hat. For lighting the fireworks manually a portfire is normally used. About the size of a large pencil, this burns with a strong flame, rather like a lance, which will reliably light PIC or other fuse.
Portfires burn for about 4 or 5 minutes, so several will be needed for one display, remembering to light the next before the previous one goes out. Another device now used for lighting is a propane brazing torch, which starts by piezo-electric ignition at the press of a button.
When everyone is in the field, all hard hats are on and portfires lit, the display can begin. When the first fireworks go off suddenly you find that the torches you need for looking at fuses and the running order are not needed, as most fireworks will light up the field quite well.
The real skill now comes in being able to judge how long each firework will last, and lighting the next fuse in time so there are no unforeseen gaps. Some small gaps are usually fine, as if it is a good display it gives the crowd a chance to cheer.
Towards the end, more and more shells build to a massive crescendo, with the finale being the largest shells of all, traditionally ending with one or more very loud salutes. All bonfire societies have their particular specialties and secrets, and at Fletching they have had probably one of the largest salutes fired in Britain. It was reported that it was heard nearly 10 miles away !
No sooner has the first firework been lit, and it seems to be all over. Running around the field from one firework to the next, checking running orders and looking at fuses keeps everyone busy and it is very easy to forget to look up and enjoy the display. There will always be some item which we never seem to see at all! Hopefully someone will have captured them on video for us to re-live the moment later.
THE BIG CLEAR-UP
There always seems to be so much work for a display which lasts 20 minutes or so - and its not over yet! All the tubes must be checked to see that they are empty, and any 'hang-fires' must be left for at least half an hour before they are touched. If there is any doubt about the safety of a firework which has not gone off, then water is poured in the tube which is then left alone.
All the empty firework boxes and packing can be put on the bonfire, and all the rest of the hardware needs to be cleared away. Fortunately, we can return on the next day in daylight to clear the rubbish off the field, but all the mortar racks with cardboard tubes needs to be put away on the night to prevent damage from the damp and rain.
It is surprising how muddy the field becomes, and it is always useful to have a tractor handy for when vehicles get stuck. The more volunteers for lifting racks the better - try to catch them before they disappear to the village hall or the local pub for a pint of Harveys !
Even though we are all tired and often wet, and have spent many hours working hard together, there is hardly ever anyone who can't wait to do it again next year - and even bigger, of course , Bit like sex really ! 
REMEMBER FIREWORKS ARE NOT TOYS TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT
