Chicken bald back

[Valkyrie]

Now I know it's not the 5th November. Someone has just set off some close by. Those with pets - keep an ear open for those eager beavers.

[patsylabrador]

It's pretty much all year round here but they started in earnest last week. It tied in with Canadian Thanksgiving so possibly that.

[The Dogmother]

I don't need to keep my ears open - Ruby starts howling at the slightest whizz or bang; poor thing is terrified of fireworks, and no amount of therapy/training helps

[Valkyrie]

Poor pupster. It isn't fair on animals is it.

[Luvachicken]

When our Daisy was here she was deaf for the last few years.

It made it much easier for her as before that, she would bark at every single one.

 

Don't know why people can't have their fireworks on 5th November

[The Dogmother]

Last year they went on for 3 weeks here

[bluekarin]

Neela was barking Saturday night but I didnt realise it was due to fireworks. Hate the things. Well, no. I dont hate them, I just hate the stupid people who let them off in the local park at all hours. Should be license only and all the general public can buy are sparklers or ones with no bang

[The Dogmother]

I totally agree Karin; fireworks aren't cheap, and there are some really good, inexpensive firework displays around here. Why do people feel the need to let them off at home at all hours? OH's midddle son is a firefighter and the home displays certainly keep them busy every year.

[AndyRoo]

Personally I love fireworks... although I have not done any backyard ones in years and years.

 

I guess we have been lucky with our cats, they never seem to be bothered by fireworks at all... yet they are both absolutely *terrified* of pigeons... go figure!

[patsylabrador]

I think the thing is that we're a mixed bag of people with different reasons to celebrate and lots of people like to celebrate with fireworks.

Although organised shows sound ideal it doesn't seem right to say it should only be for November 5th which is a great tradition that I love but bit of a weird one really. Fireworks didn't originate in this country and we'd call Guy Fawkes a terrorist these days.

I'm thinking of our Nepalese friends as an example, they celebrate in a community hall and I guess that would be annoying to residents around them and seem like a garden display but to organise a bigger firework show would be too much.

However traditions shouldn't be an excuse for stupidity. During some festivals in NW London for example youths walk around the streets randomly letting off fireworks even in heavy crowds. It's a nightmare to control.

I like looking at fireworks but I also worry about wildlife and soldiers and the extra burden on emergency services.

[The Dogmother]

During some festivals in NW London for example youths walk around the streets randomly letting off fireworks even in heavy crowds. It's a nightmare to control.

I like looking at fireworks but I also worry about wildlife and soldiers and the extra burden on emergency services.

 

This is why my dog is scared of them - some youths were throwing fireworks in our park one night, and one landed near her

[Bramble]

Willow too is TERRIFIED of fireworks - however one advantage of her advancing years (she's 14 now) is that I don't think she can hear them as well as she used to, so it's only the really loud ones that upset her now.

 

There never seems to be a "safe" time of year now, fireworks seem to be used for all sorts of occasions, my Mum lives near Birmingham and they seem to go off at any time of year now (weddings, birthdays etc, I assume?)

 

For those who are struggling with panicky pets - I can recommend Thundershirts http://www.thundershirt.co.uk/ - in Willow's case not a complete solution but she is DEFINITELY better wearing her Thundershirt than not in Fireworks rush hour. She's still very upset by them but will, at least lie on her bed and pant instead of pacing up and down panting ... definitely worth a go

[The Dogmother]

Part of the problem is that Ruby has very acute hearing; she can hear my car turn in the end of my road. Have tried thundershirts, t touch and everything November fireworks here last at least a couple of weeks, and i usually spend midnight on new year's eve driving her out into the countryside to avoid the noise.

[Olly]

You've put it very well, PatsyLabrador - people celebrate many occasions, and they are not all large events so although I'd prefer them only to be sold for organised displays, it would mean (for example) that my American neighbours wouldn't be able to celebrate with them on 4th July. I do feel there should be some restrictions but it's hard to see how they could be enforced. It's the constant random explosions for weeks around this time of year that I hate, and the sort of misuse that Dogmother describes.

 

Luckily my elderly cat is now too deaf to be bothered by it.

[bluekarin]

But I would include the smaller groups in with the larger displays. I think you should need to give ID and a location for the display and that should hopefully stop the idiots buying £100 boxes of rockets etc and setting them off in our local park at 1am.

[Valkyrie]

Love fireworks -the pretty ones, but now you only get those at displays. My favourites are sparklers (ooohhhhh sooooo dangerous but hey ho I've loved them since I was little with my mittens on). I don't see any sense of things that just explode. To me that's just a waste of money. They are so loud that you feel them inside your body! Otherwise they rattle the house. A friend used to live in a thatched cottage - she used to worry so much at this time of year - for good reason!

[Cat tails]

Every year the discussion about fireworks flares up again. (See what I did there? )

 

In Holland you are allowed to do fireworks only on 31st of December between 18:00 and 02:00. But yeah, no one keeps to it.

 

Loads of docters and such want a complete ban. And I would applaud it.

[soapdragon]

I think that, if fireworks were introduced to the market now they would be banned.....can't think of a way of putting that sensibly (I am having a 'hard of thinking' day today !) but I am sure you know what I mean! With all the hype and constant terrorist threat I am really surprised that there have not been tighter controls introduced over the past few years.

 

As others have wisely said, there are many very well organised displays around....most of them raising money for charity too, and we certainly find the whole 'going out in the dark AND after supper' thing very exciting for the boys as they feel they are on an adventure!

 

The boys still love their sparklers tho I suspect ES, at 12, is not so keen as YS, 8! Still, he did say 'yes, please' when I asked if I should buy any this year!

[Alis girls]

One of our cats takes up residence under the bed and the stress it causes appears in the litter tray next day Thankfully no square eggs yet - makes my eyes water thinking about it. Cos we always had animals we never did garden fireworks - boys never complained in fact my little one now a big un of 15 hated them. I loved our garden displays and hot dogs and bonfire toffee.Worry my lads missed out but they dont complain.

[patsylabrador]

It was a really heavy night last night. It started before it got dark ( I don't understand why) and simply didn't stop. I think it was a mixture of Halloween and Diwali. The last I was aware of was around 3am.

It was crazy, I could hear it rumbling off in the distance across London and then there are the ones that sound like they've blown the roof off the house.

I've never known it as mad as it was last night. I guess the Indian Summer has encouraged people to plan fireworks parties that they wouldn't have if it had been a normal rainy autumn.

[The Dogmother]

And the Lord Mayor's display isn't until the 12th!

 

We had fireworks going off here last night, but they were over by 8pm. Must start Ruby on her meds.