Bonfire Night

[rangersarah2]

It's that time again! I find bonfire night celebrations very upsetting when I think about how many hedgehogs have got into pre-built bonfires. We are having a mini-campaign in the Visitor Centre asking people to check their bonfires. Would appreciate it if you could do the same.

Cheers

[david156]

Poor hedgehogs don't stand a chance!! If I have a fire I set it up and light it at the same time so that no animal is in or near it. It should just be common sense really!
The fireworks don't help either. My cat is sitting in a basket, scared to pieces.
I used to have some new forest ponies and the poor things would gallop about sweating and calling for hours!!! Even the kids don't like fireworks that much.

[loripo]

All of my daughters' dogs have been terrified of the explosions. I hate them and we now have them for Halloween too. In London all of the parks have huge displays staggered over about a week, utter hell as far as I'm concerned. I hide in the bathroom (no windows)

[squeek]

some people need to be reminded.

the media could do more to alert bonfire builders.

i know its fun for some, but all i can think about is all the wildlife out there, they probably think they are under attack, with some of those noisy fireworks.

[rangersarah2]

I think they should be banned completely for private individuals and restricted to one night for organised displays (even better - ban them completely). They go on from the day they arrive in the shops until after New Year. Nearly got up at 2am last New Year to track down the p*****k who was still letting them off. I always work New Year's Day and need my beauty sleep (ok, I know it isn't helping). I would like to know how people afford them. They are used by our local drug dealers to let their customers know where to meet.

It's often the organised displays that have the bonfires built well in advance, despite the danger to the hedgehogs.

[Dutchess]

It has become firework fortnight really, hasn't it? It used to be just the one night only we kept the animals in and/or under cover. Now it can happen anytime from the build up to Halloween, right through 'til the weekend after November 5th!

[AshLee]

Originally Posted by rangersarah2

I think they should be banned completely for private individuals and restricted to one night for organised displays (even better - ban them completely). They go on from the day they arrive in the shops until after New Year. Nearly got up at 2am last New Year to track down the p*****k who was still letting them off. I always work New Year's Day and need my beauty sleep (ok, I know it isn't helping). I would like to know how people afford them. They are used by our local drug dealers to let their customers know where to meet.

It's often the organised displays that have the bonfires built well in advance, despite the danger to the hedgehogs.

Couldn't agree more.

[earthdragon64]

Originally Posted by rangersarah2

I think they should be banned completely for private individuals and restricted to one night for organised displays (even better - ban them completely). They go on from the day they arrive in the shops until after New Year. Nearly got up at 2am last New Year to track down the p*****k who was still letting them off. I always work New Year's Day and need my beauty sleep (ok, I know it isn't helping). I would like to know how people afford them. They are used by our local drug dealers to let their customers know where to meet.

It's often the organised displays that have the bonfires built well in advance, despite the danger to the hedgehogs.

Totally agree, I hate the things and would prefer a total ban. My 13 year old Labrador and 15 year old cat both get upset by fireworks, it wouldn't be so bad if it was just one day a year, but it's far more than that.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Dutchess

It has become firework fortnight really, hasn't it? It used to be just the one night only we kept the animals in and/or under cover. Now it can happen anytime from the build up to Halloween, right through 'til the weekend after November 5th!

And beyond round here...

[James M]

Originally Posted by Dutchess

It has become firework fortnight really, hasn't it? It used to be just the one night only we kept the animals in and/or under cover. Now it can happen anytime from the build up to Halloween, right through 'til the weekend after November 5th!

Around here it begins around halloween and doesn't finish till 1st of Jan!

[Dutchess]

Originally Posted by James M

Around here it begins around halloween and doesn't finish till 1st of Jan!

That's true actually, isn't it, James?

Hi - how are you doing?

D.

[James M]

Originally Posted by Dutchess

That's true actually, isn't it, James?

Hi - how are you doing?

D.

Yep, even the rain doesn't stop them! tis a bit wet here atm but it still sounds like a warzone lol

I'm not too bad today , hows life in the Dutchess household?

[Lance Morgan]

Originally Posted by James M

Around here it begins around halloween and doesn't finish till 1st of Jan!

ditto my cat is having a breakdown

[Picidae]

Glad I'm not the only one who hates fireworks and the disturbance caused to wildlife/pets. They are getting ridiculously loud these days and go on throughout the year. I've complained several times to the Council regarding fireworks during the breeding season especially and when the universities break up June/July.

The laws now confining them to be used before 11.00pm and 12.00 on the 5/11 has made a difference as had the price of them. There was notably less this year than previous years.

Agree wholeheartedly with Sarah, they should be banned for private use but then we'd probably be accused of being joy killers!

My sister's pet cat that they'd had for 8 years, got out the cat flap one 5th November and was never seen again. My own dog bolted onto to a main road one time when some kids let off firecrackers in one of the large urban parks one summer and she narrowly missed the front wheels of a double decker bus which nearly caused an accident.

[Kayleigh]

The fireworks have just started here again Lollie is sitting next to me on the sofa twitching her ears..She is calm as she is getting reassuring cuddles from me..
Our neighbours dog is not as fortunate as he is in the garage where he is kept..The fireworks terrify him..

this is Lollie taken a few minutes ago..

[seamusagleann]

yes totally agree with a ban on fireworks!! sad state of affairs when someone has to leave Glasgow,with the dog ,and stay the night on Rannoch Moor,just so it could get a bit of sanctuary, thats what happened last night to omdi and his mate!! time to get priorities right i think!!

[Adam Cheeseman]

Got to say I love fireworks. Unfortunately they are used for everything nowadays what with Diwali and New Year. Also having Kempton Park and Hampton Court nearby doesn't help when they have big occasions throughout the year with firework finales. Don't mind but it makes bonfire night a little less special.

Cheers,

Adam

[solus]

Originally Posted by Picidae

The laws now confining them to be used before 11.00pm and 12.00 on the 5/11 has made a difference as had the price of them.

Not round this way it hasn't! It's now after 11:00pm and I can still hear the wretched things going off: the other morning I heard some distant bangs at after 2:00am!! Don't you just love drunks with fireworks? Pity they don't blow 'emselves up - that'd teach them!

I remember when I was a child how we were all reminded to keep pets indoors on 5th November. Impossible now when not only do we have to put up with fireworks from mid-October when they go on sale in the supermarkets until after 5th/6th/7th/8th November, but again at Christmas, and New Year, and when the local "Festival" takes place in July, and when some team or other wins at football, and when it's Great Uncle Fred's Birthday and for someone's wedding and.... Bah, humbug!!!

I have long been of the belief that fireworks should be banned from sale to the general public and only supplied for properly organised, licensed and insured official displays, then only (if we must!) for 5th November or the nearest Saturday to that date.

It was the Millennium that started this silly fireworks at midnight on New Year's Eve lark and unfortunately someone decided it would be a good money-making wheeze to do it every year. We used to always get to bed early on 31st December so we could be up and out by about 4 or 5 to go off for a day's "New Year Listing" birding in North Norfolk. Now, with the noise equivalent of a major war breaking out at midnight and continuing with random explosions until at least 3:00am we no are longer fit or awake enough to travel...

I suppose it's just another sign of our selfish society that very few people seem to care one jot for wildlife, pets, livestock or sleeping babies. Either that or age has just made me into a proper Grumpy!

[SparklySarah]

Security guards hired to keep hedgehogs away from bonfire » Environment » 24dash.com

Something you might like. xxx

[Fritillary]

<<the media could do more to alert bonfire builders.>>
MMM are you dreaming? They are promoting it because it means money
I do not understand why people like fireworks. I think I began to fire them when I was 4 or 5 years old because my parents bought to my brother. However later about 15 y o I watched them and I did not see any sense of burning money....Yesterday there was a firework here in a campus university and everybody happy.

[Meta menardi]

I think fireworks are great to watch, they don't all have to go bang. Annual treat used to be to go to the fireworks display in a small town in central France, display operated by the local fire brigade and viewed from the far side of a lake. Magic.

[solus]

[/QUOTE=Fritillary ...and I did not see any sense of burning money....[/quote]

Don't get me started on that aspect of it! Especially not when it is Council Tax-payers money going up in smoke at a Council-funded display!

[loripo]

I think they can be amazing to watch - I just can't deal with it sounding like the blitz

[Dutchess]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

I think fireworks are great to watch, they don't all have to go bang. Annual treat used to be to go to the fireworks display in a small town in central France, display operated by the local fire brigade and viewed from the far side of a lake. Magic.

Well blow me down! That's exactly the same sort of event we went to in 2005! Fireworks watched across the water from the opposite bankside. Our French hosts took us to it, otherwise we would not have been aware of it happening. A small town just outside of Macon....

[squeek]

sounds like they havent finished yet round here .
we used to have a dog, he used to get very upset with the sound of fireworks. our cats dont like them either !