In response to a commenter who buries their head in the sand and seems more bothered by swearing than by physical maiming...
You might want to know how my good wholesome entertainment was ruined two years ago - take a look at this photo . My rheumatologist says that may well be the cause of my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which I've suffered for nearly two years. And I would like to know how letting off loud, frightening bangs at two o'clock on a Monday morning can be seen as wholesome.
I would wager that, along with Halloween, a good half of people 'celebrating' do not have a clue what they are celebrating, and why.
I say 'ruin it' for the good kids who cower in fright at the repeated bangs. I'm sorry, when I was a child, it happened on two or three nights at most, early evening only, and not with bangs that ricocheted for miles.
GrocerJack refers to Baghdad. On Saturday evening I had made reference to Basra. I think we are both making undue light of the terrible situations out there; however, there are numerous people traumatised by explosions who don't need reminding every night for a month. You might have a different view, including of my language, if you had witnessed me trembling in tears on the sofa at midnight on Saturday.
And the accident in Kettering is a reminder that even a well organised event by an apparently experienced reputable company can go horribly wrong.
The DTI has statistics on firework injuries that show over a thousand each year 2001 - 2004 just in a four week October - November period. My injury was relatively minor, with scarring on my neck that is only visible with sleeveless tops in certain light, but the mental scars lie a lot deeper. I don't understand why I have to live with that for the rest of my life, nor why hundreds of people each year should have to live with more noticeable, deeper or wider-spread scars just so that some people can get their rocks off in an orgy of violence. I think it has been proven that the new legislation (although a step in the right direction) is virtually toothless. Reputable shops refuse to sell fireworks, or refuse to sell to children, or won't sell the illegal ones, but *everybody* knows which anti-social nutter in their neighbourhood is happy to sell illegally imported fireworks to children.
When I heard the gunshot-like bangs at 2 am this morning I momentarily considered contacting the Noise Squad or the Police, even though I knew instantly it would be quite the most asinine pointless phone call ever made "Erm, someone's letting fireworks off somewhere in South London. It's illegal innit?"
In Northern Ireland, it is illegal for anyone to let off fireworks, except sparklers and indoor fireworks, without a licence; an unlicenced person so doing can be fined up to £5000.
