Now you can have a 2 minute, professionally fired display for under £200.00

Just have a look at what you get:

200 shots of red and blue double comets, silver crackling rain, red and blue chrysanthemums,

silver brocades and crackling thunder with 6 x 50mm arial shells fired over the top

Call 01933 411995 now for further details

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With every fireworks display over £500.00 you can now have a free lancework piece usually costing over £100.00

You can choose from:

A 4 ft high heart with bride and groom’s initials inside

A 4 ft high popping champagne bottle complete with “bubbles”

Intertwined rings with bride and groom’s initials

Please call now on 01933 411995 for further details

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BUT, if that date had been December 31st most people in the country would be celebrating.
Had I mentioned any other random dates, 26th January(for 2 reasons this year), 1st March, 17th March, 4th July, 17th October, 5th November or 30th November then probably at least a third of the UK population would be able to find something to celebrate on these dates. Special feasts and parties, paying homage to saint’s days, honouring tradition or just a reason for a good old knees up.

Not the 23rd of April though, that’s just another day.

Oh hang on, its not just another day, 23rd April 1564 William Shakespeare was born.
By a strange coincidence 23rd April 1616 William Shakespeare died. But surely that cant be reason enough to etch the date into millions of English peoples brains, we probably need a much better reason than that.

In the year of 1222 a very significant event happened on 23rd April, The Council of Oxford (and that’s not the local council) declared 23rd April would be a special feast day, it would be celebrated annually in order to pay homage to the new patron saint of England, St George.

That’s incredible, I know some English people who didn’t even know we had a patron saint, much less when his special day is held. I know farmers who don’t know that St George is the patron saint of farmers, or scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry (if chivalry is not dead) field workers, riders and saddlers.
All of these groups have paid homage to St George at some time, not now though because it’s just another day.

The strange thing is though, in 15 years of involvement with fireworks I have been asked to supply fireworks or put on a fireworks display for every one of the dates mentioned except for the 23rd April.

The reason, because nobody celebrates St George’s day because its just another day. Or as quoted to me by a Local Authority, “nobody celebrates St George’s day because nobody has celebrated St George’s day.”

Now Im all for supporting the red white and blue, I’ve had a few drinks with Irish, Scottish, Welsh Australian and American friends. I’ve eaten special treats for Chinese New Year and Divali. Is it too much to ask that for 1 day per year I can celebrate being English. Perhaps the words of William Shakespeare himself should be recited aloud on this immortal day …

“Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George! “
Bob Pilkington
ZacleighPyrotechnics
Telephone - 01933 411995
Mobile - 0791 4851518
Email -info@zacleigh.com

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So we decided I would set up in the general area of the compound.

Then 2 days before the display was going to happen I got a frantic phone call from the event organiser. “Help, we have a problem” “Can you come back to the stadium and redo the assessment?”

“Whats the problem?……………………..”

In the groundsmans store is a tank, containing 500 gallons of fuel for his tractors and machinery.

So, not a major problem in this particular case, all we did was move the set up area, but it does go to show…..

If you are responsible for an event and I am coming to do a risk assessment for you please make sure you know all the risks before I get there.

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2. If found out by the groom at any time up to the big bang I have to lie blatantly so that he doesnt know the display is for him.

3. Ensure that I use the loudest bangs possible to make it a fireworks display he will never forget.

Now this display is a present from the bride to her husband who is on active service with the British Army in one of the world’s current hostile zones.

Now this raises 3 big questions:

1. If married life starts of with secrets, lies and deceit is that the format for a long and happy married life?

Well I think it probably is, we have done hundreds of wedding displays where the display was set up secretly. Both brides and bridegrooms have been surprised, many have cried at something so special but one thing we know for certain - no bride or groom that we have surprised has ever asked us to do a display for their divorce.

2. If a squaddie comes home on leave to attend his wedding from one of the worlds trouble hot spots, probably bringing some of his mates with him, is it a good idea to wait until after dark, take him and the guests outside and start a “surprise” fireworks display with some of the loudest fireworks that I can find?

I dont know the answer to this question until somebody answers question 3.

3. When on leave the soldiers do leave their guns in the barracks dont they…………. ?

Oh heck

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