35 replies to this topic

[Arthur Brown]

Yes once again Many thanks to Richard and Rev R Lancaster and Kimbolton Fireworks for a fantastic meeting and factory tour.

Also great to meet people over dinner afterwards.

[fruitfulsteve]

Very interesrting!! thanks Richard thanks Ron (i hope your knee holds out)

[Richard H]

Glad you all enjoyed the visit. I certainly did and it was nice to see so many faces! I look forward to seeing some pictures and video from the tour.

[portfire]

Yeah, BIG thanks to Richard, Ron Lancaster and Kimbolton. What a great (and funny) guy he is, loved his stories Was like meeting a celeb for me

Can't wait for the pic/vids, I'll upload what I got later

[crystal palace fireworks]

Thanks Richard, and anyone else involved in organising the trip to Kimbolton,.............The Reverend Ron Lancaster was most accomodating and interesting,....although I was wondering if there was a little professional envy regarding he`s comments on Brock`s firework!,....which I though was quite funny!

[pyrotechnist]

Cannot wait to see the pictures Wish I could have come along . What did he mention about Brocks, Crystal Palace Fireworks? Wouldn't using metal washers for chokes in fountains be dangerous as the washer would act like a bullet if the firework CATO'd whereas a clay plug should shatter?

[portfire]

Wouldn't using metal washers for chokes in fountains be dangerous as the washer would act like a bullet if the firework CATO'd whereas a clay plug should shatter?

You would think so, but it works!!! The ID was 75mm with a choke of 12mm?.....What a burn-time

[crystal palace fireworks]

Cannot wait to see the pictures Wish I could have come along . What did he mention about Brocks, Crystal Palace Fireworks? Wouldn't using metal washers for chokes in fountains be dangerous as the washer would act like a bullet if the firework CATO'd whereas a clay plug should shatter?

Yeah, can`t wait for the pics myself,.........shame you couldn`t make it pyrotechnist (I did ask where you were), Im sure you would have found it very interesting to see the manufacturing set-up!

On one occasion, I think the reverend was talking about the finer aspects of other companies like Wilders & Pains in respect of process/ingredients etc of compositions,.........he said something along the lines of `bucket loads` where Brocks were concerned,.........along with being in the right place at the right time when fireworks were at there most popular in the golden days,...............perhaps the reverend has some personal experience or contacts with others at Standard when they bought out Brock`s in its last days?

I did ask him about the 2012 games,.......and whether his company had been approach to do the display,...........he`s reply was NO!,........but he hope they would (being a british company that does some manufacturing),..........his son is an MP,.......so they might have some influence!

I think the metal washer chokes would be fine,....... given most large display fountains are pointing upwards, and providing they are bunged/compressed/crimped under high pressure in there casings professionally,...........did anyone see the actual process in action?

I could have spent days interviewing him on his knowledge and set-up,....he probably would have been sick of me after 10 minutes, LOL!

[starseeker]

A big thank you to all concerned,it was fantastic to meet Rev Lancaster and to see how to factory opperates.

Its a shame i could not join you all after for a pint etc,but as it was it took me five and a half hours to get home,(nightmare on the M25),i still got back in time to see the Wurzels!

Also i thought Patrick Scotland deserves a pat on the back for traveling down from Edinborough,top man.

Edited by starseeker, 20 June 2009 - 06:56 PM.

[pyrotechnist]

Wow thank you for the images up to now, cannot wait to see more . Looks like an impressive factory, I hope to come on the next one Crystal Palace Fireworks and will meet you there . Them fountains are some huge buggers aren't they... pffft wouldn't like to stand near one of them going off. So what fireworks do they make at Kimbolton now?

It is a shame that we couldn't obtain the Brocks formula list, did he mention if they where still good fireworks in the last days at all? It must have been weird having a Brock family member see his factory. The Brocks factory would have been an impressive site being the size it was though the original factories are long gone but we still have one left behind in Sanquhar waiting to be explored .

[crystal palace fireworks]

Wow thank you for the images up to now, cannot wait to see more . Looks like an impressive factory, I hope to come on the next one Crystal Palace Fireworks and will meet you there . Them fountains are some huge buggers aren't they... pffft wouldn't like to stand near one of them going off. So what fireworks do they make at Kimbolton now?

It is a shame that we couldn't obtain the Brocks formula list, did he mention if they where still good fireworks in the last days at all? It must have been weird having a Brock family member see his factory. The Brocks factory would have been an impressive site being the size it was though the original factories are long gone but we still have one left behind in Sanquhar waiting to be explored .

As far as I could tell,..... other than large gerbs, they were mostly large shells and some lancework.

Ron Lancaster himself said he would have liked to obtain Pains formula`s, but unfortunately no one had found the personal private papers or published them in book (as far as I know).

Its difficult to know for sure, whether the reverend was refering to Brock`s retail fireworks or not in last days of Brock`s without asking him directly,..............trying to listen to others ask him questions (and take it in) and visually checking out the sheds etc was frustrating, and thats without talking to others along the way and trying to get close to him was almost impossible at times.

Im not even sure there is a complete brock formula list!

Thinking about it, I think we missed a trick (unless someone knows more),.............we should have miked-him up for the duration of the tour and recorded his words for posterity and historical reasons!

Was it weird for me to see his factory?,....answer;- definately No,..... just very exciting to see a small firework factory in working motion, and to listen to the man himself.

Sanquhar;- If Richard H and the commitee are interested (and have the time),...........Im sure they could enquire/organise a long weekend trip (providing we get permission from the management company `Brock`s Explosives ltd`to enter for a guided tour).

[pyrotechnist]

What a shame someone must have the formulas but arnt giving them away . I assume Brocks Fireworks would have been the best at the time though I dont know. It is great that we have a select few factories left like Kimbolton though I hope soon we have more and maybe the economic down turn will open new windows to be exploited by removing some of the major Chinese imports. What was the factory layout of Kimbolton?