9 replies to this topic

[David]

Hello. Just if you were wondering , "Feels" is a noun in this case, not a verb.  It's what the cool kids say, or at least that's what I'm told!

How is everyone? It's funny, I had a realisation that my adult life can quite easily be divided into four six year eras- 98-04, 04-10, 10-16 and 16-22. So a new one is just beginning. Pyro was very much the "thing" of Era Two. Happy memories! 

Hope everyone is OK! If anyone reads these, do check back, it's nice to get a reply. 

[Rip Rap]

Hello. Just if you were wondering , "Feels" is a noun in this case, not a verb.  It's what the cool kids say, or at least that's what I'm told!

How is everyone? It's funny, I had a realisation that my adult life can quite easily be divided into four six year eras- 98-04, 04-10, 10-16 and 16-22. So a new one is just beginning. Pyro was very much the "thing" of Era Two. Happy memories! 

Hope everyone is OK! If anyone reads these, do check back, it's nice to get a reply. 

I read them mate 

[Pyro-centric]

Greetings.

Have not been here for way too long, but back now.

[David]

Thanks for replying! It's nice to see people still around. Well, we are now in "silly season," I haevn't heard much yet and seen just one shop selling fireworks, but in honesty I have not been looking much. Gut feeling now is that the days of many small shops selling a range , and containers popping up seem to have past. Good news for the reliable all year round sellers.   

As for me, I have a new job, and as chance would have it I start on November 7th! Which means I am clean for the bonfire night weekend.     

[MattyJ]

I’m still around, although i get zero time for this hobby unfortunately. I’d love to set off some rockets etc, or do some chemistry for a change. Just not enough hours in the day.
It’ll be nice to have a meet up some day.

[David]

Sure thing, and thanks for replying! I'm quite similar at the moment, went into a couple of supermarkets to see what they had on sale, and saw a few bonfires being advertised around, which is always positive. But honestly, times do seem to be changing. Preston used to be a hotbed of noise in the days before GFN , now virtually nothing. Maybe people saving their pyro for the 5th. I dunno, though, looking at the prices for even a basic pack of rockets in Lidl I'm not sure what people will be considering spending. That said, there is- and always was- great stuff available from spcialisits. In time hopefully I'll get my mojo back too! 

Edited by David, 03 November 2022 - 12:58 PM.

[BlackCat]

Hello guys, it's wonderful to see so many names that I recognise from a few years ago when the Forum was alive. Although I do drop in fairly regularly, I haven't been here for the last couple of months due to other pressures.

 

I'm still making my fireworks and currently investigating, that old favourite, blue flames. I've looked at pretty much all of the formulations I can find online plus many of my own with some very interesting results when they're plotted in Lab colour space. I now have four really excellent blues based on different oxidisers, copper sources or chlorine donors. To be honest, I think I'm about finished with this work and thinking of moving on to yellows. I have one yellow, which is pretty good, but I'd like to see if I can improve on it. If any of you have a favourite yellow you'd like to share, I'd really be happy to try them.

 

Going through the process of renewing my EPP at the moments and had a visit from a Counter Terrorist Security Advisor last week, the first such visit I've had since the EPP system went live and this is my third renewal. I thought he was quite happy with my arrangements though he did make a few suggestions for upgrades. Unfortunately, these suggestions have become mandatory when the Home Office read them. The measures include, security lighting, CCTV and an upgraded alarm system all of which he wants to send messages to my phone, so significant ongoing costs for SIM cards. Looks like the equipment will cost several hundred pounds too let alone getting someone to fit them. Obviously, cost isn't an issue when someone else is paying! I also have to change the lock and hasp on my oxidiser storage cabinet to ones meeting BS12320 CEN 3, according to the Padlock Technical Advisory Institute (yes it really exists) the standard "cannot" be applied to hasps and the locks I've seen online look to be less secure than the ones I have fitted! So, I need to meet a standard that doesn't apply in one case and improve my security by fitting a less secure lock provided that it says BS12320 on it somewhere.

 

I wonder wahat life would be like with bureaucrats!!!

[David]

Hi Blackcat, thanks for checking in

Oh what a drama this all is. I'm squarely retired from the pyro hobby now, I was always a lightweight at best, mainly consumer stuff and small scale shows. Glad to see people still active here. Hope that life is treating you all well in general. Me, I'm just working away, a 30 hours a week job and a bit of extra agency too, and sampling some really rather nice ales. 

[BlackCat]

Yep, life is pretty good, having retired from work 10 years ago. I'm still wondering how I managed to find the time to go to work! 

 

Sampling ales seems like a good idea.

[David]

I'm looking at retirement options now , not soon, I'll add, but it's "on the cards" for some date sometime in the future, rather than simply being something that happens to other people!   

It's funny, I seem to have skipped a whole period of middle life- I can recall the glory days of Standard circa the 80s, childhood etc seems a long time ago now. But from my mid 20s onwards, wooosh, where did that all go? I'm so pleased to see fireworks still on sale, it would be heartbreaking if they went from the shops.