location sevenoaks kent
budget ?2500
dsiplay operators 4
we arived at about 9.30 am to be greeted by a little hitler groundsman that had decided we could not take the landrovers onto the set up site as aparently the ground was damp
well after some taking and showing him the size of our kit 
he relented and we pooteld off to our fireing positions. we were fireing the main part of the display from behind a 9 ft hedge this was about 200 meters from the crowed the smaller bits set peices and wheels/waterfalls etc were on the other side.by 11 all the racks were nailed into the ground and made secure.
then came the task of setting up the candle frames stakeing them in and wireing them up to the remote control fieing units. once they were in place water proofing of the candles got underway same with the cakes stakeing and ematching and water proofing.
the weather was relitively kind on this day nice 10mph wind away from the crowd few showers and dam cold!!
by now it was getting on for 1 pm and shells time. a quick brew and then it was shells time, we were fireing a selection of sunny, icon, an ping, lidu and soverign brand shells we each took a shell size i landed the bread and butter 4" shells so took my fireing plan and off i went reams of iggy cord red wazzag,delyas and quick match later and they were done.the lads were also in full fuzeing flow so i went and dug the trenches for the big tubes. now it was getting towards last light and the fireing time had been changed by the event organizers they wanted to fire at 6.30
. by 5 pm all shells were in the respective tubes and 90% were wired up.3 of us went on foil tape duty to make sure of no prematur ejaculations during the show
. continuity on all the chanels checked out so at 6 we got a quick tidy up in and final checks in. 6.30 came round and we doned our fireing hats and turned the little remotes on, portfires lit and boom of we go we can hear the crowd ooooing and ahhhing and the ocasional scream of kids as we send shell after shell up lots of mines as well.
after 18 mins the build up to the finale starts where we are the ground shakes nicely as the big guns start kicking in finale was 30x 4" 18x 5" 10 x6" then 5x 5" gold to blue crackle mines followed by 10 maroons 4 5" gold willow + gold tails then boom 6x 6" gold brocade to red 2x 8" gold crysanthemum to red palms core + 1 x 10 " gold brocade.
the noise from the crowd is amazing and the feeling of a good days work comes over us a quick check on the fireing site and all looks good so we head off for a bite to eat while we leave the area to cool down and have a chat with the clients.
then the clear up starts and it dons on you that all that foil tape is shredded all the bits from cakes candels etc shell cases man what a mess.
1 am we have the trucks loaded the ground has been swept for any live units and as much debry as possible is cleaned up.
we arrive back at base at 2.40 am straight in shower then bed and up at 6ish for the next days precedings 3 more days like this prety much follow
the life of a pyrotechnition is a hard but rewarding path.
we make pictures in the sky amaze adults and childern alike and ocasionaly ourselfs.
we learn on a daily basis and if a day goes by that we dont learn something on the job then it is a day wasted.
Edited by iggy, 12 November 2005 - 11:53 PM.
