Bonfire events cancelled 2021

[adc82140]

The council have nothing to do with ours and never have, other than issuing the required permits to the Rotary Club. Rotary take the financial risk, and I gather manage to break even or turn a small profit from entry charges and selling pitches to tat stall traders. Stewards etc are provided by volunteers from the ranks of the Rotary Club. The only professionals that are paid are the fireworks riggers.

 

[Dent]

60 out of 62 years says its possible.

Possible is not the same as cheap. Your claim was that "the costs of organising cant be that large", which I don't believe to be true given the cost of fireworks and insurance.

 

[najaB]

Possible is not the same as cheap. Your claim was that "the costs of organising cant be that large", which I don't believe to be true given the cost of fireworks and insurance.

And, in any case, cheap is not the same as zero-cost. Hosting a cheap event is going to be more strain on the resources than not hosting it at all.

 

[Sm5]

Possible is not the same as cheap. Your claim was that "the costs of organising cant be that large", which I don't believe to be true given the cost of fireworks and insurance.

Whatever one mans cheap is another mans expensive.
They obviously are able to do it cheap enough to make it a success if they are giving £20k to charity, are you begrudging them that ?.. should they give up ?

 

[Dent]

They obviously are able to do it cheap enough to make it a success if they are giving £20k to charity

I thought you said they are not able to do it this year. If they are actually doing it and making a profit then what is the discussion about?

are you begrudging them that ?.. should they give up ?

Where did I say I was begrudging anyone anything?

 

[Highlandspring]

The Perth fireworks display has been have been cancelled due to the Scottish Government’s ridiculous and discriminatory ’vaccine passport’ scheme.

Covid passports blamed as Perth bonfire cancelled for second year running

The annual bonfire in Perth has been cancelled for a second year, with organisers saying Covid passport requirements were to blame. Around eight

www.thecourier.co.uk

Bad form to quote myself but the Press & Journal is reporting that the Elgin and Forres bonfires/fireworks are caped for the same reason -

Bonfire night events in Elgin and Forres cancelled amid vaccine passport concerns

Covid vaccine passport concerns have led to the cancellation of planned fireworks and bonfire events in Elgin and Forres. Thousands pack parks in the

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

 

[yorkie]

I think it's about cost cutting, and/or very over cautious councils.

On the Leeds council website it says:

So it seems they believe Covid certification is necessary. But why?

Some Councils are very restrictionivist/locktivist.

If money is an issue, then fair enough, but cancelling events "due to Covid" is unacceptable in my opinion.

Bad form to quote myself but the Press & Journal is reporting that the Elgin and Forres bonfires/fireworks are caped for the same reason -

What's happening in Scotland is quite disgraceful. I hope there is a huge backlash against the SNP for this.

 

[najaB]

If money is an issue, then fair enough, but cancelling events "due to Covid" is unacceptable in my opinion.

In a lot of cases (I'd venture the majority) money is the reason but Covid is the excuse.

"We don't have money for X." is always met with cries of "But you have money for Y!"

 

[al78]

How many have been cancelled before Covid ? And are they actually saying it is for fiancial reasons?

The one in my village has been cancelled for two or three years now due to financial reasons. It wasn't strictly a local authority organised one, but finance and increased bureaucracy were given as the reasons for terminating it in 2015.

It's not a statutory duty of a local authority to provide fireworks displays. Of course, it's a solid 'nice to have' like Christmas decorations are. I assume everyone who would like their local authority to be funded appropriately votes for higher council taxes locally and for central government who will offer more funding?

How about a modest entry fee?

How much does it cost to put on a public firweorks display, and going by that figure, how much extra tax would the council tax payers have to pay to subsidise it, assuming a near average sized local authority, and bearing in mind it is once a year? Assuming such a council is not 100% efficient with spending money, could they not recoup some of their costs by reigning in any spending inefficiencies?

 

[Sm5]

I thought you said they are not able to do it this year. If they are actually doing it and making a profit then what is the discussion about?

they arent doing it this year.
They used to make £20k for charities Until covid.
Despite not doing it last year, they still raised £6k for charity.

our one charges about £7 Iirc, obviously its washing its face and some to turn a £20k Profit for charity.

Hats off to them, if councils dont want the risk, having organisations willing to step upto the plate and produce a charitable result I think is an admirable quality.

I know the facebook is drawing ire at being canceled as the reason is somewhat pony, considering the size of the venue / local environment etc…people obviously want it.

On a different note, I know of one council area that canceled bonfire night for Diwali instead. Whilst that draws eyebrows and certain comments, I guess it makes sense as the demographic populace is more weighted to Diwali than Bonfire night, and tbh.. it was a good show.

 

[A Challenge]

My local firework display is run by the local scout group and it is their main source of income, with a modest (£4 I think) gate charge for access to the field, them doing a very popular BBQ and some other stalls, and it is a significant proportion of the money in for the group each year.

I don't see therefore why councils have to cancel them due to costs, as OK there is some volunteering involved, but most of the large costs (such as the security, fireworks provider, insurance and field hire [it's on a council field in our case, so they wouldn't have to pay that] are covered easily.

 

[najaB]

I don't see therefore why councils have to cancel them due to costs, as OK there is some volunteering involved, but most of the large costs (such as the security, fireworks provider, insurance and field hire [it's on a council field in our case, so they wouldn't have to pay that] are covered easily.

In the case of my council, there is no entry charge and there aren't any stalls. So it definitely would be a net cost.

Edit:
It's also a consideration that Brexit has seriously impacted the supply of fireworks (only about 30% of the usual amount will be available) which has increased costs significantly.

 

[Ediswan]

Stevenage is back: Stevenage's annual fireworks display returns on Bonfire Night - November 5

Anybody else ?

 

[bussnapperwm]

My local firework display is run by the local scout group and it is their main source of income, with a modest (£4 I think) gate charge for access to the field, them doing a very popular BBQ and some other stalls, and it is a significant proportion of the money in for the group each year.

Same here. I used to be on the organising committee for the one run by the local scout group (mainly due to having advertising contacts - free advertising on the local independent bus operator being one reason, that and being one of the Beaver leaders). We used to deliberately run it on the same night as the council one. Both made a lot of cash.

Ever since I left (due to illness), the quality had gone down a bit (there again with a different Group Scout Leader running it not long before I left, the group did go downhill a bit).

Getting back on target, the council one round my end is still going ahead with free buses too

 

[Islineclear3_1]

My former local one, Blackheath, in SE London is cancelled due to "austerity cuts" according to Lewisham Council; however, my other formal local ones at Beckenham and Crystal Palace appear to be going ahead

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Epsom ( at the Hook Road Arena ) is going ahead.

 

[MP33]

Anyone remember the displays that had a massive bonfire lit from inside accessed by a small door. My Father went to one in South London lit by a celebrity Jimmy Edwards. Once he was inside he had great difficulty in leaving and looked like he was going to do a Guy Fawkes impression.

 

[LOL The Irony]

My local Scouts held bonfire & fireworks display is still going ahead as of now.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Since the event commemorates an event that did not actually occur in historical time, should that event be celebrated in a different manner in the 21st century.