That's not my point LJS. It is perfectly reasonable to celebrate a national festival, which November 5 is, with an organised community event. What is unreasonable is the multitude of displays which start way in advance of the date and beyond. Many of these displays are held on private premises and no consideration is given to the distress caused to neighbours, human and animal. My point is why do we have to have so many Bonfire events within communities ? And with little relation to the time of the festival. We live in a rural area and my dogs are well used to bird scarers and shooting. There is a world of difference between the latter and that of extremely noisy firework explosions . Can't we just restrict displays to November 5 and New Year but with permission given by local authorities to permit limited displays at wedding venues .

> But what about 21st birthday parties, which some have claimed to be the sort of 'special occasion' which warrants a re-enactment of the Blitz? Do the perpetrators leaflet all the houses in the area and put up warning notices in advance? Certainly not around here.

The loudest firework I've ever heard in my life, was set off during the day-time, in the summer.
The sound from it was so sudden and intensly loud, it was beyond shocking, it was heart stopping.

I had walked out into my garden with Buster, then this horrendous bang/explosion whent off. Buster jumped about 6 ft towards the house (he doesn't usually react to fireworks), I crouched on the floor, covering my head - it sounded like a bomb had been dropped.

As Buster recovered from the shock, he went into guard mode and started walking toward the bottom of our garden - in the direction the noise had come from, I thought he was going to crash his way through the fencing to look for the source. I've never seen him looking so serious, I wrangled him back into the house, then came out myself, to try to see what on earth was going on. Then I noticed other people, in my street & the next street, all hanging out of thier windows or coming out of thier houses, to see what had happened.

In the next steet, a funeral procession could be seen, the fire work had been set of by them.

There is NO NEED, to have fireworks with these sonic booms, it is not fun for any living being that is not expecting it - (which is a LOT more people than those that are expecting it). I am usually a very cool-headed, calm person,  the sort of person that you can creep up on from behind, try to shock me and I'll casualy turn around to see who it is - to hear a bang so loud that I dropped to the floor in fear for my life is shocking.

As I said, Buster doesn't usually react to fire-works, but I still think that these noisy firworks have no place in our society. I don't know how people enjoy these noisy things, even at organised displays.
The last time I went to our local display, all I could think of was the terror all the animals around must be feeling :(

Yes, I am another 'bah-humbug'!

My gilrs don't react too much to fireworks although Granny Pepsi has got worse as she has got older and is not too keen. However I do live in town and I often find dead rockets etc.. in my garden, Vino is apt to fetch them into the house for me !
I hate the fact that they are sold in my local shop just yards from me and seem to get into the hands of youths with amazing regularity. They find it fun to set them off at any time of the day and night. I have had rockets fired along the ground under my gates into the garden and a neigbour had one set of under her car last year causing damage.
I would like to see them only available from registered sources and a licience from the police obtained and produced before sale if they are over a certain loundness ! Sale of fireworks could be restricted to organized displays if they are of the extra lound variety and only quieter smaller ones for sale to GP for garden use. I do not mind my neigbours having a display but of a type of firework acceptable to a built up area. Save the big loud ones for well run displays and regulate thier sale.
I find it necessary to put a large bin half full of water underneath my letter box during the fireworks  season as it has not been unheard of for kids to throw them through letter box's. It makes me laugh that for a week prior to Halloween my local shop bans the sale of eggs to under 18's but allows 16 year olds to purchase fireworks knowing that older kids get them for the younger ones.
On a rather more serious note,
I see that a man has been arrested and charged over the dreadfull pile up on the M5 last year when smoke contributed to the deaths of so many people. Alledgedly it has been as a direct result of a poorly run firework/bonfire display.
Aileen

> if a big hotel often has events any sensible farmer would not put livestock near the venue

My friend owns horses in a field next door to a country pub/hotel.  when they tell her they are having fireworks she has to go up and sit with the horses radio on their ears stuffed with cotton wool, sadly sometimes they have them at other events and don't think to tell her, damaged stable and freaked out horses the result. 

Where is she to move the horses to, same with the Farmer that backs onto the hotel?

I quite like the visual aspect of the fireworks (and I'm seriously sight impaired), but hate the bangs, so why do people need/want the noise to enjoy them?  Making them quiet is a reasonable compromise.

> Bonfire societies have to start early to fit in all the displays !! Why not just have community displays on the night ? How many firework parties do people need to attend ??!!

All of them! It is their life! They all dress up and attend each others events. They parade through the streets in their costumes chucking bangers all around them before the main display. They have marching bands and flaming crosses. It's very atmospheric and is probably a real adrenaline rush for them. These days the police close all road access to the villages for 5 hours!! (Health& Safety) Bad luck if you live somewhere like this and you really need to go out, because you can't.

Then they spend the rest of the year putting on fundraisers so they can do it all over again next year.

> The sheep that are already pregnant with the early lambs don't take kindly to the explosions above them either.

We get very loud airforce jets overhead from time to time - Tara used to be terrified of them, but now she has learnt that they aren't thunder or fireworks :) Certainly health and safety should be the major priority re fireworks - not sure how you can legislate about noise other than the laws that are already in place :(

Response to Esme  How sad if that is their life .Pity it has to have such an impact on the rest of society who probably do not share their enthusiasm.

Lucy I know we aren't allowed to put photos on here but I am going to add a link to one here which demonstrates just why I hate fireworks so much - sorry admin but the photo says far more than words can. This is what I came home to one December evening when a near neighbour had let off some fireworks. This was the door to an inner hallway. Harley was so  terrified he clawed his way through the door. His front claws were worn completely away, the carpet was covered in blood from the damage he had sustained to his paws and legs, he was cowering under a cabinet and the door was destroyed - and this is my dog who is the easiest going most laid back dog I have ever owned.

Apart from the damage to my house - all fixable - the trauma H suffered from this incident is still causing him problems now. This year my vet has prescribed Diazepam for him as he is a danger to himself when he hears fireworks and to see him pacing, climbing, digging, panting and drooling is very distressing to watch but even more distressing for him to go through.

http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e371/lizandnoo/?action=view&current=Phonepictures221208017-1.jpg

> not sure how you can legislate about noise other than the laws that are already in place :-(

Not allow the production or sale of the noisy ones only quiet ones.

Id reluctantly be happy if fireworks were restricted to organised displays during two weeks in november,if you know when the racket will start and end,you can try and plan for it.What really gets me is the random bangs and cracks when youre out walking-how many dogs have run off ,terrified,if off the lead at the time?I suppose the only option would be to keep any really scared dogs on the lead at this time of year,but not much fun for them.

Lizzie yes that is awful and as I said I am all for banning them for sale and use by the GP.

> So what about bird scarers or shooting parties are we going to have to ban anything that is noisy ?

Of course not but there is a limit!  Fireworks are currently allowed up to 120db at 15m up.  The maximum recommended level for dogs from the RSPCA is 97db - quite a big difference.  The BSAVA says "It is therefore probable that a proportion of dogs are not genuinely phobic, and in fact these dogs display a normal fear response to what is an intolerably intense sound stimulus."

> The loudest firework I've ever heard in my life, was set off during the day-time, in the summer.

The sound from it was so sudden and intensly loud, it was beyond shocking, it was heart stopping.

This is what we had last weekend - massive booms that were like bombs going off, and smack in the middle of a residential area with a LOT of resident dogs.  It's simply unacceptable.

> Not allow the production or sale of the noisy ones only quiet ones.

Exactly.  Legislation stands as I wrote above - at the very least the noise level could be lowered to the RSPCA recommendation.  It would be a start.

This argument has been going on for years and I totally agree. We celebrate Christmas on the 25TH DECEMBER, so why do we have fireworks other than 5the November. They are supposed to celebrate. Guy Faulkes not BIRTHDAYS or New Year etc.
I just draw the curtains earlier and turn up the TV to distract her, which is OK on Nov 5th but it means staying in for the week before and the week after in the evenings just encase.
I miss a theatre trip every year because it falls in this time and can't be changed

> Guy Faulkes not BIRTHDAYS or New Year

If we accept (we may not, of course) that fireworks are a fitting way to end events such as the Olympics, New Year's Eve in London etc and (as friends did) a wedding, then it's difficult to say that fireworks should be limited to November 5th only. We can't have it both ways. The majority should decide and, of course, not everyone is a dog owner and not every dog owner is aganst fireworks. I object to the sale of fireworks for individuals to let off in their back gardens etc, but not to organised displays - whether at Firework Night, New Year etc.

> Harley was so terrified he clawed his way through the door. His front claws were worn completely away, the carpet was covered in blood from the damage he had sustained to his paws and legs, he was cowering under a cabinet and the door was destroyed - and this is my dog who is the easiest going most laid back dog I have ever owned.

Oh, that is just awful, poor Harley :( :( :( :(

I too have enjoyed fireworks in the past and taken my children to displays.  However they must be restricted. I am so grateful that local wedding venues don't let off fireworks now in the summer.  Mastifflover - I completely know what you mean by a massive explosion one summer's evening - it was this event that triggered Meg's fear - because we all jumped and overreacted.  It is absolutely anti-social to let off fireworks in a neighbourhood without any warning.  If everyone was in the habit of letting them off to celebrate special occasions then I wouldn't be able to leave the house at all for fear my dog would get hurt - just like Harley's dog Meg panics and damages the doors - anything that gets in the way because all she thinks of is finding us.  Once after a thunderstorm I came home to glass all over the floor because she had knocked a photo off the windowsill.  I don't enjoy this time of year any longer.

Some years ago at a nature reserve in Essex, 12 owls died from fright when fireworks went off. Are you suggesting that birds can be "relocated" for the duration of the periods whilst the selfish have fun burning money? There is absolutely, categorically no need for the noise. The visual effects of fireworks can be enjoyed without wizzes and explosions.

I was furious beyond words one summer evening when I was sitting in the garden with my young shepherd pup of about 4 months, when without warning a massive explosion of fireworks erupted a few doors down from me. They were the massively loud ones, and it felt like someone had dropped a bomb 10 feet from us. My poor pup (and I) were shocked and he bolted into the house, frightened beyond belief.

I presume some ****** was celebrating something, but they could have caused my pup to be fearful of loud noises for the rest of his life. I didn't wait for that to happen. I went and bought the fireworks CD, and over the next few weeks, played it very quietly, gradually building it up. He's fine except that he barks at them now, and he's nearly 8.

I cannot tell you how angry I was.

Let November the 5th be just that. I don't agree it should be weekends either side. Let it be the actual day, as it was when I was a kid. If the children stay up late that one night of the year, so what, it makes it all the more special and exciting.

Bah humbug!