''Fireworks'' is a British magazine about

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

, aimed at enthusiasts and pyrotechnic professionals.

History and profile

The magazine began life in February 1982 as a

photocopied A photocopier (also called copier or copy machine, and formerly Xerox machine, the generic trademark) is a machine that makes copies of documents and other visual images onto paper or plastic film quickly and cheaply. Most modern photocopiers u ...

newsletter for firework enthusiasts. At the time, the number of British firework companies was in sharp decline and their tangible remains were being lost or destroyed. ''Fireworks'' was also intended to record the histories of these companies, firework celebrations and print readers' nostalgic recollections of Guy Fawkes' Night. ''Fireworks'' includes colour pictures of early British fireworks and celebrations, including displays for

Guy Fawkes Night Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the ev ...

. The Letters page is a forum for debate, for instance the recent discovery of nineteenth century

flares A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, o ...

by the

UK coastguard His Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible, through the Secretary of State for Transport to Parliament, for the initiation and co-ordination of all maritime search and rescue (SAR) within the ...

service, and the new Amberley firework museum. The magazine is in colour throughout, and pictures are of displays, events, and people as well as popular British fireworks from the 1930s to the 1970s. Pictorial matter includes cartoons (Sturtz, Fireworks' resident cartoonist among others). Some cartoons are historical. There is a once-a-year directory of firework companies; snippets of firework news in Round Up; and safety information and news which provide firers with the information they require to safely fire displays. Major events, both current and historical, are covered in articles, and there are profiles of prominent figures, as well as a

hall of fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

. The magazine's articles are written by notable figures in the firework industry and the firework world generally, including Reverend Ron Lancaster (author of ''Fireworks: Principles and Practice'', an authoritative work for firework people), who has paid tribute to the magazine's work to preserve firework history in that book. The current issues are very different from the early stapled sheets, and the magazine is commercial in appearance. The magazine has had a part to play in the foundation of a firework

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

, the formation of a family of firework

collectors Collector(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Collector (character), a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe * ''Collector'' (2011 film), a 2011 Indian Malayalam film * ''Collector'' (2016 film), a 2016 Russian film * ''Collec ...

and admirers, and the presentation of fireworks as an acceptable form of enjoyment by responsible people aware of

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

issues and determined to improve safety wherever possible.

External links

* 1982 establishments in the United Kingdom Hobby magazines published in the United Kingdom Fireworks Magazines established in 1982 {{Pyrotechnics-stub