Reply to: It's the fireworks party thread !!! Woo-hoo!

[RichardCranium]

It's the ones on the left with the single red eye that are worrying me!

Look again. It's just the Flying Spaghetti Monster (may His noodly goodness touch you) watching the fireworks.

[OrangeHopper]

Is that a UFO in the bottom right of that photo?

It's the ones on the left with the single red eye that are worrying me!

[CheeseSlice]

Is that a UFO in the bottom right of that photo?

[bogeyman]

Meanwhile in Pulham St. Mary, Norfolk, they are having a 'Nonfire'.

A burning fiery bonfire - Telegraph

So much safer

[Mich the Tester]

woohoo! eek!

[Alf W]

Interesting forum thread here from Jimjim regarding French bangers.

On being told they are illegal to sell in the UK he starts enquiring if anyone knows how he can make his own ... out of stuff available around the house or in hardware stores!

Visit anyone?

[DaveB]

I thought a ballista was a one or two man weapon that fired heavy darts. Then I saw this monster.

Ours was closer to the former than the latter

Timber frame made up of scavenged railway sleepers and other bits with the long spring from the suspension of an old lorry strapped across the front of it. It took three of us to load the thing - One on each end of the spring pushing back, the third pulling on the rope to get it over the firing hook. We used it to fire lengths of re-bar. How we didn't kill or maim ourselves in the process remains a mystery.

[RichardCranium]

None of them were as good as the leaf-spring ballista though

I thought a ballista was a one or two man weapon that fired heavy darts. Then I saw this monster.

[DaveB]

Indeed. One of these in a glass milk bottle made a passable grenade. Alternatively one could be put in the open end of some cowhormn handle bars followed by a handfull of fine gravel and a grass plug to make a rudimentary blunderbuss. Don't start me on cow pat landmines.

Kids today have no idea how to make their own fun.

A section of metal tubing, two bangers (and some practice with the timing) could be pressed into use as a serviceable mortar.

The same tube + a suitably sized marble produced a passable (though inaccurate) musket.

Non of them were as good as the leaf-spring ballista though

[Troll]

For those of you attending out-of-town firework parties tonight

Please remember to fill your car up with fuel before you go...

[d000hg]

[d000hg]

[Alf W]

One of the above pictures of bangers reminds of when I was a wee teenager. My school, in Folkestone, used to do a yearly "French" trip to Calais and we would take the opportunity to stock up on French baggers. 10s of times better that the weak UK variants. Thankfully our coach was never stopped by customs. French bangers in enclosed spaces!

Indeed. One of these in a glass milk bottle made a passable grenade. Alternatively one could be put in the open end of some cowhormn handle bars followed by a handfull of fine gravel and a grass plug to make a rudimentary blunderbuss. Don't start me on cow pat landmines.

Kids today have no idea how to make their own fun.

[gingerjedi]

One of the above pictures of bangers reminds of when I was a wee teenager. My school, in Folkestone, used to do a yearly "French" trip to Calais and we would take the opportunity to stock up on French baggers. 10s of times better that the weak UK variants. Thankfully our coach was never stopped by customs. French bangers in enclosed spaces!

I used to hide mine in the zip-away hood on my 80's ski jacket, the potential to blow my head off never occurred to me until now.

[RichardCranium]

Chunk of home-made black treacle toffee, anyone?