Archive

Poacher 2022

Alchemy Fireworks display for International Scouts Jamboree Poacher 2022. Tasked with providing a display for 5,500 scouts with very little safety distance we first set about creating a soundtrack for all ages that would suit the type of material that we could fire. With just 16m to the audience from the main firing positions material was very carefully chosen to suit the area. For this show we mainly used Europla Eco Shots. These are zero-debris fireworks from Europe that can be used to accurately punctuate pieces of music and rhythms and they are available in the most amazing colour range! We had earmarked a field to very rear of the site for larger aerial shells but due to the extremely dry weather and the risk of fire this was ruled out and instead we fired from the car park to the rear of the Epic Centre. To get the material high enough to be seen clearly above the building we used 2 x scissor lift platforms to raise the material 8m from the ground. Again, due to restrictions on fallout areas we had to carefully choose what material we fired so that no large pieces of burning material would hit the ground.

Belgravia Birthday Party

It was back in 2009 that Alchemy first produced a display for this client in their Belgravia back garden. Just a few doors down from Margaret Thatcher (at the time), it’s rare for a central London home such as this to be blessed with an amount of outdoor space. Sure, space is very limited so on both occasions material choice and safety has been paramount but as you can see from the video below, we can still produce an amazing spectacle even in the smallest of spaces.

In 2009 we were tasked with designing a show to what can only be described as French themed accordion music. You can watch that video here. This time, mariachi music was the order of the day (we DO love a challenge!) Our good friend Peter Stone was tasked with making the large ’80’ in lancework at pretty much a moments notice and we pulled out all the stops to turn this around quickly. We used flame machines, cold spark machines and traditional, close proximity pyro both from the garden and the pool house roof and combined it all to create what we think was a superbly executed display which the client was absolutely delighted with (as were we!)

RAF Fairford

We were thrilled to be back at RAF Fairford to help them celebrate their Family Day in 2024. Having fired RAF Croughton’s Independence Day fireworks for many years it was great to add another American airbase to our portfolio.

The show that we produced had to be low noise due to the proximity of local residents who already endure some upheaval due to the annual airshow. There are also sheep and horses in the nearby fields so a quiet display was definitely on the cards.

Choreographed to a bespoke mix of recent hits and some classics we set the sky alight with an amazing array of colours and effects. The majority of our summer fireworks displays are low-noise so we have an enormous range of quieter effects to choose from.

Fireworks at Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectaculars

The Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectaculars are always one of the highlights of our November calendar. There truly isn’t a more beautiful venue for fireworks. We work closely with the Events Team at the Castle to produce a  bespoke soundtrack befitting to the chosen theme. At half an hour long it’s one of the longest displays in the country so the soundtrack usually has room for one or two rarely heard tracks! This year’s theme was ‘Colour’ so, where possible, we matched the colours of the fireworks to the colour named in the song. Both Stings’ ‘Fields of Gold and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colours’ were standout tracks on both nights.

This is a true multimedia event with a huge PA system provided by RASE productions and jaw-dropping lighting and projections provided by STL Production Group. Fired over 2 nights, the audience are treated to a spectacle of sound and light lasting for 30 minutes. We use our entire arsenal of effects to fill the half an hour duration!

Fireworks display on the River Thames in Woolwich with a Tall Ship silhouetted in the foreground.

Sail Royal Greenwich

We have fired a number of stunning displays for Sail Royal Greenwich and the Royal Borough of Greenwich since 2012 and 2017 was no exception. Four displays were booked on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as a fitting finale to an evening Sail along the River Thames. Firing on the river presents it’s own set of challenges. Booking a barge or firing platform large enough to fit a fireworks display onto, arranging for a tug to tow it and hold it in the correct position when the display is fired, a safety boat (just in case!) and also liaising with the Port of London Authority who police the river and provide information to other river users that the display is going ahead.

We were booked for three shows in Greenwich moored close to the Old Royal Naval College and one night in Woolwich just outside the Woolwich Arsenal. The three Greenwich shows were not to music but the final display in Woolwich was closely choreographed to a mixture of classical music and film scores suitable for the large family audience which had assembled along the riverbank to watch. The Tall Ships began arriving back with more spectators on board and eager to see the show and they created a beautiful backdrop to the fireworks with the shell bursts visible through the lines of the sails. David Tyrrell from the Woodford and Wanstead photographic Society managed to capture the featured photograph which we feel is one of the best fireworks photo’s we’ve had taken – well done David!

Everyone was treated to a magnificent aerial display of fireworks lasting 8 minutes with a befitting red, white and blue finale!

 

 

 

Huge display of fireworks at Catton Hall festival of fireworks

Festival of Fireworks

The Festival of Fireworks held in the grounds of the stunning Catton Hall in Derbyshire is an annual event. Four teams are invited to take part to provide a display, choreographed to music and with a duration of 10 minutes. The event is a little different to other fireworks festivals because this one isn’t a competition as such – although everyone goes there with the full intent of putting on the best display they can on the night! There’s a great atmosphere and lots of camaraderie between the teams and it’s always very interesting (for us at least) to see how other pro companies approach a big display like this.

We had last taken part at the Festival in 2011 and were chomping at the bit to go back again! The Alchemy Team was pretty large with everyone wanting to be a part of what promised to be a special display. We arrived at around midday on the Friday with the displays all due to take place on the Saturday evening. With poor weather forecast for the Saturday daytime we were keen to get as much done as possible on the Friday whilst the weather was fine and dry. And with full credit to the team, apart from a few electrics and bits that we didn’t want to be left out overnight, we were done and dusted by around 8pm that evening! It was a good job really because, as forecast, the rain came early on the Saturday morning and stayed around for the majority of the day! Thankfully, by the time the audience began to arrive it stopped raining and the skies began to clear.

At around 7pm whilst it was still daylight the audience were treated to a daylight fireworks display consisting of beautiful coloured smoke trails and a myriad of noise effects. The majority of the public probably aren’t aware that fireworks can be just as impressive in the day but our previous shows at Leeds Castle and for Middlesbrough Mela show that they really are!

As darkness fell, the first company fired their display and then it was our turn. We had been testing all afternoon so were confident of a flawless performance and boy did we deliver! Nearly 1300 cues in 10 minutes lit up the skies over Catton Hall as the audience were treated to a pyrotechnics masterclass. Using a full array of material from China, the UK and Spain we used some brand new effects called ‘Ultra Fast Comets’ which were just ideal for hitting some of the faster sections of the music. Our show was extremely well received by both the public and pro companies alike. Some of the feedback on one of the forums can be seen here:

Comments 2Comments 1

We had two videos produced on the night to showcase the level of choreography accuracy that we work towards. You can view those here:

 

 

Beautiful pink fireworks with a silhouette of a lovely statue

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show

This was our 7th successive year of firing the RHS Hampton Court Gala Preview evening fireworks. Working closely alongside the RHS team to produce the soundtrack we were then tasked with designing a fitting display not just for the music but also for the venue. Firing close to an historic building such as Hampton Court requires careful consideration in material choice and positioning. 5 back positions for larger calibre material combined with 5 front positions spread over a frontage of 60 metres allowed us to create some stunning chase sequences whilst aerial shells were pumped over the top for extra impact. The result was a magnificent, very closely choreographed show which showcased a huge range of material.

Fireworks bursting in the skies above Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute

The Isle Of Bute

One of the best things about this job is that you go to some amazing places that otherwise you probably would never go to – and the Isle of Bute is one of the places. Absolutely stunning scenery all around and this display was fired at Mount Stuart – an astounding Victorian Gothic mansion.

There were the obligatory hoops that we needed to go through to get the fireworks onto the island. But with an amount of preparatory work done at HQ before we arrived, the ferry company knew to expect us and we had all the paperwork in hand ready for the crossing. Of course, fireworks couldn’t go on the normal passenger ferry. Instead, a further two hour drive from the passenger ferry terminal around the beautiful Scottish coastline took us to the terminal that could accept dangerous goods. A short 5 minute crossing and we were safe and sound on the Isle of Bute.

We had allowed a day for the crossing and a day for rigging the display. The day of the crossing was warm and bright but the forecast for the day of the display was, you guessed it, heavy rain. To be fair, the rain did hold off until much later in the day once we had the show rigged and fully waterproofed. And it did only rain for an hour (Met Office got it wrong again!). The skies cleared for the display and the wedding guests were treated to an awesome spectacle, beautifully choreographed to a Scottish themed mix of music – well, what else?!

Here’s the video featuring DRONE FOOTAGE, what do you think?

And here’s the rest:

 

Silver & red fireworks in the sky at Haverhill Recreation Ground

Haverhill Town Council

I kind of feel like I’ve grown up with this client! I’ve known Nick Keeble from Haverhill Town council now since 1995 which was the first year I designed and fired their fireworks display. Things have moved on a bit since then. Back in 1995 I was 22, the display was fired with push buttons and had approx 60 cues and, in the days before Health and Safety, we were firing 5” and 6” shells from the recreation ground!

Fast forward 20 years and I have a few more grey hairs, the display is digitally fired with approx 500 cues and there isn’t a shell in sight! BUT, and it is a big but, this fireworks show really goes to prove that you don’t always need shells to create that WOW factor. With great music choices and innovative and clever use of material we can create the most stunning of professional fireworks displays. As an additional element of surprise we bring some close proximity effects within 8 metres of the audience to make it up close and personal.

 

A video of this display can be viewed here:

Multi coloured fireworks along the River Tyne in Newcastle City Centre

Great North Run 2014

The Great North Run Millionth Runner celebrations in September 2014. A moment that Alchemy Fireworks can be proud of. It was a mammoth task – both physically and logistically. The brief: to fire from 8 separate locations PLUS a moving vessel on the River Tyne AND an 18 metre tall figure of a running woman ablaze as she runs along the river! Errrmmm, OK!

Our runner had fully functioning legs of fire to carry her through the finish line under the bridge!

10 guys and 4 days later we had the show rigged. Tyne Bridge (including both turrets), Millennium Bridge (both sides), the car park behind the Sage, the swing bridge and it’s platform, a 400m wide frontage along the road that runs in front of the Sage as well as the running woman and a river going vessel were laden with fireworks and ready to fire. The entire performance lasted an hour and Alchemy Fireworks would produce fireworks and special effects at key moments throughout that hour all choreographed to composer Dan Jones’ stunning music especially written for the ceremony. The finale was the 18m tall flaming runner heading towards the Tyne Bridge with sweeps of single shot comets beckoning her towards the finish line. It really was an amazing sight and one that we will never forget.

The River, The River, The River’s on Fire!

I have been asked many times since how we did it. The answer? Great product, perfect spacing and positioning of the material, clever technology and some blood, sweat and tears! Was it worth it?

Take a look at the video and see for yourself…