40th Birthday 2011
Celebrating 40 years of exciting Firework Spectaculars in Ipswich
The first of our annual firework displays in Christchurch Park was in 1972, when a few scout leaders and helpers from the 11th Ipswich Scout group got together to buy £100 of the biggest fireworks that we could from Sneezums in Fore street Ipswich. This was one of the great shops in the town, which like many, is no more. Mr Sneezums would select his finest pieces for us from his firework store in the scruffy basement of his shop.
In all, we selected 25 pieces of Brocks fireworks and as none of us smoked we had to make sure that someone would remember to bring the matches on the big day.
One of us took out a single very small advertisement in the Evening Star and had 100 posters printed. We had omitted to print the admission price on the poster, so we set about writing 15p for Adults and 5p for Children in ball point pen and then waited for the 5th of November to come along.
We made plans for lots of people, opening 6 entrance gates to the park and ordering hundreds of those ghastly tinned hot dogs and hamburgers. To our astonishment around 6000 people turned up to watch the display.
The display became a major event and through the support of Ipswich Borough Council has remained in Christchurch Park every year except 1987. The damage to the park from the storms of October 16th meant that it was impossible to hold the event safely. The Suffolk Agricultural Association came to our rescue and kindly
allowed us to use the Suffolk Showground, now Trinity Park.
Scouting is the main benefactor from the money raised. The event does not always make a profit and is a very high risk method of raising funds, with very high costs and variable weather conditions always a worry to the organisers. The Evening Star became our very first sponsor in 1983 and they continue to provide invaluable support. The event now enjoys great support from many key businesses and organisations in Ipswich.
This year sees our 40th display and we celebrate a great achievement for a scout group and its loyal supporters. Long may the event continue to provide a fantastic evenings entertainment for the people of Ipswich and remember! Remember! its original purpose in 1972 continues today, to support a great youth organisation, Scouting!
