Has Bonfire Night basically “fizzled out” now? Well, according to a new survey, that could very well be the case.
And that’s because 78% of the UK public apparently want fireworks banned for good.
An annual event in the UK’s seasonal calendar, Bonfire Night is loved for its spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it, but to say it’s ‘loved’ by everyone doesn’t paint the truest picture.
A recent analysis by finance experts, RIFT, has revealed that just 14% of Brits plan to attend a public firework display this year, and with the average cost for such organised events said to come in at £444 per minute, 87% of us believe the money could be better spent elsewhere.
A new survey has revealed that 78% of Brits want fireworks banned / Credit: Unsplash
If the survey’s findings are anything to go by, it looks like our Council’s decision is largely-supported by the nation too.
While the UK public-commissioned survey found that as little as 14% plan to attend a public firework display this year, the key objection to this actually isn’t cost related, as 38% stated it was due to the fact fireworks scare pets, and therefore just don’t agree with them overall, while a further 20% don’t agree with the wider environmental impacts they have.
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When it does comes to cost, though, because industry data shows that on average, a 20-minute public firework display costs an eye-watering £10,000, 86% of the public don’t believe is good value for money.
In fact, 87% of those surveyed believe the money could be far better spent elsewhere – particularly in the current economic climate.
Only 14% plan to attend a public firework display this year / Credit: Alex Jones (via Unsplash)
Despite this, just a third (33%) would like to see public firework displays banned completely,
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As far as the private sale of fireworks is concerned, as it stands in the UK, you can only purchase fireworks legally between 15 October and 10 November, on 26-31 December, and in the three days leading up to Diwali or Chinese New Year.
But 78% of those surveyed would like to see this scrapped completely, and essentially want a ban on firework sales all year round.
What’s your take then? Should we scrap fireworks for good? Or keep the fire burning?
Featured Image – Elisha Terada (via Unsplash)
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Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Embrace announce intimate live show in beloved Bury music venue
Danny Jones
British alternative veterans Embrace have announced another intimate show here in Greater Manchester, only this time it’s over in Bury at a stunning small-cap arts venue.
It’s not often you get to see such a long-standing band play outside of the city centre so far into their career, especially in gorgeous grassroots spaces like this one.
A fellow Northern outfit, they’ve often been lumped in with that ‘post-Britpop’ era of music, and plenty throw around the so-called ‘dad rock’ label, but honestly, we couldn’t care either way: they remain among the UK’s perennially underappreciated underdogs that never get old, as far as we’re concerned.
Revealing a handful of new live dates for their album launch this summer, they’ll be making just two appearances in the North West on the run.
Writing in the post, the group said: “We’ve lined up a run of exclusive UK dates in venues that are some of the smallest we’ve played in years. It’s going to be special, but capacity is extremely limited.”
As you can see, besides the Jacaranda Baltic in Liverpool, the only other place in this region where they’re set to play for this mini tour is The Met over in Bury.
One of the most beautiful gig spots, not just in the town but in all the 10 boroughs, for our money, the room only holds around 400 standing and roughly 250 seats.
For seasoned artists like this lot, who are more used to playing big festival stages and big domestic headline tours – which they’re also doing later this year – it’s sure to be a special night.
Toasting the release of their ninth studio LP, Avalanche, this spin-off on the tried and tested in-store format wouldn’t be possible without the help of local record store, Wax and Beans, who are promoting and hosting the show.
But we can’t lie, there’s something about the idea of seeing them decades on from when they first tightly-packed out crowds of this size.
If you want to be part of the Embrace album launch tour, you can get ready to grab your tickets at 10am this Friday, 27 March, right HERE. And speaking of great record shops…
Emily Sergeant -
2nd November 2023 
