The Rose Bowl's Fireworks Night

Everything you wanted to know about the sell-out event... plus a lot you didn't!

Organisers have once again hailed The Rose Bowl’s annual Fireworks Night a “huge success” after 10,200 people turned out for the event on Friday Night.

They were witness to a 21 minute-long firework display, in which 652 fireworks were let off, generating 5,300 effects, with the highest reaching as high as 500 feet in the air and around 150 metres in diameter. In doing so, 250 kilogrammes of gunpowder were used – 10% of that which was found with Guy Fawkes during his failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605.

Interestingly, it is probable that the Fireworks company used for The Rose Bowl’s event is the same as that which provided the explosives for the Gunpowder Plot, as history says that the barrels of gunpowder used in the infamous plot were “manufactured by a gunpowder manufacturer within earshot of the Bells of Bow”. At that time the only such business was one John Pain, the founder of the modern day Pains Fireworks – who provided The Rose Bowl’s centrepiece display.

Additional entertainment came courtesy of Wave 105 DJ Steve Power and live music by ‘The World’s Number One Lady Gaga Tribute’. Spectators also made the most of a fun-fair, which included such rides as the Enterprise, The Master Blaster and The Cage.

In fact, it is estimated that the Sizzler – a ride which rotates, spinning riders around as it goes - underwent 1,680 revolutions during the four-hour event. In addition, the Dodgems, as a whole, covered more than 28,800 meters in the evening – that’s over 1,600 meters each!

Finally, it appears no-one left the ground hungry as, during the evening, guests consumed more than 2,500 burgers, 2,000 hotdogs, 2,000 portions of chips, 4,000 cups of tea and coffee, 300 cups of mulled wine and 2,000 pints of beer.

Group Commercial Director, Zac Toumazi said; “We’re very happy with the way The Rose Bowl’s Fireworks Night has gone.

“It’s clear from the statistics that punters made the most of all the food and drink as well as the rides and got a pretty impressive fireworks display to top it all off, so I think we can comfortably call that a successful event.

“I’m also very pleased that so many people came down, once again, to make The Rose Bowl’s Fireworks Night a sell-out for the second year in a row. We look forward to seeing them all back here for something even bigger and better next year.”

Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography

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