November 5th will shortly be with us and retailers will be stepping up the sale of fireworks.
Nuisances caused by fireworks have reduced over the last few years as a crackdown on illegally imported fireworks has taken effect. Now noise is generally restricted to the time immediately around 5th November.
You also have to be 18 to buy fireworks these days.
Traders have been sent a guidance leaflet on all aspects of the law relating to firework sales with their registration certificate – businesses must register with the council if they wish to sell fireworks. Council officials visit retailers to check storage conditions, check for the sale of ‘banned’ fireworks i.e. those not complying with noise limit requirements and those which are ‘unsafe’. Verbal advice is given on preventing underage sales, and checks made to ensure the correct notices are displayed.
Businesses are provided with a sticker to display showing that they are registered for the supply of fireworks. This helps consumers identify legitimate retailers of fireworks.
The Council will once again undertake a test purchase operation in ‘firework season’ to check retailers compliance with the law. Similar operations in recent years have revealed no breeches since 2007.
Locally on Thanet Road we understand that the Acorn Rugby Club will be organising their firework display again this year.

Acorn fireworks display

I was sorry to learn of the death of Peter Rhodes. Perhaps most famous as a Football League referee, Peter spent his retirement years as a resident of Woodthorpe.
Very much a larger than life character his forthright views weren’t always popular. He managed to maintain a sense of humour even when age began to take it’s toll. His generosity was legendary.
About 20 years ago he bought the Acomb (Quaker) wood the development of part of which proved later to be controversial.
But he will be remembered by most as a warm hearted character of the type that are few and far between these days.
A funeral service will be held at St Edward the Confessor Church in Dringhouses on Tuesday, November 1, at 1.45pm, followed by cremation at York Crematorium at 3pm.