The Blandford Yuletide Festival made headlines yesterday in the national tabloid press for all of the wrong reasons - namely the rogue fireworks which unfortunately and catastrophically were supposed to have gone upwards but instead strayed horizontally into a horrified crowd of spectators.
Other online publications have reported that at least 4 bystanders were injured though not seriously, Cara a 2 year old girl was hit on the head by three fireworks , her 3 year old brother was hit on the arm by a firework, a man in his forties was struck in the face by a firework and shockingly an elderly woman suffered the loss of her hair, which according to the press was completely burnt off by a firework - although it has been reported that no one suffered serious injury, it must have been very traumatic for all those who were injured - I personally would be devastated if I went out for an evening with a full head of hair and came back home without any, in fact I would be down right furious and I would be demanding more than a good wig and some top of the range
Harrods silk head scarves from the festival organisers and my demands would include an explanation as to why in a sane world was the fireworks display ever allowed to be held on the rooftop of a town centre building ?
The Blandford Buzz contacted a NDDC Environmental Health spokesman,
of the perilous fireworks display at the
Blandford Yuletide Festival 2011 he said that
Health & Safety legislation only guards against
health & safety hazards in the work place but such legislation does not cover volunteering events like the festival in Blandford forum on Wednesday night, (in my opinion the current legislation allows for the buck to be passed on many issues relating to health and safety).
The Blandford Buzz put it to the NDDC spokesman that it would be much safer and much more sensible to have the fireworks display at the
Crown Meadows in Blandford Forum instead
, though the NDDC spokesman did not meet this common sense proposal with an answer.
SCOOP - However the NDDC spokesman did tell
The Blandford Buzz that
at next years Blandford Yuletide Festival, NDDC will offer advice to the Blandford Yuletide Festival organisers in regards to any fireworks display.
The Blandford Buzz phoned up Blandford Town Council for comment on Wednesday nights festive firework incident and even though there were no town counselors available to speak to, I did manage to talk to an office worker instead, who said that it's a shame that The
Blandford Yuletide Festival has been marred by these unfortunate circumstances.
The Blandford Buzz will attempt to get a comment or two about this matter from a Blandford Town Councillor some time soon.
The Blandford Buzz contacted HCBC Bank in Blandford, upon whose roof top the fireworks were launched from, however the bank made no comment about what went wrong and the bank would not comment as to whether or not the said building is listed.
The Blandford Buzz has contacted the Blandford Yuletide Festival Group who have issued the following statement -
"The organisers of the Blandford Yuletide Festival are very concerned about the firework display malfunction on Wednesday night and are cooperating fully with the Police and HSE investigation into the cause. their thoughts are very much with those affected by the incident. It would be inappropriate to offer any further comment until this investigation is complete".
About the matter of what went wrong at this years Blandford Yuletide Festival fireworks display, The Blandford Buzz offers the following comments -
1) It was terribly unfortunate & awful for those who were hit by fireworks & other bystanders to see - I have previously written in this post, I would be pretty cheesed off if I had been personally hit by a stray firework and I suppose I could have been but I did move out the way pretty quickly !
2) It's a shame that Blandford Forum only ever seems to receive negative national press, did the tabloids cover the
Blandford Yuletide Festival 2010 ???
3) Though leading on from number 2 above - a person has the right to go to the national press if they feel aggrieved in any way
4) Although one of the main festival organisers the
Blandford Yuletide Festival Group aren't allowed to comment, in his defense and in support of the
BYFG - I must say that I remember a few years ago that Blandford / St Peter & St Paul Parish Church held a Guy Fawkes firework display at the (then before it was demolished and then rebuilt)
Parish Rooms this display went without incident and I remember eating yummy hot and spicy chilli con carne which the Church had cooked and served to spectators for free.
5) The fireworks display at the
Blandford Yuletide Festival in 2010 went without incident
6) Upon probing this matter
The Blandford Buzz believes that there has been a breakdown in communication between
all the relevant agencies and groups involved with the forward planning of this years
Blandford Yuletide Festival fireworks display
7) I suspect that because last years
Yuletide Festival was such a success, that the organisers this year strived for bigger and better, which is understandable and nothing less than human nature - and this would account for why the fireworks display was (in my opinion stupidly) moved to the HSBC bank rooftop- however
if it ain't broken don't try to fix it
8) Current government legislation on the
health & safety aspects of public firework displays is not tight or rigid enough and therefore needs further amendment
9) A leading example of why number 8 above is applicable can be deduced from recent tragic events - it could be argued that the M5 motorway accident near Taunton in Somerset just over a month ago on the balance of probabilities was due to bonfire smoke from a firework display drifting over the carriageways, which obscured drivers visibility and thus resulted in one of the largest and most serious high count fatal road accidents in the UK - was in part largely a result of a lack of adequate firework health & safety law
10) A more appropriate place to launch any fireworks from would be
The Crown Meadows so hopefully this plan of action will be implemented for next years
Blandford Yuletide Festival
11) Apart from the firework malfunction on Wednesday night, the
Blandford Yuletide festival was a success, over 4000 people attended the said event which has to have been a good thing for Blandfords local economy
TALKING ABOUT HEALTH & SAFETY
DID YOU KNOW THAT DORSET FIRE & RESCUE
MAY BE IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE OF THE CUTS ?
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