Sparks in the Park
History of Sparks in the Park
In 1981, due to budget cuts, Cardiff Council decided no longer to run the Guy Fawkes fireworks displays in Bute Park themselves.
They approached various community groups in Cardiff to ask if they wanted to put the fireworks on- of those who applied, Cardiff Round Table were chosen to produce the event, with all profits going to charity.
About 1500 spectators turned up for the very first Cardiff Round Table fireworks spectacular (the name Sparks in the Park was adopted later). The amount spent on fireworks was £800 and we stretched it out so that the display lasted 20 minutes.
Tablers (members of Round Table) initially did all the catering, all the drink sales, lightsticks, put up the fencing, took it down on the Sunday, put all the lighting towers and generators up themselves and locked them away in a lock up Saturday night to take them out Sunday morning to take them back to the hirers that day
Security was “one man and his dog” who would walk around the back of the firing area armed with no more than a torch to shine in the faces of trespassers because “they don’t like it”
In the days before Health & Safety took over the world, Cardiff Round Table members would make the fireworks up themselves in a Tabler's garage during the week before and transport them themselves to Coopers Field and stand guard whilst they dug holes for the tubes for the mortars to go into
They relied on numerous friends to assist – some were a bit dodgy and first sign of the police helping us on an attack on a generator saw them run the other way being on remand
Since 1981, the event has grown and grown, to the point where it is now Wales' biggest and best regular annual display.
Some other interesting facts…
The highest profit to date was £45,000, in the year 2000.
In the next year we made £1,500 due to rain, heavy rain, but it still went ahead on the Saturday night. Thankfully the event has never yet made a loss!
The 4th Radyr Brownies used to make a guy for years making it a year long event collecting clothes, etc – one year a very expensive coat was used by an enthusiastic 8 year old, and the owner of said coat was less than impressed!
The Mayor of Cardiff used to light the bonfire by lighting a rocket start – until one year he nearly set fire to the Mayoress!!
One year (when we were still doing the fireworks ourselves) invested heavily in an electronic firing machine to let off the fireworks, but it got too damp by night fall and we were left to the good old matches and long sticks
Now the actual fireworks are put on by professional fireworks display providers- the current provider is former Welsh and British Fireworks Champions Pendragon.
The bonfire always takes a long time to die down, one year it was still going strong on a Tuesday as the locals of Coopers Field kept lighting it (until a massive fire engine came along!!!)
Sparks in the Park is now just one of hundreds of fireworks displays organised around the UK by local Round Tables and Ladies Circles
by
Chris Harness, Honorary Life Member Cardiff Round Table
and
Trevor Durham, Member Cardiff Round Table