A firework display at Caerphilly Castle raised over £3,000 for charity on Halloween.
Thousands of people watched as the sky was lit up on October 31, thanks to the annual display organised by Caerphilly Town Council.
Cllr James Fussell said: “It was a resounding success, better because of the dry weather.
“Lots of people went out trick or treating with their children and then came to the display, so there were lots of people dressed up, not just young people but adults too.
“That added to the carnival atmosphere.”
The money raised will be presented to Caerphilly Lions Club and Trinity Fields School, in Ystrad Mynach, on December 3.
Gallery: Fireworks on Halloween. Pictures by Carl Jones
That`s good news for local charities, and all down to those volunteers who turned out on the night to make the collection.
Great. I like to see deserving charities receiving money. Let us hope the charities are better managed than the Children Charity…
Shame the firework display was totally rubbish though.
It wasn’t rubbish Dean, my 5 year old loved it. You can’t be that grumpy, you just can’t.
You are too polite. The castle fireworks are always a disappointment. Just look at the photos.
Take your five year old to Walt Disney World, London, Sydney, Funchal, Rio, or Dubai on New Year’s Eve. Now they are firework displays…
I’ve seen better myself whilst in NZ. But for a small Welsh town it’s not bad. And listening to all the oohs and aaahs I was not the only one who thought it good. Putting it this way, we would be gutted if it weren’t on every year.
Just think of the display if the council did not waste £1.5m on suspended officers…
Let’s put an end to the absurdity that the firework display raises any money at all for charity. The fireworks and other associated expenses, which are paid for by the local tax payers, are around £14,000 mark. If the chief reason for the display was to increase revenue for charity it would be far simpler just to hand over the money.
The reason for the firework display is simply to give the children of the town and visitors to the town a reasonable, free at entrance, on a day quite close to bonfire night, a spectacle of fireworks. Nothing wrong in this, I have enjoyed the fireworks with young members of my family for many years. Long may the fireworks continue, though I doubt whether the wildfowl that live on the castle moat will ever vote for me again!
I think the council are missing a trick here. If the fireworks were charged at £3 per person for anyone wanting to be by Crescent Road and on the surrounding green areas, anyone wanting to be on Caerphilly mountain, anyone in the park are by the Courthouse, and anyone on the grassy areas on the other side of the castle, the firework display could become better.
Think of the display the £1.5m on suspended officers would produce.
I can see your logic here Dean, it harks back to way councils used to be run – which was more like business. The old Caerphilly Urban District Council used to run the bus service (and make a profit) and used to build and rent out a large amount of council houses, again profitably. This meant the council had an income separate from government grant and collection of local tax.
That said I think it would be difficult for the Town Council, for it is they not the borough that puts on the firework display, to cordon off large areas and charge people to enter. There would need to be large numbers of stewards for instance, all needing training and wages and I don’t believe the Borough, which runs the David Williams park as trust land, would be either sympathetic or helpful.
In the Town Council finance public consultation 58% of respondents voted against spending money on fireworks. This result will be discussed by councillors on the meeting of 16th November.
Regarding the wages of the suspended officers you know my view. If I had been leader of the council when the report recommending vast salary increases for senior officers was brought to me I would have said. “Thank you for this report, please close the door on your way out” before filing it in the waste paper bin. This scandal should not have happened.
Agree, to a point, but Whist the figures do not make the best proof of this event being the most advantagous way to rise money to give to charity, it does, all the same, raise some money do so. But to spend £14,000 to raise £3,000 is unbalanced.
The suggesion that spectators can be charged £3 for viewing them is also fraught with problems, first, I am sure it would be difficult to justify the Town Council spending ratepayers money on the display, and then charging the same ratepayers three quid to watch that money going up in smoke. Second, this is generally a family occassion, husband wife and two and a half kids at three quid a head, how much?
Third, the entire David Williams Park is, as Cllr Richard Williams highlights, `Charitable Land` held in trust for the `recreational enjoyment of the people of Caerphilly`, and until a time comes that the management Trustees of the Land, (the Caerphilly BOROUGH Council Cabinet) decide a charge to use the land,should be made by those who are the constitutional beneficiaries of the trust, then such an otherwise reasonable suggestion is completely dead in the water.
How about combining the display with late night shopping in town, and perhaps a ‘street food’ festival on the same evening. The display attracts thousands of people into town at a time when everything is closed. Why not turn it into a proper festival with some places for people to spend their money.
THAT would make perfect sense and I think a very good idea, and ensure that both events provides attraction to the other. particularly when both are intended to bring people into town, Not that there are many businesses on Cardiff Road these days which could derive much benefit from such an arrangement, but it would be a major joint attraction for the town, and organised properly could be spread over a few days with the Christmas Market. There is plenty of room for stalls in Cardiff Road, Penrebane Street, Clive Street, and the entire length of Parc Lane including the Cleared land standing empty.
All the money the council spends on the naff firework display should be directly donated to charity and I’m sure it will be a lot greater than £3000. Better yet, as charity starts at home forget the firework display all together, don’t donate the money to charity and use the money to improve local infrastructure.