If you're a new visitor and wondering "What is the UKFR?" then you've come to the right section. Here we'll tell you more about us and our aims.

The UK Firework Review (or "UKFR") is a web-based magazine covering the UK fireworks scene. It is run BY firework enthusiasts FOR firework enthusiasts.

Our core activity is reviewing fireworks. In simple terms we beg, borrow or steal a huge quantity of fireworks each year and fire them, under the watchful eye of a reviewer and a camera. We then report back our findings with our impartial opinions, supported where possible by video clips. This information is made available on-line, for firework enthusiasts to access.

Over time the UKFR has increased substantially in size, and we have diversified to cover other areas in addition to our reviews. The section that has grown the most is our Features section. From our initial "Head to Head" features in 1999, it has expanded to cover all kinds of pyro related activities and events, most notably professional displays.

Hundreds of thousands of readers have accessed our site since it was launched in 1999 and if you like fireworks you should find something of interest here.

To meet the costs of running the site, we charge a membership fee to access some of the content. For example, the review pictures and video, the forum, and some of the feature content. This membership fee is critical in meeting our costs so that we can continue to operate the site. However, we have never lost sight of our key objective in sharing our material with as many enthusiasts as possible; to this end we charge a very low membership fee. You can access the full content of UKFR for the equivalent monthly cost of less than a pint of beer if you join our site for a year.

From weddings to national competitions, we follow the UK fireworks scene with
thousands of pounds worth of cameras and supporting equipment. We also put in
dozens of man-hours work for each feature - but only ask our members for the
equivalent of less than the cost of a pint of beer a month!

We also have a considerable amount of free-to-access content too, including a huge safety section, information about displaying fireworks, beginner's guides and much, much more.

We have a number of key aims in running UKFR. These aims will give you an idea of what we are trying to achieve with this site:

	To review fireworks so that the UK public can make an informed decision when buying them.
	To promote and encourage the safe and responsible use of fireworks.
	To provide content that is impartial and independent from the fireworks trade.
	To allow enthusiasts, through our forum, to network and form a community of like-minded individuals.
	To provide UKFR for the lowest possible cost to its members.
	To ENJOY fireworks and to share our passion with others.
	To provide forward-looking and positive content.

Dorset 2004 and a member meeting organised and hosted by Gerry saw a
number of members - and professional firers - attend for an evening of firework fun.
This is the kind of networking and interaction our community makes possible.

One term we have used over the years is that we are independent and impartial. It is important that we explain what this means.

We do not sell fireworks, nor profit from their sales. For example, we do not receive any form of commission when you click on, or order from, a fireworks advertiser.

The fact that we do not sell fireworks is probably our best asset. It means that there is absolutely no reason for us to deliver anything other than impartial and unbiased content.

But we go further than that! Our reviews are supported by video clips too. These back up our findings and you can if you like completely disregard our review opinion and decide if you like a firework just from the video clip. We also offer a review second opinion option and free discussion of any firework related matter in our forum, so our members can share their comments too.

Our view is that if UKFR was not impartial, it would not work. Our members pay to access impartial content and we strive very hard to show our members that we are genuine.

A selection of consumer fireworks being showcased by UKFR members
in a national competition. Our reviews can help YOU achieve similar results
by showing you what all the best fireworks are.

Our site is "independent" because it is owned and run by a fireworks enthusiast and not a fireworks company.

The seed that became the UKFR was planted way back in 1997. I (Pyro Pete) had decided to have a fireworks display in my back garden to celebrate Guy Fawkes night.

The idea quickly gathered steam, and as every self-respecting pyromaniac knows, a short shopping list of fireworks soon becomes a massive arsenal of explosives as you strive to pull off the best possible display. But back in 1997, choosing fireworks was not easy. This was not because of regulations but because of a complete lack of information on the subject.

The only information I could find on setting up a display was the Fireworks Code, the only list of suppliers was the Yellow Pages, and the only information on what fireworks were good was the firework companies own (biased of course) descriptions.

So more by luck than judgement I settled on a couple of suppliers, and then bought the fireworks that "looked" to be the best, or sounded good from the catalogues.

The result was a very enjoyable back garden display. But a couple of things struck me. Not fireworks I am pleased to say, but ideas. I noticed that some of the fireworks elicited huge cheers and much enthusiasm from the crowd, with a couple of items in particular going down very well. I thought how good it would have been if I had known in advance what the best ones were, so I could have concentrated my budget solely on those.

A picture from the one and only, the original display that started UKFR!

I noticed that some of the fireworks - and even some of the big or supposedly highly rated ones - were met with a silence due to a complete lack of power or performance. It then occurred to me that as I had no idea beforehand which of the fireworks were genuinely the best or worst ones, I could have been unlucky enough to have bought all the poorer ones - and ended up with a woeful display.

The law of averages meant that my display comprised of some very good fireworks, some poor fireworks, and a scattering of items in-between. But, I realised that if I could share the information I had learned that evening with others, firework displays could be improved. People could concentrate on the best fireworks, and not waste money on the rest.

It also started to sink in that I had just let off £500+ of fireworks without a single safety incident and yet the press was full of reports of firework injuries. I had gone to extreme lengths with safety, setting the fireworks up beforehand, staking them out, rehearsing, and using proper lighters (portfires). It was clear that many injuries were being caused by ignorance of basic safety issues and the Fireworks Code hardly addressed the requirements of anything more than a small selection box style display.

I started to wonder how I could share this newly found knowledge with other enthusiasts. Two years later the answer came - the Internet. The Internet can reach a lot of people. It is relatively easy to publish and update content. So, in my spare time I created a website called the "Independent UK Firework Review 1999". Over Guy Fawkes 1999, the site attracted a lot of attention, even featuring in the press (The Guardian). My hunch was right - there were a lot of people out their thirsty for knowledge on what fireworks to buy, and how to set them off properly.

The rest, as they say, is history... perhaps not quite as exciting as the Gunpowder Plot, but equally important to the many thousands of people whose displays we have helped transform.

The UKFR has evolved into an active community of thousands of enthusiasts each of whom play a part in the site, from support through membership fees to active participation in our features, reviews and forum.

So, I would like to thank everyone involved with the site in particular to our paying membership base whose support has - and continues to - keep our portfires burning.

If you require any further information about us, try the other options in this section including the FAQS section. If this does not help you, please don't hesitate to contact us.