Here is the site, split into two levels covering two rooftops. The main items would be fired from the roof of Woolworths, the bigger shells would be fired from the lower level for extra safety.

The first challenge of a rooftop site is how to get the fireworks - some of which are very bulky and heavy - on to the roof. Now this may not look a large distance but the only ladder was a sheer vertical fire escape surrounded by a guard. Luckily, there was plenty of rope to hand in the van!

Of all the displays we have covered, this crew was the most appreciative of the helping hand we could give. PeteB pulls on the rope while Gerry contemplates which of his vertebrae is going to go first.

Unloading the van and the large quantity of support items is evident here including tubes, racks, timber, tools, fire extinguishers and fuse.

Gerry: "Right that's the van unloaded, whose turn is it to get the tea?". Steve: "Don't look at me, I got it last time". PeteB: "On yer bike!".

The upper level as you can see in this shot provided a flat, if wet, surface. The main restriction here is that - for obvious reasons, heheh - you cannot bang stakes into the roof. Apart from that, the fireworks were set up in almost the same way.

Three candle fans rest against one of the many strange vents, openings and protrusions on the roof. Luckily this one was closed because it looks a bit terrifying.

PeteB helps out by getting some of the timber frames started.

Great! Gerry's batteries have run out again and he's just seized up completely! We had to get the jump leads out to get him going again!

A great new candle effect for 2003/4, "Ditto", heheh... In the background you can see the Church.

View of the mortar tubes and racks for this display. It had been quite wet as you can see, so a fair amount of wooden boards and waterproofing were required on most of the items.

We weren't the first ones up here! "Jason Vince" if you're reading, I hope you have since swapped your spray cans for an academic pursuit! I do hope your mum isn't reading this!

Wider view of the site looking back towards the fire escape. Plenty of room to move here.

Checking the setting up order with the firing list. The very big cake in the foreground is "Assorted Rings" which as the same suggests is a ring cake. Very nice it was too, you can see it in action in the video clips below.

Steve gets the shells loaded into their tubes. The yellow connector between each shell is a line of fuse, so it will burn along to light each shell one after the other.

Pants! We hoped we had seen the last of any fog at the previous display. Here comes a right pea souper! For good measure the temperature dropped by about ten degrees too.

Gerry does his own version of David Copperfield's disappearing Statue of Liberty. Here with just a few bits of pyro and timber, he makes Dereham church slowly vanish!

Almost complete now and you can see this section has a good assortment of fanned candles and cakes.

Although cakes are bottom heavy and normally stable on flat ground, they are secured to be 100% safe. This will prevent them from falling over. Notice each item is waterproofed too (including the fuse).

Night time now, and the mist is illuminated by the street lights of Dereham in this night shot of the upper firing site.