A DAY AT

Newsbox is a retailer who has been mentioned a lot by our forum members over the last few years, with postings about their great range of fireworks and some really keen pricing too. So, I was looking forward to seeing this shop for myself, and took a trip down to Loughton in Essex.

Although the shop's address is in Essex, it is actually located just within the M25. There are many ways to get to Loughton, I decided to brave the M25 itself and come in off junction 26. From there, it is a simple case of following the signs for Loughton and you are there within five minutes. When you hit the village you come to some mini-roundabouts, Newsbox is on your right, and Homebase have been kind enough to build a car park next door too!

When you first enter Newsbox your mind has to do some slight mental re-adjusting. Looking at their price-list and reading member testimonials you're expecting a sprawling fireworks warehouse but as the name suggests this is also a newsagents, so the floor space is shared with an Aladdin's cave of assorted food, drink, newspapers and when we visited, some grotesque Halloween masks (the kids love them apparently). This is actually a significant advantage because if, like me, you had made a long journey, there is unlimited refreshments at the end, excellent!

Raj and his staff are always happy to help and Raj himself knows a lot about fireworks, so he's the man to ask if you need any specific advice. After a quick chat it was time to get down to the serious business of checking his stock. The first thing that struck me was the sheer variety of brands on display. Most newsagents concentrate on a single brand for commercial reasons, Newsbox takes the other angle and offers a pick of the best from many diverse labels. Cosmic, Golden Lion, Fireworks International, Bright Star, Kimbolton, Shogun, Shellscape, Vulcan and more, they were all here! And not just any firework from each brand, Newsbox are stocked to the teeth with Best Buy and Recommended items from this site.

"I'm a firework enthusiast myself" explained Raj. "I'm not interested on focussing just on one single brand, rather I want to stock the very best of each label". This certainly shows with a stock-list that provides one of the most diverse ranges I have seen in a shop of this type. "I also want to give the best possible deal" he continued. "This is why you will find some very keen pricing here". He wasn't joking, above the counter was Tiger's Revenge at £69 which I think speaks for itself, and he was expecting some new stocks of the legendary Super Blitzknall rocket which he was going to retail at just £8.50. I couldn't help noticing a special offer on Stella too, six cans for a fiver and they're the continental cans! As a connoisseur of Stella it would be irresponsible of me not to point that offer out. To be consumed after your display, of course.

Ease of parking, quick access from the M25 plus a brilliant range of fireworks - and good service - has to make Newsbox a retailer to put at the top of your list. "We've had people come from as far away as Nottingham" said Raj, and that does not surprise me.

For further stock details and a price list, check our their website. As with any retailer, always telephone first to check stock if you are making a long journey.

Many thanks to Raj for his hospitality and our forum members for posting about him, Newsbox was well worth the visit.

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