So the season of mellow fruitfulness, giant fun-size chocolate bar bags and very loud bangs is upon us. If you can find time to walk in the Forest you’ll be rewarded by the Autumn colours, but according to the forecast, you’d better make it sharpish as it’s due to get a tad windy and wind is the natural enemy of dead and dying leaves. Hopefully wind won’t be an issue on Saturday 7th November as the annual Rotary Firework Extravaganza takes off. To be entirely honest I’m not really sure what the Rotary Club of Lymington do when they’re not letting off fireworks, but there seems to be a symmetry between their name and visual pyrotechnics. OK, maybe that’s just me then…

A nice chap at the club gave me a little background as to why they even bother when bad weather like last year can rather ruin it all. Apparently Rotary runs their fireworks display more than anything else as an option for families to go to a firework display inexpensively, and to prevent the risk of horrific injuries which are suffered by children every year. They also try and make some money which is passed on to local charities. All most commendable.

The fireworks are supplied by Graham Butler who is a local licensed Pyrotechnist. Being told this did make me imagine just how one trains as a Pyrotechnist to obtain a license. Do you start with sparklers and work your way up through bangers, squibs and catherine wheels to the really big stuff? Just wondered. And what’s an extravaganza without food and drink. And trampolines and a bouncy castle and rides for toddlers and a climbing wall. Did I mention food and drink? Hot dogs & burgers, hot and cold drinks, candy floss and toffee apples. And all for a very reasonable cost of £4.00 for adults, £2.00 for children and children under 4 free. I assume that’s the age of the child rather than an unfair levy on families with four or more children.

So it is a real community event run by local people for local people and supported by lots of local businesses which are, in no particular order, New Forest District Council, Lymington and Pennington Town Council, Farwells, Hampshire Constabulary, John Pyatt Concreting, Hampshire Fire and Rescue, Peter Cooper Removals (personally highly recommended removal and storage company), Lymington Precision Engineers (who appear to be taking over Lymington one commercial unit at a time!), The Girl Guides, 1308 Squadron Air Training Corps, Army Cadet Force, Billy Cole and above all Graham Butler of Excel Pyrotechnics.

If you aim to go and can’t get there on foot, then you’ll be very pleased to know that parking on the common is free. For a map, CLICK HERE.