This is the type of letterbox that Roos was talking about. As can be seen from the first picture, it is designed to stand at quite a distance from the house.

PS- can anyone else see a fly crawling over that site?

Well I saw a fly oz, but I thought it was on my monitor!

I couldn't agree more about bangers, I hate them. Some of them are really loud! In Israel they're only used around Purim (early spring festival) at which time every Rabbi and doctor in the neighborhood adds their name to a blanket ban. Some louts ignore that ban and I just have to brace my nerves over the few WEEKS they're exploding the darn things.
Fireworks are always large organized events on Independence day but we see them far more often because Arabs use them at pretty much every wedding.

btw British bonfire night was originally on Halloween - Guy Fawkes night was just an excuse to make it political and disconnect it from its pagan/agricultural origins. I used to really enjoy our family fireworks when I was a kid, dad would supervise the whole thing with great care and caution.

Well, the it's Guy Fawkes today and the fireworks will be starting soon and they will go on for weeks and then start up all over again on New Years' eve. Actually fireworks have been going off ever since we won the Rugby world cup. It gets really annoying especially as there are designated areas for the fireworks.

By the way, I saw the fly oz. If you didn't warn us me might all have smashed computer screens

This is what Brits call a letterbox, the brass slot in my fornt door. It isn't a box at all.

Sue, I had a 'letterbox' like that in the house I grew up in. The postman would push the letters through the slot and they would fall on the floor just inside the house.

well since 4.30 (3 hours ago) it has been like Baghdad where we are. The noise is indescribable and the fire engines have gone past 3 times with all sirens wailing. The official display has only just started too, the others are all "private parties".
Apparently it is illegal to sell fireworks before November 1st and illegal to sell them to under 18s but I haven't seen anyone, including the 3 big supermarkets taking a blind bit of notice of the rules so far, every spot of open ground has it's little gang of kids burning whatever they've stolen/scavenged and letting off bangers and rockets merrily...

Laughing about the letter box confusion here

I was about 12 when they banned fireworks for general sale in NSW. We used to sit out of the roof and watch the local displays every year - was the only time we were allowed on the roof.

Anyone remember the throwdowns? Used to love them but I remember at the time when they were discussing banning them some kids put some in horse feed which did considerable damage to the horse when he chewed.

When I was about 18 my family bought a small toy shop. The previous owner had a license to sell fireworks to the registered organisations and there were a couple boxes left in the shop. Oh happy days!

You can see why putting a firework in there could cause problems.

Apparently it is an offence in UK to discharge a firework in a street or public place. (The Explosives Act 1875 (Section 80) and The Town Police Clauses Act 1847 - Section 28).

Try telling that to a group of yobs chucking bangers everywhere!

I think you will find that the Explosives Act of 1875 has recently been further strengthened by the Anti Terrorism laws.

Therefore these yobs could actually be prosecuted as TERRORISTS - which of course, as we all know - THEY ARE !

Isn't stopping them again tonight - still they keep going.

We've been hearing them since mid-October, and last night, Saturday 10th November, was no exception. Bang, bang, bang all evening till nearly midnight. Fortunately our house is well insulated, so the noise is deadened, but it's still very annoying.
I recall those days when, except for public displays on special occasions, fireworks were set off on 5th November only. Why does it have to go on for a month nowadays. It's like having Halloween from mid October through to mid November