Guy Fawkes fizzer

Don't bother looking for bursts of fireworks in the night sky over Auckland next week.
Edward Rooney reports on the snuffing out of Howick Lions' hugely popular event.

Ian Packwood rummages through the shed for equipment used for one of Auckland's most beloved and long-running fireworks displays. This isn't a late scramble to prepare for Guy Fawkes night. He's hunting out bits and pieces to be photographed with by The Aucklander.
The 80-year-old retired engineer and importer won't need the gear for anything else this year now that the famed Howick Lions Club fireworks night has been extinguished.
"It's a big disappointment," says Mr Packwood. "But we undertake that every dollar given by the public for an event will go to the beneficiaries and, in this case, we couldn't guarantee that."
The fireworks display has been a regionwide attraction over the past 30 years, held at Alexandra Park in Greenlane since 2002, with the exception of 2005 when it was at Ellerlsie Racecourse.
Mr Packwood has been with the pyrotechnic crew since day one in 1979 when the Howick Lions put on the display at Howick College.
"It scared the horses," he says. "There was farmland all around then and we had a minimum distance of 100m to any neighbouring land, though we were at least 150m away."
Back in the 1970s, the Lions simply dug holes in the ground, put mortar shells in them, set fuses and walked away to watch the explosions.
Nowadays, the fireworks are housed in drums on the back of a specially-built trailer and set off by electronic signals that play a tune before hitting the right note to ignite the synchronised blasts.
"It's got more sophisticated," says Mr Packwood, showing his current certificate for handling high explosives. "Pyrotechnics is a particular class of explosives and we are specifically licensed for that. One year, we joined with the Army to put on a show and we were permitted to set off larger ones than the Army guys."
Mr Packwood is proud of the support the show has provided for the community and also its safety record. "We've had a few fizzlers, but nothing out of the way," he grins.
With the escalating scale of the event - outgrowing Howick College, the Manukau Velodrome and Mt Smart Stadium - have also come greater expense and risks.
Howick Lions president Glynis Brummer says the decision to call off the event wasn't taken lightly.
"It's because of the funding," she said. "It is a very expensive thing to put on and, this year, a lot of the trusts that have supported it in the past have said they would rather direct their funds straight to causes.
"It has been getting harder to get off the ground over past years, the health and safety overheads are huge and it was decided this year that it is simply too hard. It's very sad."
The event has raised hefty contributions for causes including Camp Quality, Starship Children's Hospital, South Auckland Health Foundation, Homai School for the Blind, the National Burns Unit, plus birth units and eye services.
"A lot of people have benefited from the event, as well as the enjoyment families have had by attending."
Mrs Brummer says the Lions Club will continue with other fundraising events and is exploring options for an extra event.
Mr Packwood, however, is convinced he'll be back. "I think we need to take a different approach next year," he says. "Maybe we need to go back to using more of the local talent, such as school bands and the like, and less of the more expensive, big name, star attractions."
Fireworks Lady
The Howick Lions display was initiated in support of fireworks safety campaigner Beverly
Pentland, MBE. Mrs Pentland was horrified by the harm readily available fireworks were
causing to children and animals. In 1984, while suffering from cancer, she urged MP John Terris to introduce an amendement to law. The Explosives (Fireworks Safety) Amendment Bill passed on February 20, 1985. Sadly, Mrs Pentland did not live to see the bill passed.