On 3 Oct 2012 at 11:34am chris huang-zhe wrote:
the rookies that are being used are far more dangerous than previously they have a stopper like cement
trains shouldnt stop at Lewes on the evening - they stop them running normally in Brighton for Pride
On 3 Oct 2012 at 12:14pm Jane S wrote:
I do cringe at adding fuel to the Bonfire debate, but here's a BBC link below (dateline today) about rookies and eye injuries. I'm for Bonfire and against rookie-chuckers, who are risking the heavy arrival of Elf & Safety in Lewes on 5th and therefore the wrecking of something unique.
Eeek, now don't shoot me, you fighters in the debate.....
Check it out here »
On 3 Oct 2012 at 12:23pm banger wrote:
I'd heard that after the injuries last year the Bonfire Council has banned rookies with clay bungs - a sensible move, but how do you tell the difference? Don't want to stock up on the wrong ones 
On 3 Oct 2012 at 12:24pm banger wrote:
...ignore that, just read the other thread
On 3 Oct 2012 at 12:29pm Ed Can Do wrote:
As I said in the other thread, the Bonfire Council have banned the blue rookies that come on strings of twelve called Black Panther Magnums or something like that as last year they included a much harder and larger cement bung than in previous years. Yoru society saftey officer will be able to clarify exactly which ones are verboten now and if you're not in a society you shouldn't be buying them at all.
There were 8 eye injuries last year out of anywhere between 30 and 60 thousand people, depending on which reports you believe. Yes it's terrible that two of those were kids but you have to wonder who puts a small child at the front of the crowd. I wouldn't even take a child that young along to anything other than the first, kids procession.
Trains do run to Pride but the event is now ticketed and nobody is letting off explosives in the street there. 
On 3 Oct 2012 at 12:30pm Ed Can Do wrote:
And for the record, Pride has a similar if not worse injury and arrest rate for a smaller total crowd.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 1:16pm Gambon wrote:
Love the fact that ONLY 8 people were injured and "why bring small children along?" gets mentioned. As a grown up I would be pretty p|ssed off to lose an eye because some tanked up c@nt thinks its their right to throw bangers with built in schrapnel...
I watched from the balcony of the White Hart a year or so ago - a brilliant night for young and old that was completely ruined by the loud bangs being let off in what is affectively a confined space between the buildings. Even the military would frown at that - I'm sure the general public expect certain levels of H&S to be observed and these 'rookies' far exceed these limits. So I ask those who think they can chuck them with gay abandon to grow up and think about the consequences of their actions.
Check it out here »
On 3 Oct 2012 at 1:27pm Injured wrote:
I speak as one of those injured last year. I have impaired vision as a result of the clay bung hitting me in the eye,and my sight is worsening. I was a society member and it was an accident. No one knew about the danger of the blue rookies. They don't have to be that close to you to harm you.
I've dropped down rookies myself, had the odd scar on my legs from them. It's part of bonfire. No one in bonfire wants to hurt anyone. Blue rookies are banned but I know people who have some from last year and will be using them. How will that be policed?
Please don't belittle the injuries. They may be few in number but every injury is a life affected. I'm now terrified of rookies and can't go out this year on the 5th.
I face more surgery, which believe me is no fun. And I have to learn to live with sight impairment. Your eyes work together so if you have poor vision in one,your overall vision is poor. It's upsetting and frightening.
I've always loved bonfire and I hope it never stops being the anarchic tradition that I love. Thankfully society committees are seeing what's happening and striving to make it safer. It's not dumbing down. Use rookies as you always have I say, but purchase the correct ones. Refuse to use the dangerous ones. If you don't, the authorities will have the power to enforce it, and who wants that?
On 3 Oct 2012 at 1:42pm Hate it wrote:
Someone will get badly hurt this year. That's because if a society member throws a banger in my garden like they did last year, i will make sure they get hurt.
Take note Commercial square.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 1:53pm Guy wrote:
How can anyone seriously defend fireworks after reading this thread?
On 3 Oct 2012 at 2:02pm tom wrote:
do not rely no more do not reply no more
On 3 Oct 2012 at 2:27pm myself wrote:
"a brilliant night for young and old that was completely ruined by the loud bangs being let off in what is affectively a confined space "
The questions is. What are you doing here if you don't like loud bangs?
On 3 Oct 2012 at 2:52pm boots wrote:
I think people sometimes forget that the 5th is not put on for the crowds.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 2:56pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Quite, Myself. Gambon is an idiot. It is well publicised that it is a noisy event and dangerous event, he should have worn ear plugs or stayed at home. I suggest he takes a holiday in Valencia to get over it, they have a lovely little festival called Las Fallas, very quiet and charming, Gambon would enjoy that.
Injured, I'm so sorry that you face further surgery and have impaired vision. I think if anyone had known last year how dangerous those blue rookies are, they would have been banned then as well. Anyone still using them this year deserves to be banned for life from all societies.
Perhaps the societies should run courses in the correct way to chuck a rookie, ie drop at one's own feet if stationary, throw gently a couple of feet straight ahead if moving. That way, only the chucker gets the blast. Anyone who's not man enough to walk past their own rookie as it goes off shouldn't be lighting them in the first place. And rookie defence tactics - wear stout boots with thinck soles, place foot a couple of inches above offending rookie as it goes off. That way any bits are kept low. And never, ever let fireworks off near a band, any children or the tab.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 3:00pm tom wrote:
you are all playing into the old bils hand by keep posting .Stop and think i known some of you think you are bonfire but may be not .
On 3 Oct 2012 at 3:30pm Irrelevant Steve wrote:
I saw you yesterday outside Waitrose. I must say you're looking very well. Have you got a new barber?
On 3 Oct 2012 at 3:37pm Ivor big blueun wrote:
Just curious as to why you all post comments behind names that are not your real ones
On 3 Oct 2012 at 4:19pm Penguin wrote:
It is interesting to see that the Argus quote a so called 'specialist' as saying that rookies create an explosion "a bit like a hand grenade going off". I am not sure what that person is actually a specialist in, but it's obviously not fireworks, or hand grenades for that matter! This is just the sort of scaremongering 'fact' that people like Guy and Gambon get so worked up about.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 4:24pm Mike wrote:
I bought a rather nice new pair of shoes today
On 3 Oct 2012 at 4:40pm Teacher wrote:
I bet the vicar laughed when you were christened Ivor big blueun.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 4:40pm Old Cynic wrote:
I think the 'so called specialist' was an eye surgeon - so Id prefer he was an expert at that rather than an know it all about rookies
On 3 Oct 2012 at 4:47pm Gurner wrote:
boots wrote: I think people sometimes forget that the 5th is not put on for the crowds.
As many of us suspected, it's really a form of masturbation carried out in public.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 4:54pm Aleksandr Adamski wrote:
I like turtles
On 3 Oct 2012 at 6:00pm Blow me balls off wrote:
Bring back the Lewes Rouser, and putting bangers in the crowds wellies and coat hoods, That will keep the crowds away like it use to ... 
On 3 Oct 2012 at 7:34pm Little chef wrote:
The society's aren't going to teach people how to throw fireworks ! All the bangers are purchase by individuals , no society condones this or as far as I know supplies members with them , @ Hate it if you would like to drop your address into the elephant and castle or email commercial I'm sure someone can help out with your situation. ,
On 3 Oct 2012 at 7:49pm Been in it a while wrote:
Think you will find all old school boys and girls that really are part of this and give the town this magnificent night won't be the ones chucking things , it's the small group that come in for one night a year buy a cheap jumper and run a mock , we are watching this year , and we won't be the only ones
On 3 Oct 2012 at 9:02pm Old Malling wrote:
I'm afraid that having been out on 5th every year of my life (in the procession when I was much younger and in the croud as an adult) I won't be watching this year. It isn't so much the rookies in the procession, more the crouds and the large number of morons in the town. All of the fun has gone out of it and now it's just grief. Kids SHOULD be able to watch (up to and including the fire) and feel safe. I shouldn't have to worry that some drunk yob will throw a banger at me.
I won't be missed, but I think it's a shame that - as a 'local' - I can no longer enjoy the 5th.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 9:11pm Phil wrote:
Why are so many connected with bonfire in denial? There is no doubt that rookies have been and will continue to be thrown from the parade into the feet of the crowds lining the pavements.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 9:22pm uckers barry wrote:
its too dangerous just dont take the rookies to the carnival everyone can enjoy the great night safely and it was a lot more than 8 people hurt by the pellets
On 3 Oct 2012 at 9:47pm Dave wrote:
No one with any sense or self respect will be buying or selling those blue rookies this year and I'm sure if anyone in any procession is seen chucking them they will be warned by their peers and probably ejected from it.
On 3 Oct 2012 at 10:13pm Tom wrote:
From my viewpoint in the rear guard of one society last year, the problem was kids in the crowd throwing rookies at the procession, not people in the procession dropping rookies.
On 4 Oct 2012 at 6:42am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
On last night's news, the eye specialist was actually saying that the eye injuries were like those you would expect from an explosion, because they were caused by a lump of hot concrete travelling at speed. Of course, this has been ramped up by the Argus so that every rookie is now suposed to have the impact of a roadside IED in Helmand.
The footage of the 5th shown during this item showed rookies being let off, and every one of them in the clip was dropped gently in the procession. If the Beeb couldn't find documentary evidence of rookies being thrown into the crowd, I daresay there isn't any, which makes me think it's a pretty rare occurrence. That isn't to say that debris from a rookie going off can't hit people in the crowd of course, it can. That's why people are warned of the risks.
The banned rookies are evil imo. They showed the size of the lump in them, it was the size of a large-ish lump of pea shingle. I don't see why a rookie needs a lump of ballast in it, tbh, either in its agricultural or pyrotechnic application.
On 4 Oct 2012 at 7:48am Little chef wrote:
The words and phrases used get confused by those that know and those that don't , for many of us this is not news we have been working on this all year , the societies have been let down by those people that want to make a quick buck by selling them , even though they are aware of the devastation caused by these things last year , also they could of have visits by trading standards or sussex police but didn't until it was too late , so if you are coming think about eye protection as the stupid traders and unsuspecting purchasers be it bonfire boys or not , already have some of theses things ,
On 4 Oct 2012 at 7:58am Bruciare il Papa wrote:
Some people were witnessed throwing rookies into the procession - from their windows ABOVE the shops on School Hill
On 4 Oct 2012 at 8:16am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
That happens every year, I'm afraid. You need eyes in the top of your head as well as the back.
On my first bonfire, I got hit by a firework that was thrown from a window about halfway up School Hill. A bit of burning debris lodged in my cleavage and I was a bit scorched.
People throw coins for the collecting carts as well. I bet that would hurt if one hit you on the head.
On 4 Oct 2012 at 9:47am someone else wrote:
The BBC piece last night was, perhaps not unexpectedly, a mess of utter distortion and lies. Firstly, it was suggested that the 'agricultural explosives' were somehow new to Bonfire last year. Then the medical specialist showed the clay bung from a blue, whilst the reporter showed a rope of reds. Finally, the reporter suggested that all societies had agreed that no rookies at all would be used in the streets. This is dangerous if it results in more people turning up in Lewes expecting the processions to be entirely without risk. There was no explanation regarding the change in the manufacture of the blues used last year and that they, specifically, were banned this year.
Just a shame that it's too late for BBC South East reporters to form part of a tab. Burn 'em!
On 4 Oct 2012 at 10:26am Really wrote:
@ hate it , did any damage occur if so you should have reported it , was it in your Arden or next door or in the street , I assum as you hate it you would as I am tucked up indoors ,turn up the telly and try to ignore it ,difficult if you live on a route to a fire site I agree , so I'm just wondering how you know it was your garden , unless you don't hate it as much as you say and were watching to say this action ?