Fireworks

[Diana]

Can you buy fireworks in France the same way as in the UK for use at a private party.  Or are there all sorts of rules and regulations.

Thanks

Diana

[Teamedup]

Look in the yellow pages, under 'feu d'artifice' or 'fêtes: articles de'.

Many people buy them for their fêtes and in theory, if there are any rules, these shops should tell you about them.

[LesLauriers]

There seems to be no 'rules & regulations' of any sort as fireworks are on open display in toy shops, in the 'bargain' shops and at the local hardware store.

[moon]

Would agree with Leslauriers there appears to be no restrictions, on sale all the time at stores such as GIFI. Bangers and all that are banned in the UK.

We bought small rockets at about 3 euros for 50 and are still using them for family celebs in France.

Bob

[Redcap]

I don't want to sound like a miserable git, but one of the reasons I'm moving to France is to get away from the noise, neighbours constant disco music, cars revving up etc, and fireworks!  Here in Leicester, it's fireworks fireworks fireworks!  We have fireworks at bonfire night for weeks before and days after.  We have fireworks at Divali, we have them at other Asian celebrations, new year, university's always letting them off.  Now, becoming more common are partys any day of the week into the small hours.  There are now even home delivery vans, you think I'm joking!

Organised displays are great, but just like so many other things, they are getting out of control! People with too much money to waste, why do you think the Government has had to bring in controls, not that they will be very enforceable!

People that set these things off at all hours have no respect for other people's rights.  Go on have a go back, I don't care, it's my opinion!

Regards,

Bob

 

[BJSLIV]

Now Chaps and Chapesses, we are talking about France aren't we? Of course there are plenty of rules to obey and/or ignore.

I did a quick search and found the following about the use of fireworks.

Sur le domaine privé, il faut avoir l'accord du propriétaire des lieux, prendre les mesures de sécurité (feu placé à 30 mètres du public et de tout produit ou matière inflammable), prévenir votre assureur, prévenir le maire qui est garant de la tranquilité public du lieu de tir sans toutefois demander son autorisation.

Oh and it went on to say that if you are near the coast you should let the coastguards know as well!

I'm rather with Redcap on this one, there isn't really much of a tradition of private fireworks in France other than the kids with a few bangers on 14 July. Instead they go for rather grand public displays.

 

[Teamedup]

People have fire works all the year round where I live. They have them for parties, etc. No one ever asks, they just have them.

And I have seen kids all the year round throwing petard at one another, at other people, and anywhere in general.

 

And Redcap, frying pans and fires comes to mind when I hear someone say some such thing about 'getting away from' x y and z.

[Val_2]

We received a directive from the prefecture two years ago which states that here in dept 29 no fireworks are to be allowed without permission of the local mairie and the local pompiers. No fireworks are to be discharged by the coast or over the sea. However, this did really refer to the annual July 14th celebrations and concern summer months because of the fire risk especially in moorland areas. Fireworks are freely available but not usually let off except for Dec 31st and July 14th. If you are celebrating Guy Fawkes night it is not known here and seems an odd thing to celebrate if you have chosen to live in France and suggest you inform your neighbours about the noise especially if they have animals outside which should be indoors. Bonfires too should be carefully controlled as it is still very dry underfoot and again there is the nuisance factor when people are not expecting it.

[David584]

I, for one, am with Bob (Redcap) on this one. Proper organised displays are great - my local council (Clacton On Sea or Clacton Sur Mer if you prefer)  also organise one at the beach to celebrate and signify the end of the holiday season. That's great, fine, no problem with that. Like Bob, I detest those who decide that they will hold a party and then set off fireworks at 2.00am - where is the consideration in that? Unfortunately in this country (UK), the attitude is becoming one of *** you Jack, I am going to do what I like and I don't care if you like it or not.

TU - you may enjoy having your sleep disturbed at 2.00am by some inconsiderate so and so allegedly exercising their so called human rights, there are others including myself who don't. Under the Human Rights Act in the UK, every person has the right to privacy and security of person and funnily enough, that includes the right not to be disturbed by revving cars, shouting and screaming, fireworks being discharged, excessively noisy parties and the list goes on. Unfortunately the act was also interpreted to say that "one can do what they like when they like". Someone forgot to mention the proviso.
That proviso is: Yes you can do what you like when you like PROVIDED YOU DO NOT OFFEND DOMESTIC STATE LAW.
Isn't amazing that how the last part of that sentence is ignored by the inconsiderate all and sundry?

Bob (and presumably his family) is obviously moving to France to improve his quality of life and who are anyone of us to crticise that?
I certainly will not because I can assure you, I am not going to be that far behind!!!
Frying pans and fires??  I don't think so!!!

Good luck with the move Bob. I hope that your family and yourself find what you are looking for SANS fireworks.

[Teamedup]

I didn't say I liked it, what I did say was that people let off fireworks all the year round at any hour and no one bothers to do anything about it. Incidentally in our neck of the woods there are  those who let proper fireworks  off (rather than kids with petard) during the day time, which to me at least leads me to believe that they are bête.

AND the law in France is quite precise, no noise after 10pm. Which goes along with all the other arrete that say that one cannot use power tools other than certain times of day. Your dog is not allowed to bark and disturb others, other than when someone is commiting an infraction. The 10pm one of these is about the only one that is anyway respected.

And organised displays, well personally I love a really good professional firework display and the one at Annecy every summer, payent, I'm afraid really does take some beating......