this is, for me, thw very worst aspect of the whole thing. because none of these are organised public displays, I have no idea when they're going to happen or where. As soon as it gets dark it can start at any moment, it can be halfway down the street or it can be fifty yards from my fucking window and the first I know about it is when it happens.

on nights that I know will be especially bad such as November 5th, the nearest Saturday to November 5th and New Year's Eve I take him to my mother's. he does better there. but if I'm unlucky ( and this happened last year) some fucker will set them off right over our heads while we're walking there. it wasn't even fucking dark yet.

they're supposed to stop after eleven. the RSPCA campaigned for years for some sort of control on the damn things and last year or the year before they finally got it made illegal to ste them off after 11pm.

but no one takes a blind bit of notice.