Luton fireworks company celebrates 40 years of thrills

It was 40 years ago that Slip End-based Fantastic Fireworks first took flight. It was started by Jon Culverhouse, who was at the time, back in 1985, working as a sports journalist on the Daily Mail newspaper in London. From letting off a few rockets as a sideline at local weddings, Jon propelled Fantastic Fireworks becoming one of the country’s foremost names in UK fireworks. In that time they staged more than 10,000 displays at home and abroad.

It has won the British Fireworks Championship twice, garnered many other accolades, and is still lighting the blue touch paper at many events in the Luton area.

In May, the company celebrated its 40th anniversary with a party where Jon paid tribute to the many clients and employees who have played such an important part in the company’s success.

One long-standing client, Colin Bryan, the former managing director of Drayton Manor theme park, recalled how, back in 1990, his father, who was then the owner, told him he was mad to be spending £5,000 on their first ever fireworks display.

‘When 10,000 people showed up to watch, he had to eat humble pie,’ Colin said with a smile. ‘We used Fantastic Fireworks every year from then on.’

Fireworks played a big part in Jon’s young life when family bonfire parties sparked his interest. With the help of the school chemistry lab, he started making fireworks, with impressive results, especially the explosions that rocked his back garden

All thoughts of fireworks had to be put to one side when he embarked on a career in journalism. A job on the Daily Mail sports desk took up most of his time, until a chance occurrence changed everything.

‘It was 1983 and I spotted some Chinese fireworks in a Harpenden shop window,’ recalled Jon. ‘Back then British-made fireworks by Standard, Brocks and Astra dominated the market. I was so intrigued that I wrote an article for the Mail news desk. When it appeared on November 5th of that year, the importer was so pleased with the publicity that he sent me the biggest box of fireworks I’d ever seen. They filled my garage!

‘My New Year’s Eve party really went with a bang. People were blown away by it!

‘You should do this for a living,’ they told me.

‘So I thought I’d give it a go.’

A year later Fantastic Fireworks was born.

‘I didn’t know anyone in the industry and very little about the world of professional fireworks but here we were, new kids on the block, blowing our trumpet.’

With orders rolling in, Jon left the Daily Mail soon afterwards. It wasn’t long before he got his first big break. In 1986 Torbay Tourist Board decided to celebrate the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson with a fireworks display, and Jon got the job.

‘Help! I thought. I can’t do this on my own. So I hired in some experts in the industry and it all went off beautifully.’

In 1990 the company moved to its present home near Slip End. Business literally boomed in the following years. Along the way the company chalked up some notable successes, winning the inaugural British Fireworks Championship in 1997, and again in 2015. It has travelled the world with its displays, going as far afield as the Maldives, Mexico, the USA and even Russia.

In 1997 the company staged London’s first ever New Year’s Eve display. Its biggest display came in 2008 when the City of Liverpool celebrated its 800th anniversary with a £250,000 display on the banks of the Mersey. To celebrate, Jon bought the registration plate 5 NOV (pictured here).

‘It has been a fantastic journey,’ said Jon, ‘but I couldn’t have achieved it without the dedication, commitment and professionalism of the amazing staff it has been my pleasure and honour to work with, and all the hundreds of clients who put their faith in Fantastic Fireworks. Thank you, each and every one.’