Donnington fireworks event organisers defend Parliament bonfire pallets
When the bosses behind one of the county’s biggest bonfires decided to shake things up a little, they hoped it would add a bit of excitement to the long-running event.
The people who run Donnington Bonfire in Telford decided to try and build their own Houses of Parliament out of pallets as a nod to how bonfire night began, with Guy Fawkes and the famous failed gunpowder plot.
But once the pallets were laid out, organiser Mark Mitchell said he started getting negative reaction and aggressive private messages.
“We wanted to do something different,” he said.
“It’s been going on for a lot of years and we’d never done anything like this before.
"We didn’t want to offend anybody – we just want to bring out the spirit of Bonfire Night.”
Mr Mitchell said he had been disappointed by some of the responses he had received, with the bonfire merely intended as a nod to the occasion’s historical origins.
He added that the idea was just to provide an event that the local community could enjoy.
Effort
He said: “We put on two fireworks displays and a good bonfire. At the end of the day it’s a community event.
"We put a lot of time and effort in for the Telford and Wrekin area. It’s for local people to enjoy.
“We’ve not done it to hurt or offend anybody. It’s just not nice. We’re not here to cause problems. Some people are having a laugh about it as well. You’ve just got the odd one or two.”
This year Donnington Bonfire will take place on November 9.
The gates and fun fair for the event will open from 4pm.
It will again take place at the Broadoaks Playing Field near Aldi.
Admission costs £2 for adults and children up to 1m in height can enter for free. Parking on the field will cost £2.
Due to health and safety restrictions, people will not be allowed to take their own sparklers or fireworks.
