“The Coupar Angus Community Fireworks Display took place on the evening of Friday the 3^rd of November in Larghan Park. The evening was cool but calm and moonlit which produced excellent conditions for the event. Given nobody counted the number of people who attended -  it wasn’t really possible – the best estimate is that at least 1,000 people came and perhaps as many as 1,500. 

The bonfire was lit just after 7.00pm and the fireworks began about twenty minutes later. Both were delayed a little to allow the crowd to get in. It was clear from the reports back from stewards and organisers that everyone had a great time. Indeed, so good was the display that some people asked to make financial contributions on the way out.

The kiosk was open for business and did very well while portable toilets were provided by Scotloo through a Perth and Kinross Council contract. Internal lights were proved by the Coupar Angus Regeneration Trust.  

The huge success of the event was down to a large number of people all pulling together to make it work. John Kettles of BlastDesign suggested the idea, raised much of the necessary funding through local business sponsorship and carried out the principal organisational tasks. His staff also set up the control barriers, bonfire and fireworks. Assistance in the run-up to the event and on the night was provided by Coupar Angus Pride of Place Group, the Friends of Larghan Park and the Coupar Angus and District Heritage Association. Safety cover was proved by the Red Cross and the Coupar Angus unit of the Tayside Fire and Rescue Service. Tayside Police provided two officers from the Blairgowrie section and arranged for the adjacent roads to be coned off to prevent dangerous parking. 

Since the event John Kettles has lead a review meeting at which all the interested parties were able to comment about the event and make suggestions about improving it for next year. Happily things went so well that no major changes are envisaged but any ideas people have can still be contributed by giving a note in to the CART Office in Coupar Angus.

Over the next few issues the businesses who sponsored the event or gave materials for the bonfire will be acknowledged in the Coupar Angus bulletin published by CART. Other bodies who helped were Perth and Kinross Council’s Environment Service and Tayside Contracts. Regarding next year, there is a surplus of £212 from this year’s event which will be held by CART and used to give next year’s fund raising a flying start.