London Eye New Years Eve 2010

London Eye New Year's Day Fireworks 2010

The Mayor of London decided to hold a large firework display on New Years eve to put London on the map. In 2010 the display  was fired using six computers. The display is programmed into the computer, with each firework having its own individual cue on the computer programme set at a certain time. When the appointed time is reached, a current is fired to the required firework along a series of wires, which causes the electric igniter to ignite the firework. A GPS system is used to connect the three computers and counts down to 12 o’clock. There were 3 barges in front of the London Eye, two of which carried cranes with fireworks being fired off them.

A team of 30 pyrotechnicians work on site from the 27th December right up to New Years day, with considerable work completed beforehand in the workshop. All the fireworks that are fired off the eye are mounted on New Years eve from 6pm, which is when the Eye is closed to the public, by a special team of expert climbers.

Phoenix Fireworks received a delivery of 124 boxes of fireworks at the end of November all the way from France. The fireworks in these boxes needed to be individually fused in the workshop ready to be fired on the London Eye. This involves connecting an electronic igniter into each firework, and then labelling each with the line that it is part of.

A team of about 20 worked from 8 – 6 for 5 days to get the display ready. A night crew of about 5 to put the fireworks on the eye when ready. The night crew have to have high access licences and attach the fireworks to brackets on the eye, that are placed between the capsules during the week. Only a few of the fireworks can be put in place before the 31st December, which means that a lot of work is left to the few hours before the display, as the fireworks can only be put on the eye from 6pm on the 31st because it is still open to the public until then. So with all fireworks set on the eye, it is locked into place, so that the top capsule is just a few degrees off centre!

London Connection Rail Link 2007

St Pancras Channel Tunnel Rail Link

The St Pancras channel tunnel rail link completion party, for 2,100 people connected with the development, was held on 19th September 2007. Two months before the new high-speed link opened to the public on the 14th November 2007.

Guests were entertained with dinner, and exhibition of the Channel tunnel build and a musical performance by members of the cast from the West End hit show “We Will Rock You”.

The highlight of the of the evening was when a record breaking Eurostar train appeared on the track, along-side the arena bathed in light and fireworks effects. As it left the area the guests were spellbound by a mammoth fireworks display from Phoenix Fireworks, filmed by the BBC.

Phoenix has a team of 16 staff building the display for 5 days and created a display that rocked London.

The new track is the first railway line to open for 100 years and is Britain’s largest ever single construction project. The track passes over the River Medway, under the River Thames and through 11 miles of tunnels beneath London.