Huge Northampton firework show to be replaced with virtual throwback display this year

A Northampton bonfire night event that is usually very well attended has been moved online this year due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Boughton Pocket Park in Howard Lane hosts a popular firework display every year, which is the voluntary committee’s biggest earner and pays for the upkeep and maintenance of the park.

As the event cannot happen in its usual capacity, the park, which is a community hub, was in danger of shutting unless the committee found a way to raise the funds.

After launching a ‘Save Boughton Pocket Park’ campaign, more than £4,000 has been raised and the park is well on its way to being saved.

In a bid to raise more funds and to thank those who have already donated, a virtual bonfire night event will be held.

Consisting of clips from previous years, the video that will be between ten and 15 minutes long will still include the bonfire being lit, the countdown and the firework display.

Organiser, Nicky Callis, said: “We were trying to work out this year how to think outside the box with the bonfire night and how to give something back to the public.

“When we launched the save the park campaign, we asked people to donate the £5 they would usually pay as an entrance fee for the bonfire night so we wanted to give people something for that if they had donated.

“I just thought ‘we can do anything on Zoom so there has to be something we can do’.

“One of the main things about the bonfire is that it brings people together, which we can’t do this year, so we want this to get into people’s homes and they watch it with their families after a sparkler and a hot dog.”

Nicky works in graphics and photography and has live streamed and taken videos of previous events, so has a back catalogue to put the video together, which will then be shared out on bonfire night via either Facebook or Zoom.

She added: “The campaign has been really well supported and people are really getting behind us.

“The feedback has been amazing and people have been telling us how much they use the park and don’t want to lose it.

“It’s been a really touching experience to be part of.”

Although the bonfire event is a free one, donations can still be made to support the campaign on the Crowdfunder.

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