Firework experts from Huddersfield have won a top award – in Lithuania.
The team at Pyro2000 based at Crosland Hill rocked a crowd in the eastern European country to become firework champions with a display set to Queen’s We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions.
Directors Graham Wilkinson and Kathryn Wickham Wilkinson beat off their counterparts from Denmark and France to win the audience vote and the best display in the 8th International Fireworks Festival.
They’re now gearing up for 20 shows in four days around Bonfire Night.
Mr Wilkinson said: “Pyrotechnics is about using a variety of fireworks in a display and incorporate it with music, it’s timed with the emotion of the music, with fireworks complementing the change in beat.
“Often we’re given a song list but most of the time we set the music. In Lithuania we were asked to set it to Queen tracks then select others to go with it.
“We added Leona Lewis’ Run, plus Two Steps From Hell’s Heart of Courage.
“We’d never been to eastern Europe before but it was a wonderful experience. It has amazing people and it was an amazing festival and it’s great that we won.”
The couple, plus their colleague Terry Garside, are now putting their efforts into the busiest few weeks of the year with a series of bonfire night shows. They’ll draft in around 18 experienced firework experts to assist them.
Pyro2000 are assisting their industry neighbours Standard Fireworks, owned by Black Cat Fireworks, to help at the Huddersfield Town Firework Spectacular.
This year’s show will have a Disney theme and will take place at Canalside on Sunday, October 23. Gates open at 5pm and the fireworks will be at 7.30pm, with events for the family throughout.
The couple are doing shows at Paddock Football Club, Storthes Hall and Old Earth Primary School in Elland, as well as travelling to Wetherby, Lytham and South Wales.
In the coming months they are preparing for displays around the globe with shows in the Caribbean, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
Mr Wilkinson says his favourite firework is the glitter crossette firework, which shoots a golden trail into the sky which then bursts with the explosions crackling with each other as they fall.
He added: “We love what we do. In doing festivals all over the world it gives us scope to increase our buying power for fireworks and also it gives us chance to travel the world and see new places as the winter months are quiet for us.”
