BIG BANG AT M. WALLOP!
 

Some of you may know that there used to be a firework factory close to Wallop - well, there isn't now! Big bang - no news on casualties.

You must take the opportunity to take the rest of the week off!

Could have a severe impact on delivery of flares in the near future.

UPDATED SITREP
 

Breaking news on the BEEB: Explosion at AAC base, apparently an oven exploded, one killed. No mention of the fireworks factory across the road.

Elizabeth reigns, but confusion would still appear to rule.

Not at Middle Wallop airfield.

Despite what the "Breaking News" headline on the BBC mainpage says ("...at Army training base..."), the story itself says this:

Well, it is a forum for rumours!

I stand by my previous post. Confusion clearly does rule, at the Beeb :rolleyes:

I think Oldbeefer may have been referring to the Paines Wessex firework factory just off the 23 climbout lane at Boscombe. At the end of the working day, they would burn off any excess whizz bangs in a huge explosion that would light up the sky for miles around. Strangely enough, it didn't go down too well with the chaps conducting NVG ops on and around the airfield!:ooh:

Not to be confused with Pains Wessex just down the road at High Post who make all kinds of flares and chaff. Both companies have virtually the same name, both make pyrotechniques, and yet have no connection. Very confusing.

That's the one. Couldn't remember the place, High Post. Of course it's completely the other way from MW. Think there was a fatal explosion there some years ago.

I think so, but it would have been mid/late 80s. When I was a trainee copper in Wiltshire (and I've got both the lobotomy and reverse lobotomy scars to show entry AND exit :} ) one of the less delightful aspects of the training was the flickbooks of photos from crime scenes / road accidents / firework factory explosions, and I seem to recall the above accident was one of them. Not a pretty sight.

Of (if memory serves correctly) the two women caught up in the blast, the "lucky" one died almost instantly. The other survived for a few weeks after.

You're right. Think one of the poor women was married to one of the Techies I knew at BD.:sad:

The last major incident was in 1988.

The company used to be very tough on safety so I hate to think what went wrong this time.

I worked at the Andover office for 7 years but was never allowed on the Wallop site without a site trained person with me all the time and I had a safety briefing every time.

My condolences to the family who have lost a loved one.

<<it didn't go down too well with the chaps conducting NVG ops >>
Add a spot of technical realism though.

Talking to the school caretaker, it was a firework factory a million years ago and the name just stuck with the Mod boys. There was one other accident he can remember but that was a very long time ago, a very safe place in recent years.