All eyes will be on the skies above Cromer Pier at 5pm on 1^st January 2018 for the traditional New Year’s Day Firework display.

Organisers hope as many people as possible will again come to Cromer for the day – but urge them not to leave it until the last minute.

“We’re delighted it’s become such a successful annual event, and with plenty of good vantage points to watch the display, come early, we don’t want anyone to miss it,” says Firework Committee Chairman Jim Bond.

“The idea has always been to bring people up to the coast for a breath of fresh air, something to eat and drink, and a fabulous firework display over the sea fired from Cromer Pier at 5pm.

“Following on from last year’s postponed event (which went ahead one week later) due to adverse weather conditions, we are looking forward to another impressive display.

“We are fortunate to have ‘Titanium Fireworks’ back again. Titanium put on the fantastic London New Year’s Eve display. This year they are looking to make  more use of the seaside location, including waterborne pyrotechnics”.

The annual display attracts over to 10,000 people into Cromer on New Year’s Day.

Director of Titanium Fireworks, Simon Page, said: “We are incredibly proud to be firing the Cromer New Year’s day firework display from Cromer Pier, and will be making full use of this unique setting.

“ We believe our experience on the London Eye, The Forth Road Bridge, Blackpool Pier and a host of stadia roofs will help us to make this display even better by using our digital firing system which allows split second firing from multiple locations.

“Some of the 150 displays we fire each year are work but others unbridle our creativity and we relish the challenges and opportunities of firing from an iconic structure like Cromer Pier.”

Prior to the fireworks there will be a fun run along Cromer Promenade at 3pm organized by North Norfolk Beach Runners.

The one mile fun run is the perfect opportunity to work off those New Year’s Eve excesses with a gentle jog or a five minute dash if you’re up to it!

Starting from the pier forecourt, the run is open to all ages and abilities, with categories for under 13 year-olds, 14-16 year-olds, seniors, and even Fancy Dress. Registration will take place from 2.30pm for a fee of £1.

Illuminated merchandise available to buy during the afternoon outside Cromer Museum (next to the Church). Mulled wine will again be served outside the museum, with tea, coffee, and hot soup available in the church.

Local cafés, pubs, shops and restaurants will also be open and other vendors are planning to ensure the crowds who descend on Cromer won’t go hungry.

The event is free, however there will be bucket collectors out in force on the day to fundraise for the 2019 display.

The bucket collection at the 2017 display raised a fantastic £9,000, despite the postponement . Half of this was given out in grants to local good causes and the balance has been used towards funding the 2018 display.

“Everyone’s aware that budgets are still tight, but we do ask people give as generously as they can”, said Jim Bond.

“Just a few coins can make a lot of difference to local charities and good causes – and without everyone’s help we couldn’t continue the annual display.”

Visitors are urged to arrive in Cromer as early as possible on New Year’s Day. All three town car parks will be open. Runton Road car park will be charging a fixed charge of £2 per car for all day parking from 2pm on the day. Normal car park fees will apply on all other car parks. 

There will be no parking available on Cromer Promenade on New Year’s Day.  It is hoped that details of other parking facilities will be issued nearer the time, including the local press. Alternatively why not leave the car at home or park at an outlaying station and catch the train.

Please note Cromer Pier will be closed from 8am on New Year’s Day until after the display (approximately 7pm) although Tides Restaurant will be open until 4pm.

Please see Cromer Town Council website (www.cromer-tc.gov.uk) or the event’s Facebook page (‘New Year’s Day Fireworks, Cromer’) for updates and a list of some of the traders who will be open on the day.

 

Notes

Twelve Hour Day for Fireworks Team 

The day’s work starts at 8am on New Year’s Day when a team from Titanium Fireworks pull up at the Pier forecourt to unload the fireworks and doesn’t end until the counting of the bucket collection is complete, often not until 8pm.

Fortified only by mince pies and mulled wine, collectors have to separate, bag up and count the takings in their buckets: as one regular says, “anyone who’s ever had to count coins will know it’s a dirty job. But someone’s got to do it.”

 

Money Matters

This year’s Cromer New Year’s Day firework display costs over £7,000. Underwritten by Cromer Town Council, money raised from bucket collections will be divided between local good causes and funding for the 2018 display.

We tempted providence last year saying we’ve never had to postpone a display !

Any last minute changes to the event will be announced on local radio, via the facebook page (‘New Year’s Day Fireworks, Cromer’) and twitter (@NYDFireworks and @north_lodge).

This year there will again be a wheelchair viewing area at the top of the slopes outside the Hotel de Paris. This will be available on a first come, first served basis.

There will also be ‘mobiloo’ located near the Tourist Information Centre off The Meadow car park.

 

Firework Photography Competition

For the fifth year running the committee has announced the return of their annual photography competition to mark the 19th year of the annual display which began in 2000.

The competition is open to all amateur photographers and the winner will have their winning photograph turned into the official poster for the 2019 New Year’s Day Firework event as well as use in other promotional material. They will also win a 43” HD TV courtesy of local Electrical retailer Hughes Plus.

We are also pleased to announce that Titanium Fireworks have offered a prize of a day

Chairman of the Fireworks committee Jim Bond said: “The annual New Year’s Day Fireworks have been capturing people’s imagination for seventeen years, every year we see hundreds of fabulous photographs of the event in the press and online. We thought it would be great to continue the photography competition to inspire more people and to capture this fantastic event. We are looking for photographs that really capture the spirit of the event.”

Simon Morton, Branch Manager at Hughes Plus in Cromer, said: “Once again it is a pleasure for us to support this amazing event in our town.

“This year’s winning photographer will be rewarded with a 43” LG lcd television boasting Full HD resolution, built-in Freeview HD and a Virtual Sound Surround.

“The quality and quantity of entrees increases each year and, hopefully many will be tempted to place their own entry for the first time.

“I would like to thank all the members and volunteers that help to make such an iconic and eagerly awaited Norfolk event a reality each year and attract so many visitors to sample the atmosphere Cromer has to offer.”

For the competition rules please visit www.cromer-tc.gov.uk

The competition entry deadline is Midday on Monday 16 January 2017.