Volunteers who have kept the annual Portgordon fireworks shining bright for nearly 30 years have warned next week’s display could be the last.
Thousands pack the streets surrounding the Moray village port every year to marvel at the spectacle.
Next week, on Friday, October 28, the popular event will make a welcome return to the coastal community for the first time since 2019 following Covid cancellations.
However, organisers have warned it could be the last unless there is a new wave of volunteers.
Rising costs and fewer volunteers hit group
The Portgordon Fireworks Group was established after locals decided to splash out on a £150 box from the Slaters Sports store in Buckie in 1993, with the first organised display coming two years later.
Crew members have since gone through specialist training to set off the spectacular pyrotechnics to save on organising costs with funfairs also organised to make it an evening’s entertainment.
Another stunning 20-minute display is planned this year to entertain the crowds at the harbour and along the Moray coast.
However, committee member Kenny Gunn warned this year would be the last without new volunteers as current organisers look to step back after decades of service.
The group was also hit by the death of stalwart volunteer Adam Robertson in May 2020.
Meanwhile, extra organising costs and the rising price of fireworks, which have increased by 25% since 2019, have made it harder to put on.
Mr Gunn said: “This is going to be the last year, we are all getting older and there has not been any new members. We’ve done it now for 27 years, it’s been a long time.
“If we had got the go-ahead earlier for this year’s then we might have done a recruitment drive sooner.
“Some of the younger teenagers have offered to help us, which has been good, but they’re not really at the stage of getting stuck in with paperwork.
“It’s good they’re willing to help lift and move barriers, but it takes six months of work to put it on, and the only money we get is from the money put in the buckets the previous year.”
Everything you need to know about this year’s Portgordon fireworks
This year’s Portgordon fireworks display will be held on Friday, October 28, with the day after being kept as a reserve day if there is bad weather.
The funfair will open from 6.30pm, the event starts at 7pm and the fireworks will begin at 7.15pm.
Maynes Coaches will be running a park and ride service from Buckie with the following stops.
- Buckie Drifter car park: 6.15pm
- Cluny Square: 6.20pm
- Land Street: 6.25pm
- Great Western Road: 6.30pm.
The coach will make a return trip from Portgordon, leaving from Flicks Hairdressers at about 8pm. A minimum £1 donation to the fireworks is requested.
Car parking will be provided at Reid Terrace for £2 per car with signs put up for disabled blue badge holders.
No other fireworks, including sparklers, bikes or skateboards will be allowed on the site. Motorists have been asked to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles and buses.
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