Thatcham fireworks end after 30 years

Thatcham Rotary Club has announced that the popular event, held annually at Henwick Farm, Turnpike Lane, had been cancelled with no possibility of it starting up again.
Current Rotary president Peter Bates said that the main reason for the decision was that the land was no longer available as the owner needed it for other purposes.
However, he added that a decline in revenue and competition from other firework displays had also been a factor.
He estimated that over the past 30 years the event had raised about £200,000 for local and international charities.
He said that the decision had been taken reluctantly and added: “Naturally we are all very disappointed that we had to make this decision as the event had been held for nearly 30 years.
“We would especially like to thank the generosity of the Wallis family who provided the field.
“We would also like to thank our sponsors and the several thousand people who came to the display annually and helped us raise money for charity.
“We estimate that over the years we have raised approximately £20,000, much of which has gone to local charities.
“We have looked around at other sites but they didn’t lend themselves to it.”
Mr Bates added that the Rotary Club would now look into a range of other events to raise funds in the future and hoped that the club would continue to enjoy the support of the people and businesses of the Thatcham area.