On the 7th November, Danson Park, Bexley, celebrated 40 years of spectacular fireworks brought to you by the Welling Round Table.

Every year this historical park that first opened in the mid-18th Century hosts many different activities such as a fair and fete in the summer (this includes fairground rides, stalls, live music) to football matches on Sundays and their famous fireworks in November.

The park is situated between Welling and Bexleyheath in the London Borough of Bexley. It was laid out by Nathanial Richmond, an assistant to the famous landscape architect Capability Brown between 1761 and 1763. Originally it covered over 600 acres of pleasure ground and farmland although is now only 200 acres. The park was designed as the grounds for Danson House, a large villa built for a wealthy sugar merchant in the mid-18th century Sir John Boyd who was also chairman of the British East India Company, one of the most important companies in the world at the time.

 The fireworks attract hundreds of people from miles around, with tickets for only £6, and £4 for children, it proves to be a great, safe, family evening for the whole family. The bright, colourful show gives off a 25-minute display choreographed to upbeat, modern music. The fireworks are held over Danson’s picturesque 7.8-hectare lake which is in the centre of the park; the bright lights illuminate the water making them look even more amazing in the dark!

This unforgettable event was funded by the Welling ‘Round Table’, this is a social group of young men who support local community projects and events. They are a part of an International organisation that has a strong social foundation with its heart in the local community and a huge network around the globe. The organisation was founded in Norwich in 1927 and despite the name has nothing to do with King Arthur. Rather it came from a speech by the then Prince of Wales who urged that ‘The young business and professional men of this country must get together round the table’.

In addition to the fireworks there was a children’s fun fair, stalls and lots of food and refreshments available. Nobody was allowed to bring alcohol or their own fireworks or sparklers. All of the profits of the event go to the clubs own Charitable Trust which invests it in a range of good causes in the local community.

This was one of a large number of fireworks displays presented by various branches of the Round Table around the country and as with every year it was a complete success.

Erin Theobald, Bexleyheath Academy