Pains Fireworks

The history of Pains Fireworks began in about 1593 when John Pain established his business as a gunpowder manufacturer and armourer near Bow Bridge in East London. It is also documented that twelve years later, in 1605, he had the dubious distinction of being the supplier of the one tonne of powder required by Mr Guy Fawkes for reasons mentioned previously ... 

In 1872 James Pain established a hreworks factory near Mitcham in Surrey before setting off to America in 1878 in the company of his son Henry to form the leading hrework company in the USA. On returning to England, James expanded the business to the extent that Pains Fireworks became renowned throughout the world. 

The intervention of two World Wars together with the economic depression of the 1920s and 1930s saw a rise and fall in the fortunes of Pains Fireworks, to the extent that take-overs became inevitable. 

In 1963 Pains was amalgamated with the Wessex Aircraft Engineering Company (WAECo) who were based at High Post near Salisbury and who were, in turn, owned by the British Match Company. Within two years Pains Fireworks had relocated from Mitcham to High Post in a move that extended the Factory s product base from fireworks to distress flares, signalling smokes, line carrying rockets and munitions simulators trading under the name of Pains-Wessex. 

Thus it was that Pains Wessex/Schermuly had access to the extensive Wilkinson Sword Research facilities (which resulted in many new and improved military pyrotechnics) while Pains Fireworks gave up shop goods to concentrate on display fireworks, moving back to the old Wells factory in Dartford in 1976 (Figures 1.7 and 1.8). 

Figure 1.3 Pains Mitcham girls plus spaniel guard the Pyro aboard a 1920 s MG. (Courtesy of Pains Fireworks Ltd.)...

By now Pains was owned by John Decker who had spent most of his life working for Pains Fireworks and then Pains-Wessex both as a director and an accountant. 

Figure 10.6 Yellow lances forming a 30 metre diameter Rising Sun help to ensure a win for Pains Fireworks at the Montreal Festival, 2007.

None of this book could have appeared - at least as a commercial project - without the enthusiastic advice and very willing co-operation of Mr John Stone and the late Gordon Curtis of Pains-Wessex Ltd. I am also indebted to Bill Deeker of Pains Fireworks for permission to reproduce the black and white photographs, and to David Cox who gave advice on their selection and indeed took many of the pictures. 

I have enjoyed preparing this Second Edition and am especially indebted to Robert Pallant, who was volunteered as Information Scientist, and to David Cox of Pains Fireworks who provided valuable advice and archive material together with some of his splendid photographs. Grateful thanks are also due to Mr. John Deeker who kindly agreed to check and give his seal of approval on the finished work. 

---