This was my first visit to the Abingdon fireworks event. The journey, which should have taken approximately 45 minutes, instead took two hours due to a severe tailback on the A34 caused by the volume of attendees. Fortunately, I had left very early and managed to arrive just before 6 p.m.—I dread to imagine what conditions were like later in the evening.The fairground itself offered a good selection of rides, although the £5 charge per ride felt extortionate. The food stalls were similarly disappointing: overpriced and of poor quality. I purchased a bag of candy floss for my son, only to find it rock hard. The DJ also played several songs containing profanities, despite the event clearly being family-oriented, and then attempted to dismiss the language by claiming the words were French, which only made the situation more inappropriate.The bonfire produced such an overwhelming amount of smoke that it noticeably obscured the fireworks. Nevertheless, I still felt the display itself was impressive once visible.We left the site as soon as the fireworks finished , and this is when the true chaos unfolded. Prior to attending, I had read the organisers’ assurances on Facebook that a new ANPR one-way system, supported by 120 stewards, had been implemented to improve parking. This system required a £5 fee, which implied a level of organisation and efficiency. In reality, the parking arrangements were absolutely dreadful. Leaving the car park was complete carnage: no organisation, no visible stewardship, and cars forming their own lanes in a wholly uncontrolled and unsafe manner. It took two full hours to exit the car park.I have attended many large-scale events, some with far higher capacity, and I have never experienced parking management as catastrophically inefficient as this. Of the few stewards I did see—no more than five—none were actively directing traffic; instead, they stood at the end of the road chatting and contributing nothing to the situation. Under these circumstances, all parking fees should unquestionably be refunded. Charging attendees £5 for such an appalling experience is indefensible.Despite all of this, my five-year-old son remained blissfully unaware of the surrounding chaos and thoroughly enjoyed his evening, which was the one redeeming aspect of the event.
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Unique and exciting family experiences featuring an Xplosive combination of world class fireworks, air displays and light shows!
