The dying embers of Andover's family fireworks have finally gone out as organisers confirm this year's event is cancelled.
The annual display is organised by the town's Round Table club and the chairman of the fireworks committee, Vik Vallabh, said it was a tough decision: "It is disappointing that the effort expended by the team has been fruitless, but we have been presented with little choice than to cancel the event. There have been simply too many hurdles presented to us this year and each of them has cost us dearly, in respect of time."
It's the news people in the town have been fearing since Andover Sound revealed first, back in July, that the event was in jeopardy.
David Moulton, the president of the Andover Rotary Club, who helped organise the event in the past, told us at the time: "It's been fun to organise and it's been a super event but economics and the current climate do prevail and we're not able, as a club, to just fund it ourselves."
Despite this the Round Table club said they were determined to find a way to save the fireworks.
The event's recently been held in Thruxton and the club looked at bringing it back into Andover. But after weeks of talks, meetings and alternative options, with time running out the club had to make this difficult decision.
Displays across the UK have been cancelled this year because of the recession. However Mr Vallabh said it wasn't down to finances: "Ordinarily you'd imagine the money is the issue that holds us back. But the logistics of it just worked out that as time went by the date we were proposing, which was 1st November, got closer and closer and it's got to a situation where unfortunately we can't actually hold an event because it's three weeks away.
"I would like to thank those that worked so hard to try and put the event on, including Anton Rotary who had decided to join forces with the Round Table this year and Merlin, the fireworks company."
Nigel Baxendale is the chairman of the Andover Round Table: "I have personally been involved with the display in Andover for over fifteen years and it is very sad that we will not be able to put it on this year.
"We hope that the people of Andover will recognise that the decision has not been taken lightly and that we remain committed to providing such events in the future."
Despite it recently being held in Thruxton, the display used to be staged in Andover town centre, something Mr Baxendale is setting his sights on next year: "I want to come back into town where we're going to keep the big numbers, where we're going to grow again and get people excited about the event.
"It is an incredible display and I'm really excited about putting that on for next year."
To listen to Ben McGrail's interview with Vik Vallabh and Nigel Baxendale click 'play'.
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