Author Topic: chinese lanterns (Read 6957 times)

doganjo · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2011, 11:28:04 pm »

I'm a bit of an ignoramus here - what are they?

waterhouse · « **Reply #16 on:** January 05, 2011, 11:51:07 pm »

It's a small hot air balloon heated and illuminated by a nightlight so that it floats on the breeze looking ever so cute and romantic until the candle goes out and it land on your lawn next to the four crisp packets, half a pork pie and a part-digested curry the drunks left.

They are loved by the launch party and loathed by the unwilling recipients. Up until recently they contained wire which killed a few cows and horses - Farming Today had a go at the importers.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2011, 12:40:49 am »

The ones I have don't even have a tealight, it's a piece of cardboard impregnated with wax to fuel it

I'm a totally responsible litter bug

(but I'm not really cos after 2 days, there's almost none of the rice paper left to see)

Cobra · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2011, 03:16:38 am »

Enjoy your moments

Who knows maybe the gods will favour you

bazzais · « **Reply #19 on:** January 06, 2011, 10:46:30 am »

We have had people letting them off our campsite in the summer - they look really fantastic, yes. But its not exactly ideal when the lifeboat and coastguard are called out by people mistaking them for flares - they are also incredibly dangerous if they were to fall to the ground whilst still alight. We would never give permission to punters to let these things go they are just too much potential trouble.

Baz

Frieslandfilly · « **Reply #20 on:** January 07, 2011, 12:00:46 pm »

We spent NYE in A & E (long story but happy ending) we left just after midnight and watched the fireworks on the 40 min journey home, there were quite literally hundreds of these being let off, very pretty to watch, however we then came upon the 'dead' ones in the middle of the dual carriageway and worse still as we came into the town one came down still fully ablaze and caught on a drainpipe of a house, we had to turn round at the next roundabout to make sure it had gone out, we couldnt leave it in case the occupants of the house went up in smoke!! I am not a party pooper, I even bought my daughters these for Christmas last year, they are still in the box, once i realised the damage they were doing to crops in the summer, also wire framed ones getting caught up in machinery and to livestock, in the box is where they will stay.