Things went down with a humongous and colourful bang at The Quay in Calstock on Saturday night at the annual fireworks display.

Crowds of at least 500 people amassed on the Cornish side of the river to watch the mesmerising display over the Tamar.

Spirits were higher than ever this year as last year’s event was cancelled for the first time in 20 years due to tough restictions and lockdowns continually induced by the ongoing coronavius pandemic.

Business was booming for several places on the evening. ‘This is a fantastic community event,’ said Michaela Parry, manager of Over The Top Pasties in Calstock. ‘It’s a huge amount of fun and it brings everyone together.’

The Tamar Inn pub was busy throughout the evening, both before and after the display, naturally pulling in families, friends and couples. ‘Calstock hosts one of the best fireworks displays I’ve ever been to. It’s such a brilliant evening,’ said landlady Celia Williams, ‘it’s hotly anticipated and everyone comes down to get involved as it’s an event for people of all ages. It’s an evening that does wonders for our local community.’

Lishe Coffee Shop provided customers with a myraid of hot and caffeinated beverages, Kalamity Kitchen were running a special fireworks menu and Calstock Social Club also fared to great popularity, playing host to local band Rockafella.

Although the event was free, volunteers were out ‘shaking buckets’, collecting donations on the night. Many local businesses had raised money in the previous weeks in sponsorship, as it costs approximately £5000 to stage the event, often with the help of the Bike Show and collective efforts of Malcolm Wright and Steve Alison. The Bike Show has not running for two years now but will be back in action for 2022.