The great thing about working in the events industry is the wide variety of clients we work with. This New Year I added another first for me. A new client and a new destination. The island of Mustique.
Mustique were looking for a pyrotechnician from the U.K. to fire their New Year’s Eve display following an injury to their usual American firer and I was put forward by Fully Fused Fireworks. The trip was to be a week long, culminating in a beach-side display. After approving our credentials as a professional company with the competence to do the display, we were selected.
As well as personal kit I took along our Fireone™ digital firing system. The island has a firing system, but we wanted to show the system we use and its capabilities. The system was stripped right down to fit into a hand luggage suitcase. A control panel, two firing modules, some control cable and consumables. Armed with a hefty 19kg of kit I set off.
The trip should have started with a flight to St Lucia and then a transfer on one of the island’s fleet of Twin Otter aircraft. A delayed landing at St Lucia however meant a short hop to St Vincent on a Mustique aircraft, followed by an hour and a half catamaran trip. It’s not possible to land on Mustique after sunset. The catamaran trip gave me the opportunity to enjoy the stars and a complimentary bottle of beer. It was fascinating to see the island lights illuminating the villas and port area as we got closer. There aren’t many other sources of light in the evening, so the villas really stand out, dotted around the island.
The privately owned island is only 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, making it roughly 1,500 acres in area. The Cotton House Hotel has 16 rooms and there are 104 villas. Each villa is privately owned and rented out to guests when not being used by the owners. The island is a mix of lush forest, pure white sandy beaches and understated luxury. Here visitors can unwind in style and be safe in the knowledge that they will be well looked after and can relax in a safe environment. The island has a discrete security team making sure that guests can have a carefree and uninterrupted stay.
Following introductions and a meeting with the management team, I got to work checking the fireworks and looking at the firing site. The fireworks had already been delivered from Florida so over the next couple of days I spoke with contacts in China from the company that manufactured them to clarify some unfamiliar product descriptions and get some duration information. This allowed me to refine the display.
Accommodation was a lovely room at The View restaurant, and I was given some delicious breakfasts and meals by the owner, Lisa. The view from the restaurant balcony was beautiful. Deep green forests edged with sandy beaches, a few small stores and the harbour area dotted with boats and yachts of all manner of sizes. In addition to The View, I was able to eat at the famous Basil’s Bar down the hill at Britannia Bay. I was treated to delicious local fish, flatbreads and perfect lamb cutlets all whilst looking out across the crystal-clear turquoise Pacific Ocean.
As part of my stay, I was encouraged to explore the island and make the most of my time there. There aren’t many cars on the island and most people use Mules, a utility vehicle. I was given one to use and enjoyed exploring the island and its beaches, I was a guest as well as a contractor. Every new person I met from the island team, as well as guests, were friendly and engaging and the team soon helped with any queries. I saw the Bird Sanctuary, Macaroni Beach, Pasture Bay and my favourite spot, Lagoon Beach. I could walk from Britannia Bay along to Lagoon Beach and did so several times, stopping to take in the scenery. I was impressed with the importance they place on reducing their environmental impact and their active programme of regeneration. Their Environmental Officer is doing a great job of maintaining the delicate balance.
Christopher Adlam - January 2022
The Cotton House Bar is a beautiful spot beside a lovely sandy beach. Guests can enjoy a cocktail and delicious food whilst whiling the day away on the loungers, finally watching the sun disappear over the horizon into the sea. For the New Year’s Eve party the theme was ‘Back to Nature’. The large gazebos, which were erected on the lawn, were decorated with flowers and palm leaves. At 10.30pm the party got going and then it was my time. With my newly acquired assistant, Bambi, we listened for the radio countdown. Even though I had every faith in the system I was looking forward to seeing the first cue fire. I was asked to do a 7-and-a-half-minute display and I made sure that the last minute was busy leading up to the finale. There was plenty of noise in the last 30 seconds!
The feedback the following morning was good, and it was great to chat to a local man and his daughter who had watched the display too and she said she thoroughly enjoyed it. I went for a coffee and a pastry at the Sweetie Pie Bakery, who bake their own breads and pastries on the island and bumped into the owner. He had helped cater at the event and enjoyed the display too. I was very grateful to receive a complimentary breakfast. Delicious pastries and coffee. It was so good I went back for a peach croissant and coffee the next morning too.
During the rest of that day and the morning before I flew home I tried to soak up as much of the scenery and atmosphere of this special place as I could. I met with lots of families with children who were making their own entertainment snorkelling and having family fun and I completely understood the ethos of the place. Yes, it’s the height of luxury, but it’s also a destination that cherishes safe, quiet relaxation and the simple holiday desire to have time and space to unwind, but without forgetting the nights when the island likes to party. I think the stragglers finished at 8am down at Basil’s Bar!
It’s always great to hear a cheer at the end of a display wherever it may be, but the addition of some sunshine, beautiful surroundings and meeting some lovely people will go towards making this particular New Year’s Eve live on in my memory for a long, long time to come.
