James Turver is the Director of Galactic Fireworks, one of the UK's leading specialist fireworks retailers. A second-generation fireworks specialist, James grew up surrounded by pyrotechnics — his earliest memories are of helping customers choose rockets and selection boxes in the family shop as a ten-year-old after school.
Background
The Turver family has been in the fireworks trade since 1989, when James's father Nigel ran fireworks alongside the family grocery store in a small village outside Sheffield. Fireworks quickly became the main event — every October the entire shop was taken over by fireworks, with newspapers and milk pushed to one side.
In 1999, Nigel founded Galactic Fireworks as a dedicated fireworks brand, inspired by the Galactic Star selection box that was a favourite at the time. What started with phone orders and posted brochures grew into one of the UK's most trusted fireworks retailers, drawing customers from as far as Scotland and London.
James and his brother Harry were encouraged to take an active role from the start. James's passion for the trade runs deep — from manning a rocket at the South Yorkshire Police Bonfire Night display aged eleven, to travelling to Liuyang, China (the world capital of fireworks manufacturing) with his father in 2011 to visit factories and source products firsthand.
Expertise
With over 25 years of hands-on experience in the consumer fireworks industry, James's areas of expertise include:
- UK firework safety regulations and classifications (F1, F2, F3, F4; 1.3G and 1.4G categories)
- Consumer firework product selection and display planning
- Firework storage, handling, and safe use
- UK fireworks law and licensing
- Pyrotechnic product sourcing and quality assessment
Published Work
James is a published contributor to Fireworks Magazine (Issue 85, Summer 2024), the UK's specialist pyrotechnics publication. His feature article covers the Galactic Fireworks story, the family's journey in the trade, and visits to Chinese firework factories.
He also writes regularly on the Galactic Fireworks blog, covering topics including firework safety, UK fireworks law, garden display guides, and the science behind fireworks.
About Galactic Fireworks
Galactic Fireworks operates 3 specialist firework shops and ships nationwide across the UK. The business has been family-run since 1989, with a focus on stocking the best quality fireworks rather than simply the largest range. Galactic holds a 5-star rating on Trustpilot with over 1,700 reviews.
