Final checks for London New Year's Eve firework displaybr br Final preparations take place on a portion of the 12,000 fireworks used in London's New Year's Eve display, before the barges housing them sail up the Thames into position. Darryl Fleming, Director of Titanium Fireworks, the company in charge of the show, describes the run-up as an "excruciating wait." "As soon as that first shell lifts, then I sort of go into show mode and that 11 minutes just flashes by," he adds.