Topic: Easter visiting

[rosebud]

We went out to visit my sister yesterday.  What a great journey we had
all the stores & retail parks were closed the roads were a treat. A 3hr journey took 2 & quarter hrs.

Lets petition for Sunday closing EVERY week. ;D Buds.

[lorna]

Good idea mary, then when I visit/meet my A4A friends I won't have to worry about the traffic lol

[zigzig]

They tried Sunday closing and people did not like it.

[SamLouise]

Did Stephen get any roasties or did he end up with a cheese sandwich???  :o ;D

[saddad]

I'd vote for that...  :-X

[Pesky Wabbit]

I quite enjoyed a day off work where I couldn't go shopping. It makes much more of a family day.

I dont think we get enough days with the shops closed. Not that I'd advocate many.

At the moment we get Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday. I'd like to see 3 more, say some of the bank holidays, especially during the summer.

I dont think the shops would suffer. Easter Saturday was heaving both in the supermarkets and on the high street.

[Paulines7]

I think the problem with Sunday opening is that the shops all close at the same time and create jams.  It took us over an hour to get out of Tesco onto the Southampton Road, Salisbury and another hour to get home.  A two hour journey usually done in less than half that time.  We avoid that area now on a Sunday afternoon.

I believe that shops should open whenever they please.  There are a lot of people in the UK who are not religious yet the Church can dictate Sunday opening hours.  That doesn't seem right to me.  Choices should be there for all. 

If someone on religious grounds does not want to shop on a Sunday then they simply don't go.  I believe most employers take into account peoples wishes regarding working on a Sunday.  When I worked for Turning Point, looking after people with learning difficulties, I used to volunteer for Sunday shifts because I preferred to have Saturdays off. 

[BarriedaleNick]

Living in London means I can pretty much buy what I like any day of the year inc Christmas or Easter - just not from the big shops -  and that is great for me. 
As a non believer I am not sure why large shops have to shut on Easter or Christmas if they don't want to (as long as there is protection for those workers that have religious views).  My local garden center is suffering after a long bad Winter on top of the recession.  I'm not sure how forcing them to close will help them or their customers.   
Easter means nothing to me except more time on the plot and no garden centers open!

[SamLouise]

I'm not religious at all but I do feel that at least one family day has been taken away now that shops open on a Sunday.  I admit that I probably have double standards because I have shopped on Sundays before but I've also had to work on Sundays (and Saturdays) when I didn't want to and that meant the one, possibly two, days that I wanted to spend with my husband and son, I couldn't (as they were both at work and school Mon-Fri) It's a difficult one because as I said, I'm not against it per se but neither am I particularly for it and even though some people are kindly excused work due to their religious beliefs, many people are not - I was one of them - and it was a choice of having to work those days for a wage or not have the extra income needed because shops won't allow staff to be taken on without a Sat or Sun being written into the contract.

I could manage perfectly well if the shops stayed closed on a Sunday, afterall, we all did ok years ago, didn't we?  

[Mrs Gumboot]

I think that's the nub of it really. When I was growing up Sunday was a family day. We had a lazy long lunch & then pottered about the house and garden, or watched the grand prix or whatever, but it was a day off shopping. Think too many people these days have no idea what to do when the shops are shut.

Despite being a christian I do occasionally shop on sundays, although I prefer to avoid it if poss as it's such a bunfight. Have also worked on Sundays when necessary. Don't think God thinks any less of me for it!

[BarriedaleNick]

Just because the shops are open doesn't mean you have to use them - surely?
I just don't get the idea that just because they are open it means you cant have a family day.  Just don't go shopping and do what you want to do.

No reason why everyone should have a "family day" - I don't really have a family and neither do many people I know and as I'm not Christian, Sunday is just another day.  I say let the shops do what they want and the public can choose.

Having said that I hate shopping and only go if I really really have to (but I do like garden centers).

[SamLouise]

Don't disagree with any of what you say, Nick, but my only objective point was for people who may have to work on Sundays that don't want to (such as myself once upon a time) I do think it's a shame when that happens but hopefully those people stuck in such a situation can eventually move on (again, such as myself, LOL) :)

[BarriedaleNick]

Don't disagree with any of what you say, Nick, but my only objective point was for people who may have to work on Sundays that don't want to (such as myself once upon a time) I do think it's a shame when that happens but hopefully those people stuck in such a situation can eventually move on (again, such as myself, LOL) :)

Fully understand what you say as I used to have a job that required Sunday working and I too got out of it.  I guess not everyone can and people end up working for fear of being unpopular with the boss...It's a good point!

[rosebud]

 I wrote my post , because as i said it was a treat to be on the roads.
People get bored at home & feel the desperate need to go shopping for some reason.  I did not consider it was for religious grounds . Just making a true statement . The roads were so empty made a long journey more relaxing for the driver.

[Paulines7]

I was pleased to read that you were able to get from A to B more quickly because the shops were closed. 

I was surprised that your roads weren't busy as it was the last day of the public holiday.  I didn't go out but I expect the A303 going past Stonehenge just up the road from me would have been solid with traffic from the West Country, despite the shops being closed.

When I replied to your post Rosebud, it was really in reply to your saying:
"Lets petition for Sunday closing EVERY week.  ;D Buds."
That, I could never agree with.  Sunday opening hours are dictated on religious grounds and that is what I object to in this so called free society.  I rarely go to shops anyway, having most things delivered but on a Sunday afternoon, having been busy in the garden all day, I might decide to go to a Garden Centre, only to find that it would be closed before I could get there!  In the past, they were always allowed to open all day on a Sunday and now they are restricted.

[cornykev]

Sunday round here is as busy on the roads as any other day, I'm all for Sunday closing, but it wouldn't happen here, some of the shops were open Christmas day.  :( :( :(

[PurpleHeather]

I recall when the shops were opening up on Sundays. They could be fined for it but as it was an old law, the maximum fine, with inflation had lost it's deterrant factor. A lot of the big shops decided that the fine would just be another cost to off set against the greatly increased profits they were making.

There were two main objectors, the USDAW union who did not want their members forced to work on a day that they would have normally expected to have off work and the Churches as we all know.

The Unions were told that existing employees could not be forced to work on Sundays, only those engaged after the bill was made law. The Church, who have a lot of members in the House of Lords, were appeased with the short opening hours to allow church attendance before or after work and the two main Holy days, Christmas and Easter. Shops above a certain size would shut. Meaning that little corner shops often run by families who could chose when to open and when to close, were free to trade as they wished.

We do have plenty of religions other than Christian and no allowances were included to cover their traditional religious festivals or sabbaths.

I can not see why shopping can not be included as part of a family day out together, shopping for clothes, furniture, wallpaper and gadgets can be fun too it is not all about a loaf of bread and a pint of milk.

Other things were covered by laws on Sundays too such as sporting events. I think these are still not allowed on Easter Sunday and Christmas day. So, it certainly is ideal to travel on these two days for a free range on the open roads.

The list of jobs where people have to work on a Sunday is huge. Ranging from obvious emergency services/carers of people and animals to Entertainment.

Probably the main reason a lot of people like their Sunday's off is to have a lie in and get over the hang over from Saturday night!

[Pesky Wabbit]

I just feel that these days we have all gone shopping mad. As said before people have no idea what to do when the shops are shut.

When I was young, there was no shopping and sunday telly was terrible. We all (were forced to) visit Grandmas for a couple of hours, or go for a family walk in the park.

Does that still happen today ?

[Mrs Gumboot]

We used to visit nan and grandad on saturdays in between the shopping. Where we lived was nowhere near any big shops so we'd go over to theirs for a couple of hours & then get the shopping in on the way home. Parents have always had a dog so we had to take her for a walk over the park most days anyway.

Back on the subject of traffic, I'm loving the fact that the easter holidays mean the commute to work has been cut by a good fifteen minutes. Although it is difficult finding time to eat the mid- journey banana as I'm not stopped long enough! Ah well, can't have everything!