Half day closing.

[tulip]

Re: Half day closing.

Yup, a few of our shops,the small privately owned ones still shut on Wednesday afternoon.And we have the Glasgow fair fortnight in July,thats when most folks took their holidays and I do think it was something to do with the fair coming to town,but not sure.Not many people take their holidays then these days.Falls round about second week in July.

tulip

[Quetelet]

Re: Half day closing.

The old half day closing originated from the Shops Act of 1911, which gave shop owners, remember Britain was described by Napoleon as "...a nation of shopkeepers...", a half day off per week. This was further adapted post WWII when the great socialist government of Attlee introduced reforms for workers, including a 40hour working week for shop workers, which resulted in many of them having a half day during the week and a half day on Saturday. Where I live in Pembrokeshire, towns in the south of the county such as Pembroke, Tenby and Pembroke Dock had their early closing on a Wednesday, whereas towns in the north of the county, such as Haverfordwest, Milford Haven and Fishguard would take their half day on a Thursday;I don't know why, though I'm told it was an arrangement devised by the county's Chamber of Commerce. The older businesses still close for their half day, old habits die hard I suppose, although these businessess are rapidly becoming fewer with the decline of the traditional town centre.

The 'industrial fortnight' harks back to when we actually had some industry to speak of. Workers from all industries would receive the last week of July and the first week of August for their holidays and then descend on the traditional seaside resorts to spend their accrued holiday pay.

[Gothic]

Re: Half day closing.

Half day closing used to be Thursday afternoon in Taunton. I think there is still one shop here that observes half day closing?

[curmudgeon]

Re: Half day closing.

Wednesday and Saturday afternoons everything closed and nothing opened on Sundays. Wednesdays was okay, I was at school. Saturdays was fine, because Dad took me to the match. But Sundays, boring, boring, stupid rubbish Sundays. Fair dos, in the morning I'd be turning out for the under 12s or whatever, then there was the Big Match with the God that was Brian Moore, but after that, Family Favourites on the Radio, Songs of Praise on the telly (only three channels, no videos, so make the best of it), back to the radio for one hours relief when the Top 20 was on, then Sing Something Simple (if the grandparents were round) and finally some crushingly dull drama series like The Brothers. I hated Sunday afternoons with a bile I can still taste.

Now, I work in retail and I'd poke me own grandma's eyes out with a blunt penknife to get every Sunday off.

[kazboot]

Re: Half day closing.

Wednesday and Saturday afternoons everything closed and nothing opened on Sundays. Wednesdays was okay, I was at school. Saturdays was fine, because Dad took me to the match. But Sundays, boring, boring, stupid rubbish Sundays. Fair dos, in the morning I'd be turning out for the under 12s or whatever, then there was the Big Match with the God that was Brian Moore, but after that, Family Favourites on the Radio, Songs of Praise on the telly (only three channels, no videos, so make the best of it), back to the radio for one hours relief when the Top 20 was on, then Sing Something Simple (if the grandparents were round) and finally some crushingly dull drama series like The Brothers. I hated Sunday afternoons with a bile I can still taste.

Now, I work in retail and I'd poke me own grandma's eyes out with a blunt penknife to get every Sunday off.

My dad used to put Sing Something Simple on after The Top 20 every Sunday!
It was almost as cringeworthy as The Black And White Minstrel Show!

[Derekflint]

Re: Half day closing.

I spent many a Sunday afternoon in the mid 80s listening to the Top 40 - hoping they would play Debbie Gibson.

Certainly beat trying to get things done before they shut the doors for their half day. Dull and depressing - but can remember being the only customer in Gateway one overcast day.

[amethyst]

Re: Half day closing.

I think it was a thursday in my town,corner shop selling sunday newspapers would shut at twelve you would not find anything else open.
those were the days,today now 7 days a week shopping,how times have changed

[chilligrape]

Re: Half day closing.

Ours was Wednesday afternoons, but everything open 7 days now and it's rare to see a shop shut on Wed now. And we had 'factory fortnight' last week of July 1st week in august. Now there are hardly any factories left.

We also had a siren, a bit like an air raid siren, but only 1 tone (if u see what i mean) that went off at 8 am 12pm and 4pm mon to fri. Something to do with the chemical factory nearby. Start work, dinner, finish maybe?

[J_ellybean]

Re: Half day closing.

They still do it in a little town I used to live in County Durham - the shops, the solicitors and THE PUBLIC LIBRARY!!!! OMG I was outraged to see that a taxpayer-funded vehicle like this would shut at 12 on Wednesdays when the one in the city is open until 7pm every night.

Thank god I escaped and now live somewhere more civilized with 24 hour supermarkets

[stuckinthe80's]

Re: Half day closing.

They still do it in a little town I used to live in County Durham - the shops, the solicitors and THE PUBLIC LIBRARY!!!! OMG I was outraged to see that a taxpayer-funded vehicle like this would shut at 12 on Wednesdays when the one in the city is open until 7pm every night.

Thank god I escaped and now live somewhere more civilized with 24 hour supermarkets

Which town in County Durham is that?

[Richard1978]

Re: Half day closing.

The local Library near where I grew up used to have early closing at 5pm (8pm was the normal time), a whole day closed (Thursdays later Wednesdays) & was open on Saturday mornings.

I did my work experience there but only had to stay beyond 5pm one a week.

I think they now open at 10am, but stay open later on other days.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Half day closing.

I'm sure there are some shops in my town that still close on a Wednesday afternoon. Probably only a couple mind you. Don't know how they can afford to in this day and age with the economy and the competition.

I just wish they would open the shops all day on a Sunday now. The stupid 11-4 rules drive me crazy.

[airfix]

Re: Half day closing.

My dad used to put Sing Something Simple on after The Top 20 every Sunday!
It was almost as cringeworthy as The Black And White Minstrel Show!

The opening theme tune to Sing Something Simple is still enough to send me into the depths of gloom and despair. Don't know what it was about that programme but it was just so depressing.

We still have half-day closing in our little town but it's on a Thursday. It's quite a nice tradition, once you remember to shop accordingly on Thursday morning!

[sandie76]

Re: Half day closing.

Half-day closing was a Thursday in our town, not sure if any of the smaller businesses still do it, but that would depend if they were ones around in the 70's/80's. The village my friend stays, the shops have a half-day on a Wednesday still.

[Jacqueline]

Re: Half day closing.

Still half day closing on Wednesdays here too.