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There have been a few references to Wakes week in previous discussions…
Wakes week had its origins many centuries ago as a religious event, but in the 19th century it had become more of a secular event. It was observed mostly in Lancashire, and a few parts of Yorkshire and Staffordshire including Stoke on Trent. Factories would close down for a week and the workers were given a one week long holiday. Wakes week was always celebrated in June or July but the exact week was decided locally rather than nationally. Different towns would celebrate Wakes week in a different week in order to result in a staggered closing of factories across the region. It was common for families to visit a seaside resort during Wakes week.
After state schooling was created in the second half of the 19th century, schools would also close down during Wakes week instead of the half term holiday in May.
Although Wakes week was a prominent event during the 19th and early 20th centuries, by the 1970s heavy industry had declined and many of the factories which remained had abandoned the Wakes week close down, resulting in Wakes week being little more than a school holiday.
The Wakes week school holiday instead of the May half term still existed in the 1980s but by the 1990s an increasing number of towns abandoned it in favour of the May half term following the National Curriculum and the standardisation of term dates in England. The last Wakes week school holiday was in 2006.
Did anybody here ever have a Wakes week school holiday?
Wakes week had its origins many centuries ago as a religious event, but in the 19th century it had become more of a secular event. It was observed mostly in Lancashire, and a few parts of Yorkshire and Staffordshire including Stoke on Trent. Factories would close down for a week and the workers were given a one week long holiday. Wakes week was always celebrated in June or July but the exact week was decided locally rather than nationally. Different towns would celebrate Wakes week in a different week in order to result in a staggered closing of factories across the region. It was common for families to visit a seaside resort during Wakes week.
After state schooling was created in the second half of the 19th century, schools would also close down during Wakes week instead of the half term holiday in May.
Although Wakes week was a prominent event during the 19th and early 20th centuries, by the 1970s heavy industry had declined and many of the factories which remained had abandoned the Wakes week close down, resulting in Wakes week being little more than a school holiday.
The Wakes week school holiday instead of the May half term still existed in the 1980s but by the 1990s an increasing number of towns abandoned it in favour of the May half term following the National Curriculum and the standardisation of term dates in England. The last Wakes week school holiday was in 2006.
Did anybody here ever have a Wakes week school holiday?
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