Monday 29 August 2011

Bank Holidays ... the nation departs for the coast ...


Messing about on the creek will be something many a Briton has been doing this long weekend – one of our bank holidays.  The grim squalor of intensive urbanisation in the 1800s made the seaside seem an ever more appealing destination ... then made easier with the advent of the railways.

Gladstone’s Railway Act 1844 compelled railway companies to provide safer, cheap carriages for the less well off – the tiered charging system ... but the sea towns (resorts) benefited from this influx of visitors and their commercial spend.

The great Victorian era ushered in numerous regulatory Acts protecting workers and benefiting them in other ways – as well as opening the doors to one ‘surprised’ tour operator: Thos Cook – he was a committed temperance campaigner!

The Bank Holiday Act in 1871 allowed the Nation’s pent up desire for a leisure break to really come into its own.  This Act enshrined the provision of universal holidays at Christmas, New Year, Easter, Whit Monday and today, what is known as the August Bank Holiday (at August end).

So this weekend ...  our last Bank Holiday before Christmas 2011 rolls around and the last week before schools go back!

I give you a poem sent to us by a friend in Cornwall – this was published in the “Tramway” Summer 2010 magazine from the Parish Church of Devoran, Carnon Downs, Point and West Penpol – and sent to us as a conversation piece for my mother and I – together with her accompanying pictures.

It was on this Creek we learnt to sail in a Redwing, and messed about in a dinghy for one long six week summer holiday ...  Devoran Parish is further inland ... but we were happy to be ...

Water Rail
MESSING ABOUT ON THE CREEK – 
by Clare Chipman

Out on the sea filled creek
Paddling?  Rowing?  Sailing?

Down with the west wind, Point or Pandora?
Dangle a line and drift awhile.

Up with the flood, wriggle past the mooring lines
Dreaming of water rails, otters and ratty.

Sea Pinks
Through Kenny’s cut and up the Perran,
Still dreaming of ratty, otters and the ever invisible rail.

Find the channel through to the Kennal,
Up to the Norway or back down to the island.

Sea pinks and asters, samphire and ducks galore,
Maybe a flashy blue kingfisher, osprey, or seal.

Samphire
Young of all ages jumping the channels,
waiting for the tide to come back,

to slide and slither, tarry black
home to hose down and tea.

***

Those wonderful days of messing about in a boat, paddling on the creek, jumping amongst the rocks, seeing if you can be Canute amongst the breakers, watching the birds wheel above ... dive down, or float rocking atop the waves, or scratch amongst the seaweed and sand for a fishy feast.

Home again - kids days, happy days ... ruddy-cheeked, tousle-haired, eyes streaming while tales are told of the day spent messing about on the creek – the delight of a warm towel, dry clothes, a toasty Cornish Cream tea – and the happy memories of children with bright eyes, laughing faces, exhausted by a day of excitement in the great natural outdoors.

Glossary – for enlightenment ... supplied by Clare!

Tramway – “Tram” – is the name of the narrow road, which has replaced the horse drawn railway track, which carried ore for smelting a mile down river to Point, where the tin smelter was found in the 1800s.

(Copper ore was shipped to Wales, as it needed much more coal; coal was then shipped back to the Devoran tin smelter).  Devoran was the Port for the Redruth and Chasewater Mineral Railway (1825 – 1915).  It ran half way across the Cornish peninsula from the mining area around Redruth to the port of Devoran on Restronguet Creek off the Fal estuary.

Kenny is a very splendid local who dug a channel to link two of the three rivers (Kennal, the Carnon and the Perran) which meet here, to become Restronguet Creek.  This improved the outgoing tidal flow, by scouring the river bed of some of the silt to improve its depth.

The Norway Inn – how could I forget ... where I could get a drink! – is a large pub on the Falmouth road as it runs beside the Perran.  The name derives from the Norwegian vessels which once brought loads of timber for use as pitprops in the mines.  The timber would be seasoned for several months in shallow tidal ponds.

I hope you have all had wonderful Bank Holidays or will have Labour Day holidays with family and friends ... Autumn beckons each day ... and on towards Christmas ...

Dear Mr Postman – nothing much changes here ... but we are peaceful and comfortable which is all I can wish for my mother.

We pray that our East Coast friends were not too battered or damaged by Hurricane Irene.

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

61 comments:

Liesl said...

Glad to see you had such a wonderful time out in nature! Your summer is getting to an end now too! Make the most of what is left...One day my hubby and I will find ourselves in a pub in England!!!

MorningAJ said...

Thomas Cook lived near here and his first outing wasn't to the seaside - it was to a rally in Loughborough! Not exactly a resort.

Of course I grew up in Scarborough and used to hate bank holiday weekends because all the tourists arrived and got in the way. I still hate going out on public holidays.

Unknown said...

Ah, the last holiday before school starts. Of course everyone wants to get away and go to the lakes.
The poem is wonderful.
I love the glossary at the bottom, love the meaning of Kenny! Thanks for the post.

Bob Scotney said...

What happened to the principle of The Railway Act? We are now priced out of using them. It's cheaper for us to fly or drive from the North East to Cornwall. That is a fine poem and well illustrated bt the photos.

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss hilary! for sure i could like to be messing about on a creek! :) i love the water and i could love all those birds and flowers and rocks and fishes and scenery while i was paddling along. that poem was cool and i like how you did pictures cause i didnt know what some of that stuff is.
...hugs from lenny

Karen Jones Gowen said...

It appears that your bank holiday and our Labor Day are much the same thing, a way to honor the nation's workers, which couldn't be better than to give them a paid day off!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ AJ .. I wondered and didn't elaborate too much on Thos Cook .. just the temperance bit! and the fact he started the cheap holidays.

Actually you sound like us .. as kids we never left home during the bank holidays! and we weren't by the sea - just the roads were awful and my parents weren't going anywhere! So can totally understand your family's thoughts.

@ Clarissa - yes the last week of the holidays - the sea or the lakes .. a holiday preferably!

Clare did a wonderful job on the poem - that's why I wanted to post it .. and then I started asking the questions! & as Lenny commented the pics show what some of the words actually look like.

@ Bob - lovely to see you .. well I don't know .. the Railways .. the 21st century and all that?!

Public transport is terribly expensive, I agree with you - and just got considerably worse.

Thanks - Clare will be pleased to read your thoughts .. her poem is lovely and I was pleased with her pictures and a few from Wikipedia.

@ Lenny - hi how are you - so good to see you .. you and your brothers would love messing about on the Creek!!

I can just imagine you all spending the day there and then coming back full of stories for a Cornish Cream tea.

Thanks - I like to put plenty of pictures in to give the extra visuals and actually (though don't tell anyone)I teach myself too!!

Hugs to you too Lenny, and your family .. lots of thoughts ...

@ Karen - yes they are .. our August bank Holiday was at he beginning of August to tie in with the factory holidays way back when .. the factory workers had statutory dated holidays. Then it was changed ...

Your Labour Day does honour your workers ...

Thanks Anne, Clarissa, Bob, Lenny and KarenG .. lovely to see you all - enjoy the last few days of messing around in the creek! Cheers Hilary

PS those of you who haven't seen my post about the email Lenny sent me please have a look ..

20 August post:
http://positiveletters.blogspot.com/2011/08/lenny-lee-creatures-critters-georgia-on.html

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I do love holidays!

That is a great poem. It reminds me of childhood summers with family at a creek that ran through my my grandma's land. The creek was sparkly clean and housed all kind of life. We would muddy it up with laughter and fun.

Linda said...

There was much flooding along the East Coast from NC all the way to New England. We are inland and only got a bit of wind.

It's nice to get out and enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer, especially on the last big summer holiday weekend.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Theresa Milstein said...

That poem tickles the tongue, doesn't it?

I love the sea. It calls me. It's what I miss (besides warmth) the most during winter. And while I don't ride the train much, I love to hear it's horn sound in the distance.

Susan Scheid said...

Such a wonderful job you've done of evoking the end of summer holidays. Such a wistful time, isn't it? This time of year is a mix of wistful and joyous, isn't it?

Thank you, too, for well wishes to those of us in the track of Irene. We were lucky here, but many around us were not. It's nice to think on simple good times like those you describe here!

Anonymous said...

I learn so much when I read your blog, Hilary. I absolutely must get across the pond someday and visit over there! I've never heard of Whit Monday, but I'm assuming it's like our Memorial Day? That's a charming poem,catches just the feel of goings on around a creek, is the term "ratty" an allusion to "Wind in the Willows" by chance?
Well, thank goodness for holidays! Everyone needs them once in a while. Enjoyed your post!
~Scarlett

amy@ Souldipper said...

When I was a small girl in the Canadian Prairies and people from Britain would describe wonderful train trips that families would take on a holiday. I'd look at our trains full of various livestock, machinery and huge supplies of grain. I'd think, "Yuk, who'd want to have a holiday with that bunch?"

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Teresa - it is a lovely poem and it just made me think of those sorts of holidays. Like your childhood summers .. how wonderful to have a creek through your grandma's land .. so much to occupy small children in and out of that clear water .. such fun and as you say much laughter .. I can hear the peals now!

@ Linda - I saw some of the flooding, but am glad to hear you escaped the worst.

Mother nature, where we've looked after her, certainly gives us so much ... Next week-end .. I shall be back to normal .. but reading lots about your Labor day!

@ Theresa - the words roll off and evoke 'messing about in the creek' .. I'm by the sea, but it's not the same as the Cornish sea, with its inlets etc.

The train isn't what it used to be .. an excitement, a journey of discovery .. but the horn from the little branch line was always great to hear its welcome.

@ Susan - many thanks .. yes as the sun starts to get lower and lower .. we can still feel the heat while seeing the berries ripening, and the trees starting to turn golden.

I'm pleased you escaped the worst and hope that your neighbours will get their lives back in some semblance of order fairly soon - and pray there was no loss of life.

@ Scarlett - lovely, kind words - thanks so much .. and yes it will be lovely to see you over here.

Whitsun .. is the 7th Sunday after Easter, and is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost.

Whit Monday became a moveable holiday tied in with Whitsun - but then the holiday was fixed as the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May. (So it is at the same time as your Memorial Day)

The American, Canadian, British, Australian, South African public holidays, commemoration days all vary slightly or distinctly - yet are mostly similar!

Clare's charming poem does evoke such memories .. and yes 'ratty' does refer to Ratty in Wind in the Willows - who was actually a water vole .. I wrote about him .. in our A - Z Challenge - V for Vole:

http://positiveletters.blogspot.com/2011/04/v-is-for-vole-that-is-what-v-is-for.html

Enjoy and we do need holidays - I hope Knox is a little easier .. with thoughts.

@ Amy - that's the difference in our tiny country .. and if the branch lines hadn't been axed, we may well have had so many more beautiful little train journeys to talk about.

Some have been revived here and maintained .. we have a Bluebell Line here .. beautifully restored carriages.

I can imagine you looking at your enormous trains full of livestock, grain and machinery .. whereas when I was over - I just stood and watched these huge machines, with their snow plow arrowed fronts, keep pulling and pulling their rolling stock along .. and marvelled!

It was fun to have a ride on a passenger one through the Rockies though!

Thanks everyone .. so wonderful to see you .. and share in our messing about in the creek - childhood memories ... holidays = bliss for the kids. Love and laughter what could be better ...

Have lovely weeks and enjoy Labour Day for those in the States and Canada next weekend .. Hilary

Sue said...

I always think of Ratty and Pooh Sticks when I potter about with water. Last weekend I was bemoaning the lack of children playing in gutters, floating leaves, damming and unclogging the drains - but at least it left all the fun to me!

Diane said...

Just thought that I would try leaving a message on your blog it seems so far so work!! Thanks for sending me the email. I can buy biltong in a shop quite close to our house in the UK, not up to SA standard though. What I want is a good spice mixture to make my own. The butcher I used to get it from in S.A. has retired!!!
I have no idea why your comment on my blog would not work, there is not even word verification on my blog! I find quite often that Firefox is the only one that works when I have problems. Thanks for the contact Diane

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Sue .. yes those little characters of our childhood .. we used to play a lot of pooh sticks in Cornwall .. under all the little bridges!

Oh dear - leaves and silt blocking the drains and gutters .. that's irritating - satisfying when it unblocks and glugs away.

@ Diane - good to see you .. yes this comment box is unembedded (while there isn't word verification) and seems to work ok .. I just can't comment over on yours.

Oh ok .. the spice mixture - by the sound of it you want to ask Liesl!!

Your blog is great .. looking forward to reading and seeing more ..

Thanks Sue - good to see you back from your travels, and Diane for your first visit .. cheers Hilary

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Ah Hilary the old British Bank Holiday, excellently written and a joy to read.

Yvonne.

Julie Flanders said...

I love this post, very interesting to read.

And I adored this passage:

"Home again - kids days, happy days ... ruddy-cheeked, tousle-haired, eyes streaming while tales are told of the day spent messing about on the creek – the delight of a warm towel, dry clothes, a toasty Cornish Cream tea – and the happy memories of children with bright eyes, laughing faces, exhausted by a day of excitement in the great natural outdoors."

This is very touching, and captures the simple joy of a childhood summer so well. Beautifully written!

Golden Eagle said...

I love the poem!

Elisabeth said...

Hi hilary

I'm new here via Jim's blog, the truth about lies. thanks for a wonderful trip back through childhood, the languid days of 'messing about in boats', not that I ever did it myself, but I imagined it through the Wind in the Willows, here in Australia.

Thanks also for the link to Andrew Zucherman's Wisdom Project. I watched the video clip from go to woe and now feel inspired to get on with the ordinariness of my days in the hope of working towards something better in the process.

My thanks to you Hilary.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I have a peddle boat that I just love. Some days it seems I'm mostly fighting the wind, but when it's hot and there's only a small breeze, peddle is so rejuvenating. I love it.

Ella said...

I enjoyed the poem and the allure of the water~ I grew up near the bay and it still holds magic to me~ No place like it; my memories are anchored there~ :D Happy Bank Holiday to you~

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Yvonne .. yes that old thing the British Bank Holiday - now-a-days everything seems to run into one. Delighted you enjoyed the read and memories back.

@ Julie - many thanks. That paragraph does sort of encapsulate it .. it was fun to write.

Thanks - it was Clare's poem that set the tone .. and her words capture that simple joy of childhood summer.

@ Golden Eagle .. thank you.

@ Elisabeth - welcome! I see your from down under and also via Jim's blog - good to meet you..

Wind in the Willows that eponymous story that we all love - perhaps more so as we get older!

I loved that Wisdom trailer (previous post) - so delighted you did too ..

Thanks for coming over and commenting here ..

@ Joylene .. good to see you - I imagine your peddle boat is such fun .. and being able to see the lake and its environs while on it. Fun!

@ Ella .. I think anyone who's spent some time at a creek, river or bay/sea .. will always remember those days - as you say: your memories are anchored there.

Thank you Yvonne, Julie, GEagle, Elisabeth, Joylene and Ella - lovely to see you all. Cheers Hilary

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

You've painted a lovely scene of a bucolic English countryside! :)

And I won't even mention how delicious those cream scones look...!!

Judy, South Africa

MunirGhiasuddin said...

Lovely pictures again Hilary. Next weekend is a long weekend for us. We were hoping to go to Philly but there is a huge flood throughtout our route in New Jersey. Those folks in New Jersey had more than their share of troubles with waters even before the Hurricane. So may be the following weekend we will give it a try. Also the creek in Wappingers Falls (Where we lived for over twenty two years) flooded for the first time. Thank God no one was hurt. Several houses had damages of a few thousand dollars in properties. This got us to realize the effects of Katrina.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Judy .. many thanks - mainly due to Clare's poem .. it is fun just thinking about the Creek!

Now the scones - we used to go up to my great uncle's house (my mother's uncle) above St Ives and have thunder and lightning .. or jam .. (cream and golden syrup, or cream and jam!!) - after a day down the hill on the beach, or on their tennis court. Wonderful days.

@ Munir - many thanks and I know your Labour Day comes along a week later.

The floods did sound bad down there .. I have to say I haven't seen much coverage - enough to know what happened. I hope the clearing up isn't too awful .. and thank goodness as you say no-one you know was hurt or injured.

Katrina really was bad - and water is much worse than we all realise - til it hits.

Have a lovely weekend, whatever you do and a safe trip in 10 days time when things will have subsided.

Thanks Judy and Munir - all the best - Hilary

Sara said...

Hilary,

I have frequent exchanges about bank holidays with my daughter in London. It is interesting how your bank holidays line up with so many of our named holidays.

My daughter says she stays still on a bank holiday because travel is so crazy.

I enjoyed reading this post and learning about your holiday. I also really like Clare's poem about the creek:~)

Have a good holiday and I hope your mom is doing okay.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Sara .. it's difficult to keep track and with the time change too - which you do in the States too I think. They're nearly the same, but not quite .. but then vary with Canada, SA and Australia ...

I agree - we used to stay put .. the traffic is terrible, so certainly your daughter is making a sensible decision there.

That was the old sort of holiday - I've been here with Mum .. doing my daily visits.

Clare's poem is great isn't it ..

Still it's quiet here and I don't get the rush - I expect the town does! Mum is very quiet now - many thanks for asking .. Hilary

Friko said...

My bank holidays are invariably spent at home, watching day trippers coming across on the bridge over the river and walk past the garden and up the hill to the castle.

I never stop being grateful for not ever having to be a day tripper again.

The Blonde Duck said...

I don't want summer to end!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Friko - isn't it bliss not to have to move around at holiday times - and your home is just perfectly situated .. sounds ideal to spend 'messing around in the garden'.

@ The Blonde Duck .. I agree I don't want the summer to end .. the dark days and cold!

Thanks Friko and Blonde Duck - we enjoy our summers so much .. cheers Hilary

Marja said...

You have a beautiful way of expressing yourself Oh yes these are wonderful days of messing about. We don't mess much here but e start spring and will surely enjoy all of it. Really loved the poem

The Blonde Duck said...

Did you ever get to read the Help??

I don't want to get out of the pool! I've been enjoying my daily swims too much!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Blonde Duck .. I want to see the film .. it hasn't got down here yet - I'll get there! Thanks for the thought about "The Help". I'd feel like you - if it was hot and warm enough here and I had a pool!!

Cheers - Hilary

Karen Lange said...

Lovely post with wonderful info and tidbits, as always! Back in NJ where I used to live it was called going "down the shore" by many out of towners. We lived near the seaside and had a summer influx of tourists, particularly on holiday weekends such as the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Enjoy your weekend! Hope your Mother is well. :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Karen .. thanks - I can quite easily see them saying those words 'going down to the shore' .. 'the boardwalk' is the thing that tickles me ... !

I guess you kept your noses in your garden at those times - we used to struggle when we were in Cornwall .. trying to get away from the tourists!

Good to see you - enjoy your Labour Day .. yes - my Mama is comfortable and that's a blessing. Thank you - Hilary

Glynis Peters said...

Catching up, Hilary. Another fine selection of posts. I loved the email from Lenny, a fine young man.

Dame Judy Dench-adore the woman.

We have many Bank holidays here in Cyprus, more than the UK. BBQ gatherings are the normal activity, except Christmas day.

Misha Gerrick said...

Hehehe nice poem with some interesting facts. :-)

I always try to imagine what those trips to the seaside were like.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Glynis .. Lenny is a pretty lovely young boy (I think .. I don't want him growing too quickly - he just loves life at as an 11 year old .. and that's pretty special). But you're so right though.

Glad you got to watch the video on wisdom and the music one - you'll appreciate the watch just at the moment .. don't give up!!

Ah - do you get all the Greek and Turkish ones .. that's cheating!! More than the UK - and we have a fair whack of them ...

I remember full on Christmas dinners in 40 degC heat in South Africa .. full on!! and lots of alcohol .. and lots of food .. delicious - but not quite sure how I survived the meals!!

@ Misha - and talking of South Africa .. glad you enjoyed the poem .. are you in Jhb .. hence the 'no trips' to the seaside .. but I remember trips out to the rivers and creeks in the Witwatersrand .. and around.

Like those paddling in the waters, skiddaddling over the stones .. resting peacefully by the flowing water, sun on face .. great days.

Thanks Glynis and Misha .. you've both conjoured up for me some memories .. cheers and enjoy the weekend ahead .. Hilary

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Thanks for your visit and the lovely comment, Lara my grand daughter was born 10 weeks prem, 2 lb at birth and on my birthday 10 years ago.
Yvonne.

Chase March said...

Enjoy your long weekend!

We get one here in Canada too.

I think they should have days in the calendar where everything shuts down and not just the banks, post offices, and liquor stores.

Family and friends need time to get together. It's harder and harder to do that these days with the weird and conflicting schedules everyone seems to keep (out of necessity mind you)

That's why we should all have a few common days off every year.

TALON said...

Our last long weekend of the summer is here and it always makes me feel bittersweet because I do love Autumn so I'm excited it's just around the corner, yet summer always seems too fleeting.

Hope you and your Mom have a beautiful weekend, Hilary.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Chase .. thanks - ours has been and gone! Enjoy yours. Sadly someone always has to work .. doctors, nurses, security, bus drivers, train drivers etc .. so it never quite fits - but families usually make plans at other times of the year .. and make light of working when everyone else has time off.

@ Talon - it's here isn't it .. the colours of Autumn are gorgeous and the smells we get - the damp earth, the rustling on the ground .. and as you say Summer has been fleeting - mind you we're about to have a real Indian summer weekend .. it's gorgeous! Thanks for your thoughts re my Ma.

Enjoy the Labour Day weekend .. cheers for now - Hilary

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Yvonne .. you slipped above my radar - back now .. your granddaughter Lara obviously dearly loves her animals .. and feels treasured, as she was nurtured at her early step into this life - that's wonderful she survived and must make your birthday seem very special.

It's gorgeous here - so I guess you'll be having the same weather down the coast - enjoy the lovely sun and just wonderful feel to the weather.

All the best - Hilary

Marinela said...

Glad to see you had such a great time out in nature!

Lots of love
Marinela

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Marinela .. many thanks - it's lovely today too! Those were my memories and Clare's poem .. so evocative though. Cheers to you .. Hilary

Talli Roland said...

Finally! Bank Holidays explained! I never knew how they came about. Thanks, Hilary.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Talli .. oh great - you picked it up .. at least this one! Cheers and enjoy your time (Canadian Labour day in gay Paris with your friend .. ).

Thanks - it was interesting to note these Regulatory changes .. Hilary

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Wonderful pictures. And thank you, I've always wondered about Bank Holidays and what they mean.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Diane .. some of Clare's photos, some of Wikipedia and the cream tea - can't remember .. possibly from Tregothnan .. a Cornish estate that sells Cornish Cream in a Box to Tokyo .. and around the world!!

The Tregothnan estate is on the other side of Restronguet Creek .. small world! (see a previous post)

Ah - at least the Bank Holidays are partly clarified .. good to see you - thanks for stopping by .. Enjoy your Labour day weekend .. Hilary

A Lady's Life said...

I am glad you enjoyed the bank holidays I love the sea pinks and the boat looks so inviting to paddle around in.
Watching a kingfisher is something.I had one in my yard once but I don't see him anymore.:)

Ju Dimello said...

Hi,

Dropping in from Karen's BBQ! Great blog you have here..

Nice to "meet" you :)

Kittie Howard said...

Hi, I'm dropping in from Karen's BBQ. Glad I did - you have a beautiful blog. I think your Bank Holiday and our Labor Day are about the same. As I type, the highways are jammed with folks headed toward the beach for that last big wave and Kodak memory.

Your photos are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

That's some interesting background. I have heard of Bank Holidays but never knew what they really were. Going from "grim squalor of intensive urbanization" to the seaside must have been like dying and going to heaven for some people.

I think I would stay and not go back. I would find a job as a cook or carpenter or a dish washer and make it work.

Arlee Bird said...

Never heard of bank holidays although there are many holidays here in the U.S. where banks are closed.
Railways really changed things everywhere.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ A Lady's Life .. thanks you - the sea pinks always give me so much pleasure when I see them, let alone a gentle canoe or row .. sorry to hear your kingfisher has disappeared (for now I hope).

@ Ju - good to see you here - I haven't done my BBQ post yet .. ? I'll be over to check in with you.

@ Kittie - many thanks ..yes you're right the timings are about the same - ours has changed from first weekend in August to the latter one .. I can quite believe the roads are packed - thank goodness I don't have to do that anymore!

Clare was very kind to send me the pics - so I used those to enhance her poem.

@ Stephen - thanks that description does seem to do it .. dying and going to heaven - absolutely, especially in the early 1800s.

I think you've got a good point here .. perhaps the young adult son might have stayed behind to start a new business, the young daughter I don't think would have been allowed to!

@ Lee - thanks for asking re the 'Bank' bit .. apparently prior to 1834 the Bank of England observed about 33 Saints' days and religious festivals as holidays ....

.... but in 1834 - they reduced them to four: 1st May, 1st November, Good Friday and Christmas Day ... and so they evolved and are still changing ....

... though sadly I don't think we'll go back to 33 public holidays per year .. bliss that would be!

Cheers - thanks everyone .. A Lady's Life, Ju, Kittie, Stephen and Lee .. lovely comments - see you over at KarenG's BBQ I hope .. Hilary

Anonymous said...

Hi Hiary, I'm quite behind on my blog reading. Your bank holiday post is interesting, as all of your posts are. Thanks for sharing the poem.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susanne - no worries - the summer is full of things to do .. glad you enjoyed the post and the poem, Clare did a wonderful job there.

Enjoy your Labour Day Weekend .. cheers for now - Hilary

BK said...

The mere mentioned of Christmas excites me already; I'm looking forward to Christmas, which is one of my favourite festive seasons of the year.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi BK .. please! don't wish the time away too quickly .. it's such a wonderful glorious late summer's day here - I really don't want Christmas to come anytime soon!!

However wonderful Christmas is .. it's perfect just now! Good to see you here .. thanks for coming over .. Hilary