Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
#21
Well I have to say that I had to work today and fight my way around the throngs of holiday traffic on the M25 to get to and from the vicinity of Heathrow. I could have been enjoying the delights of Hastings and the May Day bike ride instead!
Sorry Sue, but I disagree with you. In some respects we don't get enough holidays, especially compared with our European friends. As a result of this mismatch of public holidays I usually have to work ours but get days off for the Dutch holidays! So I got a day (night) off last Friday as the Dutch celebrate the birthday of Queen Beatrix, I've got this Wednesday off as the Dutch celebrate Liberation Day, I get the following Thursday (13th) off for Ascension Day and then Monday 24th (Whit Monday).
Once upon a time we used to get these religious holidays in the UK too! Neither do we get a day off for our monarch's birthday (actual or official) nor for our national Patron Saint, George.
Working 24/7/365 is not good for you and I, for one, would like to see a return to a five-day working week across the board; though I do appreciate that in some services and industries this is not possible.
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
#22
Dearest Older one,
One may have finished in the building however paperwork is never done, and these people who want days off.... well they are messing up my rotas!!
I finally finished at about 9pm last night. And went straight to bed....
#23
But, but, if you hadn't been mucking about on FB and DF you might have finished earlier, maybe, possibly? If it helps, you are not alone. My daughter says and does the same thing. She got home from work last night 90 minutes late. "loads of paperwork" she exclaimed, forgetting she was sending me FB messages during the day, which meant she wasn't working, but trawling the web. How did she expect to get home on time?
Phil, agree entirely, We should scrap this commie May Day bank holiday and have St, George's Day off instead. The chances of us getting both from scroogelike MP's are probably nil.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#24
I agree we should change the Commie May Day to St Georges Day .
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,321
#25
However did we all manage when shops closed on sundays, there was a half day closing and all shops closed at 5.30pm on the other days! These days you can shop more or less 24/7/365 for goodness sake! Oh except on Easter Sunday and Christmas day - and even then there are some shops/garages open).
I must admit I like this freedom though but more bank holidays? Hmm - not sure on that one.
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
#26
Try living in Japan, Sue. They have 28 bank holidays a year!
True friends stab you in the front.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#27
surprised that nobody picked me up on my statement that we had two religious public holidays.
we actually have 4, easter monday is in lieu of easter day(sunday) and of course the last monday in may celebrates whitsun.
bern, andy, paulb, colette and susan would have known this.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
#28
Great idea Sue, replace 'Commie Day'.
The Queens birthday (German) or St Georges day (Arabian). Or perhaps a celebration for both! We could call it 'Immigrant Day' to celebrate immigration and how wonderful it is. We could fly flags (although I know you have a penchant for bunting), with 3 lions on them that truly indiginous English animal and eat our favourite English dish of Chicken Tikka Masala.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#29
surprised to see some factual inaccuracies from you dt.
the queen was born and bred in our fair country, nobody knows who st george is or where he was born.
the lions are a symbol, also used by sikhs, there are no lions in the sub continent.
maybe the lions that we use originate from richard the lionheart?
finally chicken tikka massala was invented in england by a ugandan asian that mr amin took a dislike to and asked him to leave, the chap arrived in england and after a while assimilating discovered what would appeal to the english palate.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
#30
Lets have more bank holidays, catch up with the MP's time off and Sue can wear more hats.
The idea that everyone is a lazy bugger or the economy is going down hill because of hollidays just amazes me.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#31
quite right ian, it has been proved that shorter hours are more productive.
this was worked out by an industrialist about 100 years ago, when he put his staff on a 45 hour week from the previous 75.
the output was the same, and he had fewer overheads.
needless to say the staff were happy about it too.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
#32
Fair point Howard, I was far from absolute about any of these points. And yes, a little fuzzy for the purpose of making my point.
To clarify: St George (I always believed to be Lebonese although I can't speak factually) was not 'English' The Queen born and bred but basically Saxe Coberg, changed amazingly during a conflict with Germany of all places!?! (handy that) Chicken tikka, an indian dish modified to tikka masala supposedly in Britain but also believed to have a derivative actually in India, so not absoulute either.
Sorry for being a little playful, but my point stands on diversity, the thing that makes this country wonderful, not mindless small c conservatism.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#33
i must admit dt, that i thought that your post was a bit bnp, not like you.
the reference to the house of saxe coburg would mean that most of our forum members would be foreigners.
the bnp would like to kick out of the country british citizens born here and of a different ethnic group.
incidentally, the chicken tikka masala originated in leicester.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
#34
Now we are getting somewhere. I agree with you all for more holidays.
Shall we have an opinion poll.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#35
everybody in the west gets more time off than us ian.
i remember talking to a german colleague some time back about 4 weeks holiday, he was quite shocked, he was used to six plus more public holidays.
the germans are not known for being lazy either.
i believe that if more efficiency was introduced and people were asked to work a bit faster for more time off, they would go for it.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
#36
Sorry howard. Being disingenuous doesn't always sit that well in text. Yes we are all foreigners, that's my point. This is what should be celebrated.
As for tikka massala, nobody actually knows...needless to say it wasn't invented in a pie and mash shop.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#37
apologies if i was overly aggressive dt, but i am very patriotic with a mix of blood like most of us, as you rightly say.
i am right on the massala dish though.
funnily enough, when i lived in ilford, approx 75% asian descent, someone opened a chippy and only brown skinned youngsters used it.
maybe they were sick of eating the spicey stuff at home?