Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

According to the recent news, the legislation for Sunday shopping is up for renegotiation, ie. shops should be able to open for longer than the designated 10.30am to 4.30pm. So what I want to know, in this deeply scientific method of research across the forum, is this the right way forward in an ever-expanding, 24 hour society, not just in this country but all over the world? Besides, the workforce is not made up of 9-5, Mon-Fri anymore so it would benefit shift workers? Or is that one different day of the week necessary for recharging the batteries and nourishing the soul (in religious or non-religious capacities)? We already have supermarkets open 24 hours a day (especially around Christmas) plus the internet, so do we really need a few extra hours on a Sunday? How might it affect smaller businesses who might not be able to afford the extra wages? And is it unacceptable to expect people to work unsociable hours - will it fall to those without families to keep working as "it doesn't matter for them"?

The fact is that Britain is no longer as Christian as it used to be. Just 'cos shops are open on Sunday doesn't mean you have to go shopping. Personally I don't work weekends wouldn't want to but the most important thing is that you have one or two days off in the week to recharge, sit back and relax.

I heard this morning that this had been thrown out (until the next time anyway).

I don't think many other countries have Sunday opening do they?

Except perhaps in major cities/tourist areas.

What really annoys me is when you get little old grannies tottering around Tesco on a Sunday when they have all week to do their shopping.

Hendrik told me that he really missed Sunday opening when he was in Austria. It`s true, you do get used to it!

My concern is for the shop workers who are given little real choice about working on a sunday.

That said I do sometimes shop on a sunday as work and travel to and from leave me effectively only saturday or sunday (unless I can persuade Mrs Mid A 15 to do it like today ).

Fiona Bruce seemed the way to go in this poll though!

marty wrote:The fact is that Britain is no longer as Christian as it used to be. Just 'cos shops are open on Sunday doesn't mean you have to go shopping. Personally I don't work weekends wouldn't want to but the most important thing is that you have one or two days off in the week to recharge, sit back and relax.

Not if you are a Mum you don't.

Fiona wins again !!!

englishangel wrote:What really annoys me is when you get little old grannies tottering around Tesco on a Sunday when they have all week to do their shopping.

here, here....

I propose a weekend curfew for the over 65s!

...and town centres at midweek lunchtimes........

sport! wrote:

englishangel wrote:What really annoys me is when you get little old grannies tottering around Tesco on a Sunday when they have all week to do their shopping.

here, here....

I propose a weekend curfew for the over 65s!

...and town centres at midweek lunchtimes........

At leat that gives me another 6 years !

How's yer pulse, DBTS ??

We have shops open all day on sunday here, although most of the smaller, family owned businesses tend to close. Then again, this is capitalist central.

But seriously, what's the problem with having the shops open longer? If you're doing some decorating, drinking or whatever, it's nice to be able to go down the shops at your leisure. And a lot of shop workers would probably prefer to be able to work weekends and have a day off during the week anyway. At least, I always used to.

sport! wrote:

englishangel wrote:What really annoys me is when you get little old grannies tottering around Tesco on a Sunday when they have all week to do their shopping.

here, here....

I propose a weekend curfew for the over 65s!

...and town centres at midweek lunchtimes........

Thanks a lot!

I don't want to go shopping on Sunday and so I rarely do - it's up to the shops if they want to open though!

I work in a place where it's open on Sundays just as much as every other day - 9am - 6:30pm. But on Sundays almost no-one comes and it's a bit of a waste of my employers' money, it's only in the tourist season that it picks up but the other 10 months of the year it's mindnumbingly boring working on a Sunday. I agree in part to there being wider opening hours on Sundays - but at the same time think of the poor people who have to work there!

Wuppertal wrote:I work in a place where it's open on Sundays just as much as every other day - 9am - 6:30pm. But on Sundays almost no-one comes and it's a bit of a waste of my employers' money, it's only in the tourist season that it picks up but the other 10 months of the year it's mindnumbingly boring working on a Sunday. I agree in part to there being wider opening hours on Sundays - but at the same time think of the poor people who have to work there!

I'm not that far from you - working at the Ffestiniog Railway. We run trains most Sundays during the year and are expected to by Joe Public. During the height of the tourist season (August) our busiest days of the week are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It is far quieter over the weekends - we have learnt this over the years and now run fewer trains then and rarely have a complaint.

Where are you Wuppertal?

midget wrote:

sport! wrote:

englishangel wrote:What really annoys me is when you get little old grannies tottering around Tesco on a Sunday when they have all week to do their shopping.

here, here....

I propose a weekend curfew for the over 65s!

...and town centres at midweek lunchtimes........

Thanks a lot!

Sorry Midget, but I reckon the ban should be extended to 12-2 on weekdays

On the rare occasion when I give up a hard won parking spot to 'pop' to the bank or whatever at lunchtime, I invariably find myself in a queue behind several people who appear to no longer be in the workforce, and who wish to discuss their dogs' bowel actions or the weather with the teller.

On a good day I look upon it as a form of diet control (spent entire lunchbreak in queue, ergo no time to eat). On a bad day I wipe tears of frustration from my eyes.

My Dad, God bless his soul, used to laugh about the fact that he and Mum should really go to the shops at less busy times, but Mum prefers to shop when tension is high and queues are long. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

When we first came to Adelaide we had late night shopping on Thursdays, no Sunday opening, and half-day Saturday. For a working mother with two young kids and a husband away at sea it was a b*^^$y nightmare.

Supermarkets now open until 9pm (hooray - no more paying extortionate sums for cat food at the petrol station), and most shops open 11-5 on Sundays.