Humbug

[Someone-Else]

Anyone else remember when shops would shut on Christmas eve, and not open till after boxing day, and you would stay at home/visit relatives for 4 days? and even if you wanted to ALL shops were shut ALL the time, and garages only sold fuel

[fin]

im 41 and i can remember it being different when i was a bairn like.

now its daft how everyone gans loopy at the super market. fliping place is open again on boxing day ya divvys

[Argyll]

Someone in their 50s just said to me they'll need to pop home and wish family members a happy Christmas on Facebook. Sign of the times.

[Tom d'Angler]

My first proper job was in retail (Sainsbury's) back in 1980. The shop had only one late night (Thursday until 8pm), and never opened on a Sunday or Bank Holidays. We opened on Christmas Eve until 5pm but never on Boxing Day.

When I first started working for McDonald's (1985) the store opened at 10am (no breakfast menu) and closed at 11pm. Christmas Day was the only day it shut. Eventually, we started opening at 6am for breakfast. Shortly after I left McDonald's (1998) many of them switched to 24-hour opening.

I didn't mind unsocial working hours when I was young. When I had children my opinion changed as I wanted to spend more time with them.

Now that I have a granddaughter I am even more pleased that I am self-employed and Mrs d'A and I choose to only work Monday to Friday and look after our granddaughter on Fridays and Saturdays so our daughter-in-law can work and not pay extortionate nursery fees.

The old days were much better for family life in many respects. Nowadays, half of all children are being raised in single parent families, many adults giving up on their marriages at the first minor hurdle (which usually occurs when wives ignore their husbands when children come along), and many dads only seeing their children once or twice a fortnight.

[wine~o]

I worked over Christmas as a student (college) in an off licence. This was back in the days when most supermarkets didn't sell Alcohol or meat for that matter.

Mondays were always "half days", depending on which town you lived in depended what day your half was.

Normal closing time was 1/2 5 no matter what, Christmas eve that year the offie shut at Midday and didn't open again until the day after Boxing day.

Different times.
IIRC there were 4 different Butchers, 3 Greengrocers all the major banks, post office ONE estate agent a specialist tobacconist and one "supermarket" which was called "international" and was no bigger than the average convenience store these days.

[Argyll]

My first proper job was in retail (Sainsbury's) back in 1980. The shop had only one late night (Thursday until 8pm), and never opened on a Sunday or Bank Holidays. We opened on Christmas Eve until 5pm but never on Boxing Day.

When I first started working for McDonald's (1985) the store opened at 10am (no breakfast menu) and closed at 11pm. Christmas Day was the only day it shut. Eventually, we started opening at 6am for breakfast. Shortly after I left McDonald's (1998) many of them switched to 24-hour opening.

I didn't mind unsocial working hours when I was young. When I had children my opinion changed as I wanted to spend more time with them.

Now that I have a granddaughter I am even more pleased that I am self-employed and Mrs d'A and I choose to only work Monday to Friday and look after our granddaughter on Fridays and Saturdays so our daughter-in-law can work and not pay extortionate nursery fees.

The old days were much better for family life in many respects. Nowadays, half of all children are being raised in single parent families, many adults giving up on their marriages at the first minor hurdle (which usually occurs when wives ignore their husbands when children come along), and many dads only seeing their children once or twice a fortnight.

Shift work takes an estimated 8yrs off your life. I worked shifts for years in the Prison Service. I still keep in touch with many of my pals in Durham Prison. They need to work 2 out of the three prime days i.e. Christmas day, Boxing day, and NY day. I haven't worked shifts since 2006. It would kill me now if I did.

I remember a Governor once telling me the prisoners need to get out of their cells to associate and keep in contact with their families. I asked him "what about our families who hardly see us over the festive period" His reply was "if you don't like it find a new job" So a few months later I did. Refused to shake hands with him on my last day and told him to his face he was a prick. The most satisfying thing I've ever said to someone

[dewaltdisney]

You must have got a good reference off him A

DWD

[Argyll]

You must have got a good reference off him A

DWD

I normally don't burn my bridges but I knew I'd never return to that soul-destroying job.