If I have done the calculations correctly then Christmas Day will not fall again on a Saturday until 2021.
For this relief much thanks.
The English system of Public Holidays turns a Saturday Christmas into a real trial – one four-day weekend followed by a three-day weekend. In the spend, spend, spend days many places closed only for Christmas Day (though public transport often stayed away on Boxing Day as well) but this year has seen much more extensive closures.
I got a particular shock in Marks & Spencer last Friday, when I went in to find the shelves almost bare of fresh produce before 4 o’clock in the afternoon; they were going to be closed on New Years Day (Saturday) & so obviously were minimising the amount of waste. Plan B – Sainsbury’s – proved equally disconcerting.
Fortunately Plan C – another branch of Sainsbury’s away from the town centre – was well stocked & provided something for supper, but we decided to write off Saturday, even though that branch & so presumably some other shops as well would be open - & laid in for a snug weekend indoors.
Finally everything is back on a normal timetable, everything will be just fine - just as soon as we can get ourselves back to knowing what day it is.
