Historic event worth bank holiday
THE news that next Monday has been declared a bank holiday will have been met with a mixed response from islanders.
The fact that it is for the Queen’s funeral will make it a day tinged with sadness for a lot of people.
Others will simply welcome the chance to have an extra day off.
There might be some who resent the fact they have to work when others don’t, or who have the headache of trying to organise childcare at short notice due to the closure of schools.
Business owners might be worried about the loss of income.
Some might well be concerned about the cost to the economy, especially coming just three months after the extra bank holiday for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Opinions will also differ about the national mourning period.
While some have opted to cancel events or scale back their business activities out of respect for the Queen, others have chosen, or been obliged, to carry on as normal.
But whatever your personal opinion, it’s important to keep a sense of perspective here.
This is a historic occasion, which does not happen often.
After 70 years on the throne, it is only right and proper that the Queen’s death is marked with a period of reflection and her funeral surely warrants a bank holiday – regardless of how inconvenient, or costly, it might be.