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Saturday 25 May 2019

Bank Holidays, Blueberry ice-cream ... and fun !

Here in the UK we have a three day Bank Holiday Weekend, and for many school children it also means it's the late May half term week. Yippee do I hear some say ... no more getting up for school, a break from the homework, (unless you have exams), no longer worrying about what to put in school lunch boxes … a more relaxed time! 

Our five grandchildren have a fun packed time ahead of them, they are always busy and all enjoy a variety of activities … if the weather's nice it could be:



crabbing, our two eldest grandchildren trying to catch some crabs …
they usually are quite successful






perhaps our middle grandson and grand-daughter will enjoy a trip to Lulworth Cove … they did last year





our youngest grandson loves climbing trees and making dens … whatever the weather!

Talking of Bank Holidays - do you know their origin? Read more to find out ...
"Most of us love Bank Holidays, as for the large majority of us, it means time off work. So who do we have to thank for extra days relaxing at home or seeing friends and family? Where do bank holidays originate from? Well the clue is in the name, let us guide you through the history of bank holidays. 

The History of Bank Holidays in the UK  
In 1871 the first law was passed to introduce bank holidays by politician and banker Sir John Lubbock. Under the Bank Holidays Act 1871 “no person was compelled to make any payment or to do any act upon a bank holiday which he would not be compelled to do or make on Christmas Day or Good Friday, and the making of a payment or the doing of an act on the following day was equivalent to doing it on the holiday.” Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition.

What does this mean? It means thanks to Sir John Lubbock, a liberal in his time, we got more days off work! Before 1871, we only had 4 holidays: Christmas Day, 1st May (May Day), 1st November (All Saint’s Day) and Good Friday.

In England in 1871, Easter Monday, Whitsunday, first Monday in August and Boxing Day/St. Stephen’s Day became bank holidays. 

Scotland & Ireland  
Scotland was treated differently because of different traditions, for example at the time, New Year was a more important holiday there. So in 1871, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, first Monday in May, first Monday in August and Christmas Day became Bank Holidays in Scotland.

In 1903, the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act added 17th March, Saint Patrick’s Day, as a bank holiday, but only for Ireland. 

Christmas & New Year’s Day 
In England, we had to wait until 1974 for New Year’s Day to become a Bank Holiday. Can you believe it was as late as the 1970’s? Good Friday and Christmas Day were already recognised as holidays in England, Wales and Ireland. In fact they had been customary holidays since before records began. 

Comparison To Europe 
In the UK the number of Bank Holidays is relatively small compared to other European countries. However it all balances out because in most European countries if their Bank Holiday falls on a weekend, it does not differ to a weekday. This then makes the difference marginal between the UK and other European countries." 
Taken from an article here 
For those in the USA it's your Memorial Day Weekend, more details here

Of course Bank Holiday's or anytime, it's always nice to enjoy some ice cream,
Blueberry Ice Cream Delight
and it's low carb too, please see more details here


Enjoy your weekend
All the best Jan

26 comments:

mxtodis123 said...

Oh, that ice cream looks delicious. Definitely going to check it out.

Tom said...

...the Rhododendron makes for wonderful climbing.

baili said...

your first para shares my feeling for holidays dear Jan :)))

here i am feeling on top of the world having kids and hubby home most of the time and enjoying late lazy rises lol

your grandchildren look pretty expert in their task :)

youngest one entangled in tree branches reminds me days when i was used to climb on tree fearlessly :)

thank you for sharing history

have blessed time with family my friend!

Christine said...

yummy ice cream, thanks for explaining bank holidays.

Ygraine said...

Great info about Bank Holidays...I had never really thought about how they first began, so many thanks for this!
I love the photos of your grandchildren. They appear to be really enjoying themselves. Ah, Lulworth Cove...one of my favourite places!😊
And the ice cream looks absolutely amazing! I adore blueberries!! Yum!!!

Have a Super Weekend.😊😊

Jo said...

It's lovely to see children enjoying themselves, I hope the weather's fine so that they can enjoy some time outdoors whilst they're off school. I didn't realise how recent it was that New Year's Day became a bank holiday.

Miss Val's Creations said...

I love bank holidays. For it is usually includes a postal holiday which is a treat since I make 2 trips there each weekday. Wishing you beautiful weather to enjoy with the kids! The blueberry ice cream looks delicious. We sometimes toss frozen blueberries and plain yogurt in the blender for a tasty, healthy frozen snack.

Club Crafteria said...

Yes, its interesting to have long weekend as this one. Children love this. Thanks for sharing info on Bank holidays, good to know.

Following your blog now...

JFM said...

Love the photos of your family...precious!
That ice cream looks delicious~

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Happy long weekend Jan, your grandchildren are gorgeous and thanks for the ice cream recipe, I will definitely be making that, blueberries are a favourite ✨

Sandi said...

Yum...that ice cream!

We have a holiday weekend here too, Memorial Day. School is almost done for the summer too. It will be nice to have a break!

Sandra said...

Thanks for the info on Bank Holidays. I had no idea, so appreciate the info.
Your Grands are certainly cuties.
Enjoy:)

Laurel Wood said...

You are blessed with sweet grandchildren. I love to see their activities and I'm sure they will love some of the ice cream for a treat. We have a holiday weekend too.

Mary Kirkland said...

Really cute pictures. The ice cream sounds great.

Elephant's Child said...

Have fun. As I know you will.

Valerie-Jael said...

Lovely photos. Have a wonderful long weekend. The ice sounds yummy. Valerie

William Kendall said...

So that's the origin of the term!

Martha said...

Enjoy the weekend! That ice cream looks delicious.

Lee said...

Now that blueberry ice cream looks very inviting! I'll be right over! :)

Beautiful kiddies...a joy to behold. :)

Sara - Villa Emilia said...

Such cute, heart-warming photos and interesting facts... and of course a gorgeous idea for ice cream.
Is the climbing tree really a rhododendron? Wow, I wish they would be as big here too. :)
Happy Sunday!

Teresa said...

Muy buena información. Tus nietos se ven muy felices. En España tenemos más días de fiesta para pasarlo bien. Un beso.

Iris Flavia said...

It must be wonderful to have a sibling close in age. My Brother is 5 1/2 years younger than me, it took us till adulthood to appreciate each other really...
Oh, don´t you hate it when a public holiday falls on the weekend?
Or when they change them from good weather - June 17th due to national uprising against splitting Germany to October 3rd for reuniting, which certainly was a huge success, but the weather is usually crap!

That ice cream looks yummy!

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Grandchildren are such a blessing! I’m sure they live your blueberry ice cream. Yum 😋!

Bill said...

Interesting info on the bank holiday creation. Ours is next weekend. Blueberry ice cream is very very tempting. I want some. :)
Nice photos of your grandchildren havine some fun.
Have a great long weekend!

mamasmercantile said...

What fun those Grandchildren of yours look to be having. The ice cream looks tasty, yum!

Carla from The River said...

Enjoy your holiday time.
Blueberry ice cream! YUM!!