Bank holidays are precious and few. They must be savoured, protected and enjoyed to their fullest.
They are not luxuries; we are entitled to them. In Britain we have an entrenched guilt when it comes to taking holidays, calling them ‘annual leave’ as though it’s something we have to do, rather than something we should enjoy doing.
The bank holiday is different. The office is shut. The plant is closed. Everyone’s off on the same day, so there’s no need to feel guilty for not feeding your soul into the computer for one day. And on a day like today – a gorgeous, sunny day – we’re grateful for the time off.
On these days, we head to the pub for a few pints in the sun. We pack up the family and drive down to the seaside for an ice cream. We go out for lunch and dine on the patio. We hit the shops and spend some of our well-earned disposable income. We treat ourselves, because it’s one of the few days a year that we can.
But behind each of these services stands a legion of servicepeople, pulling pints and waiting tables. The service sector is the biggest part of the UK economy, contributing around 80% of GDP. Pubs, bars, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, theme parks, ice cream parlours, lidos and many other classic bank holiday pursuits are open for business today.
It used to be that working a bank holiday meant earning double time, maybe even triple. These days you’re lucky to get time-and-a-half. It wasn’t even that long ago that people would volunteer for the bank holiday shift so they could get a few more pennies int in their pay packet, but after the credit crunch, that was all out the window.
So here they are, manning the bar, serving the scoops, punching the tickets, all so we can have a good time on our day off. “But it’s their job,” you may say. “It’s what they do.” It is, and we thank them for it. “If they don’t like working bank holidays, they should get another job.” Then who’s going to make your drink or scan your shopping? Someone else, and they deserve our thanks too.
Anyone who works or has worked in the service industry knows what a pain it can be, especially on a glorious bank holiday like today. It’s not fair, and life isn’t fair, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t cut you some slack now and again.
My summers were spent working in a shoe shop selling school shoes to grumpy parents with even grumpier children. It was pretty awful for almost all concerned: no one wanted to be there, but everyone had to be there.
The worst days were when the grumpy parents turned into rude, angry parents, fed up with waiting to spend £40 on shoes that their children would ruin in a few weeks. Inevitably my fellow shop staff and I would bear the brunt of it. Most were patient, some were irritable but dealing with it, but the few who snapped made the rest of the day miserable.
It’s a hot day today. The pubs and bars, cafes and restaurants will be rammed. Service may take a while, but speaking as someone who has worked in several service jobs, the staff are doing their best. They deserve our thanks, not our ire.
The real heroes of the bank holiday, of course, are those running the hospitals, driving the ambulances, keeping us safe at home and abroad. They’re heroes today, tomorrow and every day. But spare a thought for the people behind the bar and waiting on your table. They are, in the parlance of our times, today’s MVP.
