Travelling back from work through Walsall town centre today it was nice to see how much trade the shops and markets stalls were doing. Folks seemed to be taking advantage of the sales that were going on and the cafes and food stalls were also busy. Perhaps people have saved a bit of cash to spend despite the squeeze on their income and of course shops are doing there best to entice shoppers by cutting profit margins and discounting goods. Looks like everyone is trying to do their bit to kick start the economy.

I needed to pay a cheque into my account but when I went to the bank it was of course shut.

Just about says it all doesn't it.

Today is a Bank Holiday. There's a clue in there somewhere!

Well spotted. But then again that was partly part of the the point I was making.

Bank Holidays should be a thing of the past - if the UK has a public holiday then fine but fekking bankers should be made to work every day until they have paid back all the money they owe to taxpayers.
Never did understand why banks opened late and closed early - I had retal stores and we were always open when our customers wanted us open. That is business and it is about time we as customers insisted that our banks stay open for the same hours our high street stores stay open.

So are you saying that all bank holidays should be done away with?

I work in the construction industry, I get bank holidays off too, much like a lot of people of the people on this forum. Surely, it's the retail people that go against the grain?

Accept those who lost all the money are not the poor cashiers or bank workers.
The ones who lost all the money work in the city not in the local branch of "Whichever bank" on the streets of Walsall.

The sooner shops are shut on a Sunday again the better

Aren't they Public Holidays, not Bank Holidays? And the Banks should be open.........

I can't believe it took A74 to point that out! Moaning about 'bank' holidays just demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the way things work. Having spent yesterday with a banker and his family I can tell you that his house is full of stuff that he bought in the UK with money he earns in the UK.

When you're in charge have a go at running this country without a banking sector. The reason we have little manufacturing left is because we ALL want to earn more, that's the way capitalism works. Blaming all bankers (including bank tellers ) is like blaming all builders when a school collapses in China.

Exactly, everyone in this country is entitled to bank holidays.
Those who work on bank holidays get other days off in leiu if they work bank holidays.

Bank tellers/people who work in banks did not cause this economic crisis, a small minority of people who work in the banking industry ie those who work in the city, indirectly caused the difficulties everyone is facing.

So to have a go at those who work in the banking industry over banks being shut on bank holidays is simply daft.

My point was about banks as an institution. Regarding annual leave why bank holidays? I haven't got a problem with public holidays. What's the history behind them?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_holiday

I think banks open late and close early due to the back-room paperwork - which Nick Leeson was really good at