Is it August bank holiday today?

[Chancer]

I ask because the British consulate is closed due to a public holiday according to their ansaphone (jour ferié on the French translation) but it looks like a normal day here in Picardie, mind you it is often hard to tell the difference and I still dont know all of the numerous French public holidays.

So is it today a jour ferié in France or a bank holiday in the UK?

If its the latter then the embassy staff have a good number if they get all the French jour ferié's plus the UK bank holidays!

When I do finally get through to them I shall ask if they have any jobs going [:)]

[Will]

I work for a UK company so although I am in France I am trying to take today off (though still have to deal with e-mails from other countries which are working). Judie, however, works for a French company, and it is not a public holiday in France, so she is working - and because it is an English bank holiday she is overwhelmed with English clients.

It sounds like ambassadorial staff do indeed get the best of both worlds, unlike us mere workers.

 

[AnOther]

Yes.

One of the outrageous inequities of working offshore, just another day at t' mill, I feel a Downing St. petition coming on, I trust I can count on your support [blink][:D]

[andyh4]

So do consulate staff take the English bank holiday (today) or the Scottish one (beginning of August)?

No on second thoughts I think I already know the answer.

[Just Katie]

Bet it is raining in UK

[tuppence]

Must be a UK Bank Holiday, as Carrefour at Cite Europe was packed with the boozy mob stocking up on their booze. Probably only last them till the next weekend!!!!![:D] Thankfully we were in and out before 1pm but the car park was filling up nicely with UK cars.

tuppence

 

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

It is a bank holiday in the UK today. Why is it called a bank holiday anyway? And it has always amazed me that the UK only has one bank holiday in summer. Stupid English.

[AnOther]

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Why is it called a bank holiday anyway?[/quote]Err, something to do with the banks being on holiday perhaps, unsurprisingly of religious origin [;-)]

Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed about thirty-three saints' days and religious festivals as holidays, but in 1834, this was reduced to just four: 1 May, 1 November, Good Friday, and Christmas Day.

In 1871, the first legislation relating to bank holidays was passed when Sir John Lubbock introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871

which specified the days in the table set out below. Sir John was an

enthusiastic supporter of cricket and was firmly of the belief that

bank employees should have the opportunity to participate in and attend

matches when they were scheduled. Included in the dates of bank

holidays are therefore dates when cricket games were traditionally

played between the villages in the region where Sir John was raised. Scotland was treated separately because of its separate traditions; for example, New Year is a more important holiday there.

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

I must say I find the cricket connection quite bizarre but quintessentially British [:-))]

[Will]

[quote user="ErnieY"]... an enthusiastic supporter of cricket and was firmly of the belief that bank employees should have the opportunity to participate in and attend matches when they were scheduled.

I must say I find the cricket connection quite bizarre but quintessentially British [:-))]

[/quote]

I suppose it's something like giving them 26 December off so they could hit each other? [;-)]

[Fay]

Got an email from a friend who lives in London - I mailed back 'why are you at home on a lovely day like this? I thought you would be at the carnival!'. To precis her reply, it was, indeed, raining.

[Chancer]

If they called jour feriés bank holidays in France then I dont think that anyone would actually go to work.

My bank and as far as I know all others has 52 bank holidays a year (every Monday) in addition to the mandatory I believe 12 jours feriés (correct me if I am wrong) the staff get 7 weeks paid holiday plus (I have forgeotten the word in French) lieu days for working more than 7 hours a day or having less than 2 hours for lunch. Add to that the sick leave, days off to attend a funeral of anyone tha they might remotely know etc etc.

I am going to suggest that the staff sign the visitors when they do actually go in to work.

I am only jealous of course, my girlfriend gets 9 weeks paid leave plus all the above.

Oh and did I forget to mention the 13th months salary when they take "les vacances"?

Kinda beats working for living dont you think?

JR AKA Richard Littlejohn

[Judith]

[quote user="Just Katie"]Bet it is raining in UK[/quote]

Whatever it did elsewhere in the UK, in London it did not rain - just as well, as I went to the open air theatre in Regent's Park last night, hence the delay in replying to this yesterday!

[Kevinmc]

Well it did in cumbria - all day long. Had the lights on most of the day, it was that dark. But then I did choose to live there

[Fay]

How bizarre - friend in (I think) Hackney said it was raining!

[Judith]

[quote user="Fay"]How bizarre - friend in (I think) Hackney said it was raining![/quote]

Obviously one those scattered showers again!  Certainly in town I did not see any rain.  Does this bode interestingly for the Olympics, is Hackney / Newham area prone to scattered showers I wonder?