Sunday opening

Sunday opening has had a devastating effect on family life in the UK!

Here in Spain, the law still says that the big shops and supermarkets are not truly allowed to open on a Sunday, unless maybe it is close to Christmas, when large concerns like Carrefour will advertise which Sundays in December they will be open. The idea behind this is that the smaller shops have a chance to keep themselves in business, by being the only places open on the weekend.

People of my age (we’re talking newly sixty) will remember how those British ‘corner shops’ really were hubs of activity. You went there to buy a few odds and ends, both for the fact that you probably didn’t have a car and that there weren’t many giant chain stores anyway. You also went there to chat, to find out how your neighbours were and to be part of that community.

In England today, the big shops and supermarkets are often open every day of the week, meaning that if sons and daughters aren’t manning the checkouts, than maybe mam or dad is. Getting together on a weekend becomes extremely difficult, as ‘everyone’ can’t be there. Generations become ships that pass in the night.

In Spain, children bring their own families to their parents’ homes on the Sunday and that day is still valued as the day of rest. How I wish it was still like that in England. Knowing that it wasn’t made it easier for Hubby and I to emigrate, as we weren’t getting those sought-after visits, because our kids were either at work, or taking on a second job or activity to provide some luxuries.

Shame.

Still, while we’re all working long hours to put some food on the table, who knows what time we’ll have available to go and actually buy it!

Hmm …. maybe we should all go back to growing our own …. .

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here