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You've just reminded me -- anyone remember "factory fortnight"? I'm 44 so can't remember it that well, but pretty sure all the local factories used to shut down for two weeks in the summer I think?
Used to happen in Northamptonshire when its main industry was boot & shoe. Lots ofl inter-dependent companies making components and also many manufacturers meant that it was best that they all closed together.
Also meant that the United Counties had buses and crews idle because works services were no longer required, so through the fortnight they ran excursions to such resorts as Wellingborough Zoo, Wicksteed's and even as far as the Dunstable Downs, all in K type lowbridge double deckers with a conductor. Usually stopped on the way home at a pub for all to consume (and the crews didn't have to put their hands in their pockets). The high spot of the year.
I've never had to book the bank holidays as annual leave ( office job ); it's 20 days plus bank holidays.
It was previously up to 30 days + bank holidays from length of service, but we got taken over and told it would from then be 20 days with no compensating pay rise... and the mandatory Christmas shut down ( which had not previously been a thing either ).
I've never had to book the bank holidays as annual leave ( office job ); it's 20 days plus bank holidays.
It was previously up to 30 days + bank holidays from length of service, but we got taken over and told it would from then be 20 days with no compensating pay rise... and the mandatory Christmas shut down ( which had not previously been a thing either ).
If you don't mind me asking, who's your employer (I completly understand if you don't want to share that information)?
Losing a third of your discretionary annual leave as part of a takeover is shocking. They would no doubt have gone further if they could have gotten away with it, 20 days + b/h is the legal minimum employers can offer.
Used to happen in Northamptonshire when its main industry was boot & shoe. Lots ofl inter-dependent companies making components and also many manufacturers meant that it was best that they all closed together.
Also meant that the United Counties had buses and crews idle because works services were no longer required, so through the fortnight they ran excursions to such resorts as Wellingborough Zoo, Wicksteed's and even as far as the Dunstable Downs, all in K type lowbridge double deckers with a conductor. Usually stopped on the way home at a pub for all to consume (and the crews didn't have to put their hands in their pockets). The high spot of the year.
That's the badger -- thanks for the intel! Some great anecdotal info there
My Grandparents lived in Moulton -- my Grandfather worked in the boot and shoe industry for decades pretty much straight after the end of WW2 (after he'd finished his service in the war). Maybe a Northants specific thing then?
You've just reminded me -- anyone remember "factory fortnight"? I'm 44 so can't remember it that well, but pretty sure all the local factories used to shut down for two weeks in the summer I think?
Wakes weeks. All the factories in one town would shut down. But other towns would have different weeks so as not to overload the hospitality at the seaside resorts which were the favourite holiday destinations.
Where I was brought up in the sixties in British West Yorkshire The first two weeks in August were "Morley Feast" when the mills shut down, employees drew the money from their pound a week "holiday clubs" and took off to Blackpool or Scarborough by charabanc
Following the release of news of prominent people’s deaths, such as that of Jimmy Carter, news sites often have a series of Updates. How do you update something like that: still dead? (Discussion, retrospectives and comments from others are not updates.)
Following the release of news of prominent people’s deaths, such as that of Jimmy Carter, news sites often have a series of Updates. How do you update something like that: still dead? (Discussion, retrospectives and comments from others are not updates.)
Speaking of which, Sky websites are worst for this, when they have a breaking news story, the breaking news story is normally in a yellow banner in black font, you go on over an hour later & the breaking news story is still their, come on at least for about 15 minutes minimum, then it should be downgraded to non breaking news.
I stopped taking notice when BREAKING NEWS told us Nelson Mandela's condition (illness) remained unchanged.
You got me to drop everything to tell me nothing has happened?
I don't mind if it's reserved for major news items but it's frequently not.
I'm sure the term 'breaking news' used to be restricted to major events like terrorists attacks, riots, natural disasters, the outbreak of war etc whereas now it's used for relatively minor events.
I don't mind if it's reserved for major news items but it's frequently not.
I'm sure the term 'breaking news' used to be restricted to major events like terrorists attacks, riots, natural disasters, the outbreak of war etc whereas now it's used for relatively minor events.
I feel that the news reporting organisations have to show how good they are and out-compete their rivals by bringing "breaking news" as quickly as possible.
I remember many years ago (probably 1991) being in the USA and watching CNN cover something like the start of a Gulf War. It was dreadful coverage, we were shown unintelligible poor videos of goodness knows what with the presenters gabbling rubbish at us. "Unedited rushes" was the BBC description at the time. Sadly, CNN is now the model even the BBC uses, and throws this sort of rubbish at us in the haste to out-do its competition.
No thought of waiting a few minutes and analysing the information properly first.
Time moves on I guess. I still get most of my news from the BBC World Service, eg Newshour, which used to be 3x daily and is now 2x daily so I can guess where that's going. Radio is far better than TV because it can't glibly show you rubbish pictures with no analysis. But I'm probably the minority audience these days.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
TV news is essentially entertainment competing for audience share dressed up as something more serious.
Quality Street chocolates (other assorted chocolates are available).
Invariably come the end of the bag, when everyone has had their choice(s), you are left with the caramels. They always seem to be the last resort, only eaten when everything else has gone. They give you jaw ache.
Quality Street chocolates (other assorted chocolates are available).
Invariably come the end of the bag, when everyone has had their choice(s), you are left with the caramels. They always seem to be the last resort, only eaten when everything else has gone. They give you jaw ache.
Quality Street chocolates (other assorted chocolates are available).
Invariably come the end of the bag, when everyone has had their choice(s), you are left with the caramels. They always seem to be the last resort, only eaten when everything else has gone. They give you jaw ache.
I take a number or repeat medications, and have done for some time. I do not need the insert which just gets in the way.
It appears to me that the manufacturers turn the boxes round randomly. One packet has the instructions at the printed end whilst the next one or two they will be in the blank end. Every time you open a new box it's pure pot luck!!!
I take a number or repeat medications, and have done for some time. I do not need the insert which just gets in the way.
It appears to me that the manufacturers turn the boxes round randomly. One packet has the instructions at the printed end whilst the next one or two they will be in the blank end. Every time you open a new box it's pure pot luck!!!
True, but think of the extra problems for the pharmacists: not just sorting out the correct pills, but also checking whether they need to open the box to take out the leaflet if it is a repeat prescription. Your life might depend on the pills (mine does on one of mine), so don’t further complicate things.
True, but think of the extra problems for the pharmacists: not just sorting out the correct pills, but also checking whether they need to open the box to take out the leaflet if it is a repeat prescription. Your life might depend on the pills (mine does on one of mine), so don’t further complicate things.
At the moment most of my pills seem to be coming from different manufacturers each month, so the packaging is usually unfamiliar. So I wouldn’t know which end was the normal end for this brand.
I stopped taking notice when BREAKING NEWS told us Nelson Mandela's condition (illness) remained unchanged.
You got me to drop everything to tell me nothing has happened?
Probably the best bit of poetry the man ever wrote! How he became Poet Laureate is an interesting story, but also extremely depressing if poetry is something you take seriously.
I would ban the concept of Dry January whereby people are urged to abstain from drinking for a month.
With pubs struggling to survive these days and this being their toughest trading month of the year, what puritan clown came up with the idea? Just ignore the health obsessed zealots and enjoy your life!
I would ban the concept of Dry January whereby people are urged to abstain from drinking for a month.
With pubs struggling to survive these days and this being their toughest trading month of the year, what puritan clown came up with the idea? Just ignore the health obsessed zealots and enjoy your life!
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