Re shop openings on the 12th April

[Timeisavirtue]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot and think it’s a really really stupid idea that they are planning on opening shops half way during the half term. I work in a clothing retail and I’m itching to go back to work after being furloughed since Christmas Eve but I think this is by far the stupidest idea Bojo has suggested. I think it would be better to wait a week and ease into it as kids will be at school.

May is half term AND Whit week 😀

Two of mine go back on the 12th and one on the 19th just to confuse us!

@Angel2702

Because the shops are closed other than supermarkets. Which aren’t suitable for what we need.

Surely supermarket or clothes stores like Next who do click and collect, Argos, Online catalogues, Amazon would all be better than them having nothing that fits?

"An awful lot of (most?) schools now work on a six term year, so it's actually no longer accurate to call the October holiday 'half term' either."

Sorry, what?! No they don't. They have three. Autumn, Spring and Summer, each with a half term break.

On the matter of school uniforms, a relative of mine has found a local supplier for her DC school that sells direct and no longer has a shop.

You message them with what you want and they'll bring your order within a few days. They have a rota so visit each area north/south/east/west of the schools a couple of times a week and they wait outside your house while things are tried on. They also sell second hand items for a token amount.

Worth asking your schools or googling 'name of school uniform supplier' to see if this is available to you. If not, it seems like a great business idea to me.

But the school is also operating a 'just do your best' policy WRT uniforms over the next few weeks, because they know that shops have been closed, DC have grown, many have lost incomes etc etc.

Schools here are back 12 April in NE England. That's the end of the Easter holidays, half term is end of May.

[quote hobsonjobson]@cardibach sorry, but the pedant in me can't resist. An awful lot of (most?) schools now work on a six term year, so it's actually no longer accurate to call the October holiday 'half term' either. There is generally no such as thing as a 'half term' - every holiday is now the end of a term. (Though of course we all still think of it the old way.)[/quote]
I don't know where you are but no schools in my County or the neighbouring ones have a 6 term year, I'm pretty sure it's by no means the norm

We had a proposal to move some years ago but it ended up being a non starter

Schools back on the 12th here in Wales
It's amazing how some posters fail to grasp that different areas have different terms
And shock horror the devolved countries may be doing things differently
Even at Christmas not all the holidays are the same

Your childcare issues are not Bojo’s main consideration.
So yes, get the shops open, get the Country back to work/ life/ normality ASAP.
Can’t wait!

@DrMadelineMaxwell

It will be to stop people who are off work because their kids are on easter holidays from using the shops as a form of entertainment and a way to try and keep numbers of people visiting them down.

It is annoying. I like a mooch around the shops with my teens, but that hasnt been easy or fun to do in a year now, due to having to pay attention to all the restrictions.

I really don't think that's how the months' long so called road map was worked out

@Angel2702

Because the shops are closed other than supermarkets. Which aren’t suitable for what we need.

Most stores are open online?

Schools back on 12th here. I am no fan of the current government but think they have done the right thing opening the shops when most of the schools are back.

@FlyingBurrito www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/term-dates#tab-4 Our county has six terms. No doubt others don't. But it's certainly not the case that half term holidays are a universal thing. NB our LA hasn't changed the length of the terms, just the nomenclature.

Our neighbouring county E Sussex is also six terms.

It’s fascinating how many people have posted on here during this crisis, thinking that government policy on it should be tailored to their personal circumstances, and annoyed that it hasn’t been. Like at Christmas - AIBU to hope they say we can’t mix households so I don’t have to see my MIL? Well, yes, actually, although I’d say more absolutely deranged than unreasonable.

@SleepingStandingUp
Not as simple as that for us l, due to autism and sensory issues we need very specific items from specific stores not available online. Have actually been trying since October between lockdowns but the shops didn’t restock between October and December lockdown.

They Need uniform too which is from specific supplier back in the dark ages that doesn’t have online ordering. Not to mention being Dad more expensive ordering online with delivery costs added.

I think it's hard to buy shoes online for children. They really do need to try things on. Supermarkets in Wales are still only selling essential items, although this definition varies from supermarket to supermarket. Easier to get clothes for small DC than teens but also we aren't meant to be traveling too far from home - in rural areas you can be a long way from a big supermarket.

@Angel2702 ah ok, apologies, you'll be more than ready for the shops to open then.

Yes fair enough @Angel2702, really hope they've stocked up for when they open in April.

Seems to depend energy you live as to when half term is. I'm in the SE and schools are back on 12 April.

^depend when. Bloody autocorrect.

"Seems to depend energy you live as to when half term is."

I'm yet to come across anywhere that has a half term in April.

[quote hobsonjobson]@cardibach sorry, but the pedant in me can't resist. An awful lot of (most?) schools now work on a six term year, so it's actually no longer accurate to call the October holiday 'half term' either. There is generally no such as thing as a 'half term' - every holiday is now the end of a term. (Though of course we all still think of it the old way.)[/quote]
I disagree. Some academy chains have decided to call them that in England. If they are all terms, why are half the holidays shorter? Academy chains are the very devil anyway and should be ignored at all costs.
In Wales we don't talk such nonsense in my experience.

And are back on the 12th in most parts of South Yorkshire @Monkeytapper**

We’re in S. Yorks. Dd goes back a week later than the 12th. They don’t break up until Good Friday

Sheffield are back on the 19th, but Barnsley and Doncaster are back on the 12th. Over the years Sheffield and Barnsley seem to have had different half terms and Easter holidays.

@cardibach I quite agree that it seems pointless moving to a six term structure unless you're going to change the holiday lengths, but that's exactly what our county and our next door county have done (probably some others too but I can't be arsed to check). Nothing to do with academies in this case - these are the official LA terms (ie Term 1 to October, Term 2 to Christmas, Term 3 to February etc).

It’s great for us as the kids are off and we’ll be able to do something.