Schools closed for the Queen’s funeral

[Notme1980]

First off, Queen Elizabeth II was an amazing ruler and an inspiration, we are a forces family and my husband has served her for 30 plus years.

but - I do not want the schools to be closed for her funeral (or for any reason at all), I want us to do what I believe she would have done, press on.

Things interrupt NHS services on a regular basis. They also interrupt other aspects of life. Think extreme weather, staff shortages etc.
This is a one in a 70 year incident. See the bigger picture and not just your own micro wants and needs. Accept that this will create inconvenience or worse for some, but it’s something that comes out of how our country is run and it’s history.

Recognise this bigger picture and that some will be disappointed not to close and have a day off work, and that others who don’t support the monarchy can enjoy a day off without engaging with it. Understand that the majority will enjoy a day off and to varying degrees see this as an important event. If you’re not in that majority, understand that society often makes decisions which not every dividial likes or benefits from…and understand that it’s not all about you..and just accept that.

@WombatChocolate and there speaks the voice of the privileged.

micro wants 🙄

Accept that this will create inconvenience or worse for some, but it’s something that comes out of how our country is run and it’s history

That “worse for some” is cancer surgery being postponed, all because of “history”. People won’t get the healthcare they need because NHS staff will be at home watching the BBC give a minute-by-minute account of the location of a coffin.

This decision will negatively impact hundreds of thousands of people scheduled for appointments or surgery next Monday. It has nothing to do with support or opposition to the monarchy, I imagine plenty of people who support the monarchy still want their appointments or surgery. How about making it optional, and keeping things that matter going?

I can 100% guarantee there will be a thread in AIBU in the next week or so from someone who’s been told their appt or surgery has been delayed to a point of distress.

It's not privilege at all. You wouldn't get this much notice if schools were closed for extreme weather or power cuts. Same applies to the NHS. They have been many instances where procedures have been cancelled due to power failures or systems going down. You don't get notice for that. Just accept it's a bank holiday and move on

Those reasons all give a physical reason as to why medical services can’t take place.

Why can’t important medical things take place on Monday? Because everyone’s at home watching the telly.

Hardly the same, is it?

Emergency services will continue on Monday. Many other businesses will continue to operate (which incidentally will upset many who feel they are missing out on the event or a day off)

It will be routine things which are delayed. And of course that’s annoying and yes of course, like any other NHS delay (which is regular) it can have impacts on health. This is what happens when extreme weather hits and when staff illness prevent services happening and all kinds of other things which occur far more regularly than once in 70 years.

I fully get that the closure will upset and annoy and inconvenience some people. No-one denies that…but at the same time, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a Bank Holiday. It’s not a question of it benefitting the privileged. It’s a question of recognising a historic moment and the nation having the opportunity to choose to engage or not. Whether people acknowledge and value that moment is a matter for personal choice, but a Bank Holiday has to be a macro decision.

Many people don’t celebrate Christmas or enjoy it. Services are reduced then too. It inconveniences some and annoys some. No doubt, some people’s health deteriorates over Christmas. These things don’t mean Christmas shouldn’t be a Bank Holiday. And this is very similar.

And it’s happening. People can accept it and make the most of it, or they can spend the day feeling bitter and annoyed. That’s their choice.

The whole plan as to what will happen has been published for many years, so yes you are unreasonable to question it now.

And of course that’s annoying and yes of course, like any other NHS delay (which is regular) it can have impacts on health. This is what happens when extreme weather hits and when staff illness prevent services happening and all kinds of other things which occur far more regularly than once in 70 years.

It’s incredibly trivialising to say it’s merely “annoying”. It will be life affecting for many. And as I pointed out above, unforeseen impacts that make proceeding physically difficult or impossible are not anywhere near the same as “people want the day off to watch a coffin being driven around London”.

It’s not a macro decision if it affects hundreds of thousands of people. And Christmas Day is the same day every bloody year, so it’s not like stuff is ever booked in then postponed on the 15th of December is it? 🙄

It’s happening, but it’s not too late to keep the health services out of it.

"That “worse for some” is cancer surgery being postponed, all because of “history”. People won’t get the healthcare they need because NHS staff will be at home watching the BBC give a minute-by-minute account of the location of a coffin"

As I've previously commented the NHS waiting list is not in the millions because of two extra bank holidays this year. People on this thread get very indignant on this thread on the minor causes of delays and ignore major ones

Like it or not the government decide things all the time for the greater good which means someone else suffers. Prevaccines we sent kids back to school because it was important but some school staff got long covid or died, some kids lost parents or grandparents and yes a few key died as a result.

Now the government have decided a bank holiday to commemorate the queen Is worth kids missing a school day ( and we know how vital they repeatedly said it was this didn't happen) people missing NHS appointments, whether that be cancer scans or something else.

Unfortunately, some of us have to work the day of the Queen's funeral - like it or lump it. Those who have children and may I say it - use the schools as a babysitting service - will get preference for time off. The rest of us, although we may not have young children or children of school age, have to work. My profession is not alone - nurses, Police et al. As other Mumsnetters have said, it is an historical event. If it were a Royal Wedding, no doubt there would be a holiday and schools closed and no-one would bat an eyelid.

The difference being of course that we are choosing to shut down on the 19th rather than being forced to.

Some people will have procedures/operations/appointments they have been waiting months or years for.

Some people will lose a day's pay when - admittedly the blanket Queenwankcoverage has overtaken actual problems - there is a cost of living crisis.

Some people don't have child care because - like it or not schools do provide an essential childcare service to many.

It's easy to say "deal with it" when you are going to be able to smugly take a day off with no consequence, isn't it.

If it were a Royal Wedding, no doubt there would be a holiday and schools closed and no-one would bat an eyelid.

When William and Kate got married the date was known about a long time in advance.

I don’t think people have any idea how difficult it is to move patients with a week’s notice. The manpower required to contact patients, the logistics of trying to find another time and date, the emotional toll on staff and patients, all for the sake of allowing people the chance of sitting at home watching the BBC drone on and on…”And now, the coffin makes its way from Westminster Hall, to Westminster Abbey. Tell me [studio guest], what are your memories of Her Majesty?”

Are people suggesting it shouldn’t be a Bank Holiday and that the country should carry on as normal on the day of the Queen’s funeral? That it shouldn’t be a national and centrally decided day?

I fully get that there are consequences of choosing to have the Bank Holiday, and also like most things, they aren’t equally felt by all. But is there anyway to ever make a decision for something national, without there being winners and losers?

The government has decided that there are more benefits than costs of doing this. Many of the benefits might not be measurable benefits, but they think it is worth doing, even amongst the downsides which will exist.

You might be in one of the groups who feels they are not a ‘winner’ from this. Maybe your medical appt will be delayed. Maybe you will need to work still and need childcare. Maybe your firm will close and your contract is such that you won’t get paid. Do you think that these things mean it shouldn’t be a national day, and because of these individuals impacts, the funeral should happen on a ‘normal’ day? Do you think 70 years as Head of State shouldn’t be given a day, because of the difficulties it causes? I guess those are the questions really.

1. Don't have multiple accounts, thanks.

2. Elective procedures will be cancelled. This has already started happening.

Ta.

I’m amazed that anyone is actually surprised the Queen’s funeral is going to be a Bank Holiday. What did people seriously think would happen?!

100% agree

But elective services don’t carry on in the NHS on normal public holidays. And people can plan in advance for them.

I believe it should be a partial public holiday with people given the option of taking if they want and essential services continuing.

Let the children watch the funeral (or the highlights, for God knows they won’t watch the whole thing, which will take HOURS on TV) in school, where they are looked after, warm and fed.

If your objection isn't about not wanting to be personally inconvenienced and you're actually just worried about children not being "looked after, warm and fed" surely you're far more concerned about the 6 weeks a year school is closed for the summer, 2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks at Easter, October half term, febuary half term, all the other bank holidays, inset days, not to mention even single evening and weekend rather than this one day. Perhaps we should be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year so parents never have to take responsibility for feeding and supervising their own children?

If it is genuinely the case that children will come to significant as a direct result of being at home for an additional 6-7 hours then something has gone very wrong in our society and schools are not responsible for that.

It seems clear - from the contrast between the out ry here and the non- outcry for the extra day for the Jubilee bank holiday (whether that was taken on the designated day or a separate occasion as schools did) that the main issue people are complaining about is the - inevitable - lack of notice.

A planned BH for an in many ways less important reason - a Royal wedding, a Jubilee - is ok.

An unplanned one fir a Royal state funeral is not.

I suppose the way I see it us that this day would have had to be taken at some point - the Queen would have died and had a funeral at some point - so this BH was always going to happen, we just didn’t know when. If we accept the ‘planned BH for Riyal celebrations’ without outcry, it’s clearly not aboit the lost learning or the day of no earnings. It us about the inconvenience of the - completely inevitable - lack of notice.

Sure you don’t
Elective is called so for a reason. And no they aren’t.
Cheers

Clearly you don't have an actual argument to make. Toodlepip.

Actually my outcry is due to the fact the nation has prioritised the bizarre psychological need to be “part of history”, which essentially means watching TV day, over the actual needs of people.

Why don't you want schools closed?

That would have been mayhem. What counts as essential service?! Far simpler to have a Bank Holiday.