What is open on Monday 19th Sept?

[mourningafter]

For those of us lucky enough to have the day off with our kids, who don't want to watch the funeral. I would love to hear anyone's idea of how to make the most of a bonus day off. In particular if you know of anything fun that's open.

I'd prefer not to spend the day in the local park, have done that enough in the past 2 years. The only thing I've seen that's open so far is Hawksmoor which is a bit fancy for a family day!

I did watch her being crowned as a child, but I can't remember it as I was a toddler, whose grand parents had a telly, because granddad was an illegal off course bookmaker, who needed to see the racing.😉

I have a massive interest in history. It is precisely because of that I was very interested in the language used in the proclamation and how tied up that was in making it clear the country was not suddenly ripe to be attacked. Genuinely fascinating stuff.

My kids get taken to castles and museums all the time. We all enjoy it. And I'll probably watch the funeral on catch up later on.

Not expecting 4 and 6 year olds to be interested in a televised church service is just realistic.

@jays I'm so sorry for yours too

My kids are teenagers. If they want to watch the funeral they can. I doubt it though.

FFS forcing mandatory mourning onto people is sheer North Korea territory!

I'm being forced to lose two days' pay against my will for days that are not even the day of the funeral itself. I've had an urgent medical appointment cancelled that will likely not be rescheduled for months.

Currently looking to see if there are any cheap flights or ferries so I can have a long weekend abroad and escape the whole nonsense.

Shut up 🤣

We can learn from many things, not just by tuning in to hours of dreary coverage on the stuffy monarchy.
I’m anti monarchy anyway, my kids don’t seem to have suffered from not being subjected to watching any of the royal weddings, we won’t be tuning in to the funeral either. Dh asked if they wanted to record it and all of them politely declined. They were given the option. It’s not like it’s not going to be on the telly again all bloody night and probably rehashed over and over again for eternity. We are supposed to be taking dd1 to university on Monday, if that now doesn’t happen we are planning on going to the beach with sils and their families for a walk.
funerals are horrible at the best of times, we’ve just been to one of a relative who was killed, the idea of a funeral at the best of times makes me cold but right now in particular. Not that I’d watch even if that hadn’t just happened.

I was supposed to be at DDs best friends funeral which of course has now been cancelled with no idea when it can be rescheduled for. I have no interest in watching a wealth hoarding colonisers funeral just to appear to be respectful when this country have fuck all respect for everyday people.

You can go shopping in asda. They are opening at 5pm 😂

Thank you so much. 💐

Other funerals being cancelled is just wrong.

I feel sorry for her family, I know how I felt losing my own grandmother who was of a similar age. My thoughts go out to them at an undoubtedly sad and difficult time.

That said, I don't think I will watch the funeral, I have a 3 and 5 year old who wouldn't be interested for more than five minutes, and quite honestly funerals are just sad and there is enough sadness in the world without seeking it out. I've had enough funerals in the last few years to last me a lifetime.

I am getting a bit tired of my usual radio station playing slow/ sad songs as a mark of "respect"?! I wouldn't wallow in sad songs when my own family have died by doing this, so it seems strange that we are being somehow encouraged to do that now.

If anyone finds out about any family day out activities in Scotland, I'll be keeping an eye for recommendations. Would like to use the impromptu day off to spend time with my family doing something uplifting.

I think mine would rather stick pins in their eyes! I suspect they'll be having a serious lie in as no school. I will be abroad and thus miss it all, hurrah...

The head of state is dead ffs! Sorry if it’s an inconvenience to you but can’t you have a bit of respect for the occasion. Everything is shut for a reason. Nothing to do with “guilt” but respect, something that is clearly lacking here.

Oh give over. Not everybody is a royalist and people can do what they please.

Really? Come on, there are plenty with no interest / desire / need to watch rolling news of a funeral that means nothing to them.

The Royal Family, a goldmine for the UK economy and central to its soft power status around the globe, cost 100 million per year.

The last US election cost $14 billion...to deliver Sleepy Joe Biden.

OP what exactly did you hope to achieve with this thread? Surely you can look up for yourself what is open in your area?

Looks like most things are closed anyway. Personally I think children who are old enough should be encouraged to watch, whatever your views on the monarchy, because it’s an important historical event. It’s good for them to understand who people are, leaders of different counties etc and can open up some interesting questions and discussion which is good for their general knowledge. They can make form their own opinions about the monarchy without being brainwashed by anti-monarchy parents.

It’s only one day anyway, I think we’ll all survive not going to the shops or outings.

Morbid alert!⚠️

Those of us with small DC won't get a chance to follow a state funeral. They wouldn't sit still!

I would prefer to be outdoors doing something positive with my time. I don't agree in state enforced mourning.

As a child I never once asked what my parents/grandparents did on the day of the last King's funeral. I don't have a clue what we did on the day of Charles' investiture and never asked.

My hairdressers is open. Probably about the only place in town which won't be closing.

I never asked my family what they did either. I know my gran watched the Queen's coronation on TV, but only because they bought a TV, especially for the occasion.

You'd think but it's very hard to get the information that somewhere is open unless they actively announce it. And most places don't keep their sites up to date. So I came to MN with a clear question and reason why I was asking it. Yes, we'll survive but I'm trying to do more than that with a bonus day for my family.

I’ve got plenty of jobs to do so it’s a useful day off.

@mourningafter keep an eye on Alice Holt and Banstead Woods - things like that may be open as they are woodland trails, so are essentially always open, though car parks may not be of course.

Wondering if takeaways will be open, I fancy a Chinese!