Bank holidays — what’s not to like? An extra day or two off work always seems to come at just the right time, and they are often filled with plenty of fun activities around the city, many of which inevitably take place at the pub.
Yep, they’re hard to top, really. But 2022 is going to give it a damn good go. Not only do we get an extra one (it feels like we don’t get enough normally, TBH), but pubs will be allowed to stay open extra long to celebrate a weekend full of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities.
Between Thursday, June 2 and Saturday, June 4, pubs will be given special permission to stay open an extra two hours until 1am. We are definitely all in agreement that the worst part of the weekend is being told to leave the pub and move on to a quite frankly inferior club night or bar (well, most of the time), so this is going to be a true blessing. The order is set to pass through parliament today, with the Home Secretary supporting the order as a result of the ‘boost’ it will bring the hospitality industry.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “For 70 years Her Majesty The Queen has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness and resolve.
“The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic national occasion, which will see families, friends and communities across the country come together to celebrate this unprecedented landmark in a remarkable reign.
“Over the extended Bank Holiday weekend, we will be able to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty’s incredible service to our country, while also providing a boost to the hospitality industry after a challenging couple of years.”
If you’re a fan of the monarchy, you get extra time to celebrate the first-of-a-kind moment in this country’s history as Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 70 years on the throne. If you’re not; well, it’s just an extra couple hours in the pub over the weekend, so in some ways it’s… kind of a win-win in this instance?
I won’t tell you my stance, but one thing is for sure. I’ll be in the pub that weekend enjoying the extended opening hours. Cheers!