Message from the Chair May 2021
Hello and welcome. There are eight bank holidays in 2021 and two of them are in May.
Before retirement they were something to look forward to, as for the large majority of us, it meant time off work.
How they came about and why we know them as bank holidays dates back to 1871 when:
Statutory bank holidays were introduced by the 1871 Bank Holiday Act and were days when the Bank of England and banks could close. The Act made provision for no financial dealing to occur on that day and bills or promissory notes that were due on that day were not payable until the following day and did not incur any penalties. Before this time banks were unable to close on weekdays as to do so would have put them at the risk of bankruptcy. But once the act was on the statute books, bank staffs were able to have fixed holidays. The first bank holidays were Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first Monday in August and Boxing Day, in England, Wales and Ireland.
When you are in the u3a every day is like a holiday….
Provisionally on May 17th the Covid protocols change and groups of six will be allowed inside and groups of thirty outside. This means that we can start to organise some face to face group activities. There will still be some conditions relating to risk assessments, social distancing, hygiene and masks that will need to be followed.
I wish to commend an article by Val Gant suggesting a Hucknall u3a litter picking squad. Val is asking that volunteers get in touch with her, please see further details in the article.
Finally thanks to everyone who voted in the AGM and remember we will need new committee members next time.
David Rose Chairman