Not what I was looking for!

[Uncle Peter]

How long before religion dies out completely? At least we don't have to go to church anymore.

[Dave Liquorice]

Try going to a 24/7 "open" Tesco at 0300 Sunday morning...

[Tony Bryer]

IIRC the loudest objections came from the small shopkeeper lobby, many of whom are natural Conservative supporters.

[Uncle Peter]

Why?

[mcp]

Not all of them.

[Tim Watts]

And some of the massive supermarkets are staffed overnight anyway, cleaning, restocking and stuff.

It's not a huge additional load to put someone on a till for a couple of customers who may wander around. Last time I did this I could hardly move for cages of stock everywhere and piles of boxes in the gangways.

[charles]

No - just custom and practice as discovered by the Jewish proprietor of a department store in Tollcross who wanted to close on his Sabbath (Saturday)

[Nightjar]

As I have posted elsewhere, the Shop Bill 1986 was Margaret Thatcher's only defeat in the House of Commons. It would have removed all restrictions on Sunday opening. The main opposition came from the Trade Unions, although it would have passed without support from rebel Conservatives, representing the Christian Right.

Colin Bignell

[Nightjar]

I am referring to the Shops Bill 1986, rather than the Sunday Trading Act 1994.

Colin Bignell

[Tony Bryer]

Houndsditch Warehouse (1960s version of Costco in City of London) was Jewish owned and could opened (legally) on Sundays (but was closed Sat). Presumably the same exemption still applies?

[Nightjar]

You can be as sure as you like, but Scottish shop opening hours never were restricted by law. It was simply custom and practice that they shut on a Sunday.

Colin Bignell

[charles]

I was referring to Scotland. Different laws

[Dave Liquorice]

Aye, BTDTGTTS. It's not until you see the overnight restock that the size and complexity of the logistical excercise required to keep the shelves full starts to be come apparrent. The odd cage you see during the day is nothing compared to the over night. I expect the daytime restock is only done when the computer knows that there where 20 of X out, 15 have been sold and there are more "out back".

[Nightjar]

Under the Shops Act 1950, now repealed, Sunday opening was completely prohibited with certain exceptions, one of which was that the shop was registered with the local authority as occupied by a person of the Jewish religion, who contentiously objected on religious grounds to opening the shop on the Jewish Sabbath. In that case, it could open on a Sunday, but had to close on the Jewish Sabbath.

The situation now is that if a shop is more than 280 sq metres in area, then it has restricted opening hours on a Sunday. If it is less, there are no restrictions. This is irrespective of the religious observance of the shop owner. Making exceptions for specific religious groups would probably fall foul of anti-discrimination legislation today.

Colin Bignell

[John Williamson]

My local Tesco don't even do that after about 11 pm. They have self service tills....

[Dave Liquorice]

Why not? This "24/7" false advertising has caught me out, coming home late saturday into sunday after work thought I'd take advantage of passing a "24/7" store and get some if not all of the weekly shop (thus saving a 40 to 50 mile round trip and 3+ hours later in the week). Of course the place was shut...

But that's in Scotland. Any "24/7" stores in England that really are

24/7? I'll let them close for the 24 hours of 25th December but that's all.

[Adrian]

But what if people agreed with him?

[Nightjar]

That should, of course, have read conscientiously.

Colin Bignell

[Uncle Peter]

I found there was less clutter with stock than customers. And they were more observant than chatty old ladies blocking the isle and got out of the way.

[Uncle Peter]

Surely that would have been no problem as he could close if he wished. Or do you mean his workers refused to work on Sunday?