Bank on holiday fun
To many, today will mark the end of the summer holidays and the beginning of the run-up to Christmas. Lancashire Evening Post historian Keith Johnson looks at the significance of the British Bank Holiday.
These days the last Bank Holiday of the summer comes on the last Monday in August.
This was, however, not always been the case, back in the 18th century, the Bank Of England observed about 30 saints’ days or religious festivals as holidays. All this changed though with the coming of the Industrial Revolution and by 1834, the holidays observed by the Bank Of England were down to four – Good Friday, May Day, All Saints’ Day and Christmas Day.
The first legislation regarding Bank Holidays came in 1871 with the introduction of the Bank Holiday Act, introducing official Bank Holidays.
These holidays came at a time when workers did not receive the annual holiday entitlement of today, and well before the introduction of Wakes Week holidays.
If we go back over 70 years to the summer of 1937 in Preston, then we get a flavour of what a Bank Holiday meant in the days before workers were paid when they took their annual leave.
Back then, the Preston Wakes Week was the second week in August, but before that much-awaited break, the August Bank Holiday arrived to allow folk a taste of what lay ahead.
More than anything thing else, it meant a record time for the Lancashire seaside resorts.
All day sunshine was the order of the day on that Bank Holiday Monday, and Blackpool led the way.
An estimated 600,000 visitors packed into the resort and most seemed to be along the seven miles of sea front.
Tens of thousands crowded on to the beach and there wasn’t a spare deckchair to be found, while over 30,000 folk opted.
So large were the crowds that there was not a spare bed to be had, many deciding to sleep outdoors. In fact, many were still bathing at midnight.
Sunny Southport also benefited from the glorious weather as 250,000 made their way there, many heading for the sea bathing lake where a queue 50 yards long greeted latecomers.
The beach was more crowded than on any day for a long while, from the North Promenade as far as Ainsdale. It was a similar story at Morecambe and Fleetwood, with record numbers attracted by the hot weather.
The paddling pools at Morecambe were packed with toddlers under the watchful eye of mum, while the Marine Lake at Fleetwood, had never seen so many boats afloat.
There was no shortage of sporting action either with the main attraction of the day being an open-air boxing contest at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road football ground between Johnny King, British bantamweight champion and Preston’s featherweight Alex Alston.
Having beaten King during the winter, Alston’s followers flocked to see the return contest. Alas, the packed crowd were to be disappointed, as Alston seemed to be out of sorts and was forced into a rearguard action throughout. He managed to stay the 10 rounds but was well beaten.
Back in Preston, a holiday crowd enjoyed the cricket at West Cliff as visitors Carlisle were undone by the excellent bowling of Wilson and Hide. The pair shared the wickets as the visitors were all out for 76.
Throughout the weekend, Preston’s places of entertainment had enjoyed brisk business, particularly the cinemas, where a double feature film was the order of the day.
When the Bank Holiday was over, the refreshed Preston folk returned to work with a spring in their step – after all, the annual Wakes Week was due to start in four days’ time.
Preston’s railway station was preparing for the annual exodus and there was also a busy time ahead for the churches of the town, with more than 200 couples set to tie the knot at the beginning of the holiday.
Of course, since 1971 the August Bank Holiday has moved to the last Monday of the month. Let’s hope – like all those years ago – the sun shines on a glorious Bank Holiday day.
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
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