There now follows the longest possible gap between the late spring bank holiday and the late summer bank holiday.
The late spring bank holiday was on the earliest possible date - Monday 25th May.
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The late summer bank holiday is on the latest possible date - Monday 31st August.
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That's a gap of 98 days.
In all other years, when 25th May isn't a Monday, the gap is only 91 days.
On the plus side, this year we get the shortest possible gap between the late summer bank holiday and Christmas.
The late summer bank holiday is on the latest possible date - Monday 31st August.
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The Christmas bank holiday is on the earliest possible date - Friday 25th December.
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That's a gap of 116 days.
In all other years, when 31st August isn't a Monday, the gap is at least 119 days, and can be as many as 122.
...but...
There's been talk of adding an extra bank holiday this October to make up for the fact we've wasted four under lockdown, and to give the tourist/hospitality industry a boost.
It'd need to be a Monday or a Friday, because any other day of the week would be impractical.
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This year most schools are taking half term in the last week of October, so Monday 26th October has got to be a strong contender. Picking 26th October or 30th October would also be the best way to equalise the gap between the late summer bank holiday and Christmas, with roughly two months either side.
On the negative side the clocks go back on Sunday 25th October, which might dampen hopes of a tourist boom on Monday 26th. Also the weather is generally better at the start of October rather than the end, so Monday 5th October has got to be a strong contender too.
There have long been factions pushing to introduce a Trafalgar Day holiday, but 21st October this year is a Wednesday so that's not ideal. The date of the battle of Agincourt - St Crispin's Day, 25th October - has also been suggested, but that's a Sunday this year so a no-hoper. A Hallowe'en bank holiday is, thankfully, also dead in the water because that falls on a Saturday.
I note that October 26th is the feast day of Alfred The Great, being the anniversary of his death, which is just the kind of mythical heroism our current government might seize upon. October 5th is merely St Thraseas's Day, or the International Day of No Prostitution, which is much less promising. We are perhaps fortunate that Margaret Thatcher's birthday is a Tuesday this year.
Of course suddenly throwing a bank holiday into the mix in five months time wouldn't be welcomed by anyone who's already booked a wedding, a holiday or an important meeting on that particular day. Also there's no guarantee that by the time October comes round we won't all be back under lockdown again, thereby totally wasting our additional day off. But it's fun to speculate.
