Half Day Closing

[Colr]

Is this still a thing? When I was a kid, the shops would close half day Tuesday and we’d get out of school a bit earlier.

Does this still happen? I’m guessing not

[greenlex]

No. You are old.:agree:

[Just Alf]

No. You are old.:agree:Very

[Moulin Yarns]

Some small towns still have a half day but I doubt most retailers observe it. Dunkeld is a Wednesday from memory

[brianmc]

Is this still a thing? When I was a kid, the shops would close half day Tuesday and we’d get out of school a bit earlier.

Does this still happen? I’m guessing not

I'm 49 and wasn't aware this was ever 'a thing' - how old are you?

[Hibbyradge]

Lots of shops in Edinburgh closed half day on Wednesday afternoons. I don't remember getting out of school early though.

[Billy Whizz]

It wasn’t that long ago when shops were closed on Sundays
Only place you could shop was at Spook Erections at Ingliston

[danhibees1875]

I've not noticed any shops closing early during the week - school kids seem to get half day Friday's in Edinburgh though (wasn't the case in Fife).

Places do also seem to have slightly reduced hours on Sunday's - not as reduced as what happens in England where all the supermarkets seem to shut by mid-afternoon.

[Wilson]

It wasn’t that long ago when shops were closed on Sundays
Only place you could shop was at Spook Erections at Ingliston

Sounds like something you don't want to bump into at Halloween.

[OldEast]

It used to be very common for shops to have half day closing on Wednesday's. Didn't affect my school hours though unfortunately. Also as said pubs closed on Sundays and between 2.30 and 5 the rest of the week.

[JimBHibees]

Sounds like something you don't want to bump into at Halloween.

:greengrin

Definitely scary thought

[Eaststand]

It used to be very common for shops to have half day closing on Wednesday's. Didn't affect my school hours though unfortunately. Also as said pubs closed on Sundays and between 2.30 and 5 the rest of the week.

I remember in the 60s and early 70s most shops closing for a half day on a Wednesday and also most were closed on Sundays too.
I may be wrong but I always assumed the appearance and growth of mostly Asian corner shops, which tended to be open early til late, 7 days a week as being the game changer.

GGTTH

[Killiehibbie]

Some shops had a half day twice a week. I remember the co-op shutting around 1 Wednesday and Saturday, they closed for lunch the rest of the days.

[danhibees1875]

Now that I think about it, I think Wednesday afternoon tended to not have any university lectures and the time was allocated for sports related pursuits - or the pub.

[Mon Dieu4]

Some shops in Leith still do the half day Wednesday closing, my Barber does

[HH81]

I've not noticed any shops closing early during the week - school kids seem to get half day Friday's in Edinburgh though (wasn't the case in Fife).

Places do also seem to have slightly reduced hours on Sunday's - not as reduced as what happens in England where all the supermarkets seem to shut by mid-afternoon.

Only allowed to open 6 hours down here on a Sunday. Supermarkets anyway.

[pollution]

Dalkeith and the likes have very little traffic on Tuesdays, for some reason.

Shops are open but for some reason traffic is light. Been like this for the 20 years I have lived here.

[Keith_M]

When I lived in Austria, you had to be careful where you went at the weekend as most shops, cafes and visitor centres in the villages and smaller towns would close by about 12:30.

Sunday trading is also not really a thing in Austria, or in large parts of Germany (especially the south). I think there's still quite a strong religious influence that's no longer present over here.


I honestly don't remember half days in Scotland but I do remember not having lectures at Uni on Wednesday afternoons, so that might have been a left over from something similar.

[greenlex]

In golf the midweek medal at the golf club was started to coincide with the half day closing of local shops. Usually a wednesday. The midweek medal is still going strong but the half day closing long gone.

[Speedy]

Now that I think about it, I think Wednesday afternoon tended to not have any university lectures and the time was allocated for sports related pursuits - or the pub.

Aye, sports for unis on a Wednesday afternoon.

Some schools have (had?) half days Wednesday and some Friday.

Cant say I remember shops being on a half day though.

[Billy Whizz]

Some shops in Leith still do the half day Wednesday closing, my Barber does

So hairdressers still close on a Monday?

[Billy Whizz]

:greengrin

Definitely scary thought

https://www.scotsman.com/news/ingliston-shut-down-after-bid-find-new-home-stalls-2513332?amp

[lapsedhibee]

Co-op in Leith (might even have been called Leith Co-op, was it? :dunno:) definitely had a half day during the week in the 1950s. I'm with most others in thinking that was on a Wednesday. But I've a feeling that fancy shops in Princes St like big Woolies at the East End might have taken a Tuesday afternoon off, while little Woolies at the foot of Leith Walk had Wednesday afternoon.

[Santa Cruz]

Co-op in Leith (might even have been called Leith Co-op, was it? :dunno:) definitely had a half day during the week in the 1950s. I'm with most others in thinking that was on a Wednesday. But I've a feeling that fancy shops in Princes St like big Woolies at the East End might have taken a Tuesday afternoon off, while little Woolies at the foot of Leith Walk had Wednesday afternoon.

Was the co-op in Leith and Bread Street not called St Cuthberts? The Wednesday half day lasted until at least the late 80's. I don't recall big stores or any city centre shops taking it. I mind John Lewis used to close on a Monday. Schools never took half days until some point in the 90's in Edinburgh.

[Killiehibbie]

Was the co-op in Leith and Bread Street not called St Cuthberts? The Wednesday half day lasted until at least the late 80's. I don't recall big stores or any city centre shops taking it. I mind John Lewis used to close on a Monday. Schools never took half days until some point in the 90's in Edinburgh.

Leith Academy finished at 1 on a Friday before I started in 1980.

[Santa Cruz]

Leith Academy finished at 1 on a Friday before I started in 1980.

I stand corrected. I never heard of it when I was at school. I left in the late 80's.

[CropleyWasGod]

Co-op in Leith (might even have been called Leith Co-op, was it? :dunno:) definitely had a half day during the week in the 1950s. I'm with most others in thinking that was on a Wednesday. But I've a feeling that fancy shops in Princes St like big Woolies at the East End might have taken a Tuesday afternoon off, while little Woolies at the foot of Leith Walk had Wednesday afternoon.

Was the Co-op in Leith not Leith Provi?

[lapsedhibee]

Was the Co-op in Leith not Leith Provi?

Believe you're right. The Leith Provident Co-operative Society. We just called it the Co-op because Provident, Co-operative and Society were too long. St Cuthbert's mostly Edinburgh and LPCS mostly Leith? Thank goodness neither did ice-cream vans, or horse-drawn carriages, or there would 110% have been wars.

[CropleyWasGod]

Believe you're right. The Leith Provident Co-operative Society. We just called it the Co-op because Provident, Co-operative and Society were too long. St Cuthbert's mostly Edinburgh and LPCS mostly Leith? Thank goodness neither did ice-cream vans, or horse-drawn carriages, or there would 110% have been wars.

I remember it as just "The Provi".

Can still remember my Mum's store number 😳

[The dalmeny]

Lots of shops in Edinburgh closed half day on Wednesday afternoons. I don't remember getting out of school early though.

Used to mind Menzies on Princes Street closing early on a Wednesday

[Moulin Yarns]

Fishmongers are historically closed on Monday, as are seafood restaurants because fishing boats didn't go out on the sabbath.

[stu in nottingham]

This city used to close on a Thursday afternoon at 1pm, including large stores suchas Jessops which became a John Lewis. The suburbs and outlying towns in Notts closed at the same time on a Wednesday.

[Crunchie]

So hairdressers still close on a Monday?
That seems to be a thing of the past too, the vast majority are open 6 days a week.

The Nut Hoose on North Junction Street opened on a Sunday for a few months a while back but Ahmed liked the drink too much and was a no show sometimes so that soon stopped.