Sunday morning coming down

Despite much of the UK being an essentially godless nation, with not a lick on the church-going I grew up with, Sunday trading is highly regulated. Larger stores (like a big grocery store or a department store) are only allowed to open for six hours - usually from 10 to 4 or 11 to 5. Within the last 20 years or so, big store opening wasn't allowed at all on Sunday.

This Sunday, there is a big controversy over a ferry company's extension of its schedule to a 7 day service through the Western Isles of Scotland. Locals- fierce Presbyterians - on Lewis and Harris accuse the company of "wrecking a way of life", according to this BBC article. Today was the first Sunday run, but the ferry was met by a harbour sealed up by yellow tape.

Well, ok then, don't take the ferry. Let the people who want to use it to visit the hospital and other essential services that are open on your island have all the spaces. I have little sympathy for islanders who not only lock up the public toilets on Sunday (I guess the natural eviction of bodily waste hardly keeps the Sabbath holy) but also spend public money on Saturday evening chaining up the children's swings so that they are put beyond use for the next day.

To be truthful, I find the Sunday trading laws make my Sabbath far less restful than it could be. I work full time, often don't get home til 8pm in the weekday (if not later), so the weekend is the only time I can catch up with my normal household errands. If I don't get it done on Saturday, then I have to face shopping on Sunday when all the people who might have gone to the store over a 12-15 hour day are all crammed into six measly opening hours. Never mind having your restful activities like hiking or chilling out in the park interrupted by the need to get to the store before 4pm.