I love a bank holiday weekend but in recent years I’ve learned to check myself when I talk as if everyone gets the extra days off. Those who work in the hospitality, retail and culture sectors, as well as those people we praised as key workers – including medical staff and public transport workers – only a few years ago, didn’t just get to enjoy a four day weekend for Easter. Life carried on as normal for them. Ultimately bank holidays primarily remain a benefit for ‘white collar’ workers; those who work 9-5 (ish) Monday to Friday.

Of course if we all got the bank holidays off there wouldn’t have been anyone to serve me down the multiple pubs I went to this weekend. The Tate Modern wouldn’t have been open for me to enjoy the Yoko Ono exhibition. I wouldn’t have been able to go to the theatre on Sunday. In fact I wouldn’t have been able to traverse the city the way I did.

So thank you to all these people who worked everywhere I went meaning I could really enjoy my long weekend and make the most of this city. I’ll be confused for days to come as to what day of the week it is and we have far too much chocolate in the form of Easter eggs to eat, but I’m grateful that for some archaic reason we got this extended weekend.

On a related note, today I learned that Easter Monday isn’t a bank holiday in Scotland so my colleagues based in Scotland were working yesterday while the rest of us were still enjoying the weekend. I’ve also learned that Scotland has 9 bank holidays compared to 8 in England and Wales so I don’t feel that bad.