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Homebase opening and closing hours for August Bank Holiday Monday

THE August bank holiday is the perfect time to get some of those DIY projects you've been putting off done – but don't get caught out by changes to the opening times of your nearest Homebase.

If you'll be using Monday to make some home improvements, here's what you need to know.

When is Homebase open over the bank holiday?

Homebase stores are usually open between 8am and 8pm on weekdays.

On Sundays, those hours are reduced to roughly 10am to 4pm.

Homebase will be keeping its stores open on bank holiday Monday, but many will be closing a little earlier.

Exact times will vary across the country, so it's important to check the hours at your local outlet before setting out.

How can I find the opening hours for my local Homebase store?

That Homebase is staying open for the bank holiday is perfect for those wanting to buy a barbecue, garden furniture, or tools.

But closing times can vary from store to store, so it's best to check your local branch.

You can do this using the store finder on their website.

It's important to do this before heading out shopping on the bank holiday to avoid disappointment.

What bank holidays are remaining in 2019?

Workers in England and Wales get eight bank holidays every year.

After the summer bank holiday is Christmas Day, followed closely by Boxing Day, and then New Year's Day.

The UK currently has fewer bank holidays than most other European countries.

Recent years have seen some people pushing for extra holidays to honour the patron saints days of the constituent countries of the UK.

Bank or public holidays do not have to be given to employees as paid leave, an employer can decide whether to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory leave.

The Government website has more details on what your worker’s rights are in regards to public holidays. 

Bank holidays may also impact how benefits are paid, the gov.uk website explains how they may be affected.

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Eminem's Publisher Sues Spotify, but He Has Nothing to Do with It

Eight Mile Style has officially filed a lawsuit against Spotify. The music publisher is accusing the streaming giant of copyright infringement, and the damages could total in the billions, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The lawsuit stems from new legislation that took aim at regulating the digital music industry. Eminem, for his part, apparently had no knowledge of the lawsuit at the time of its filing. He’s not even named in the suit.

What is the MusicModernization Act?

The Music Modernization Act is legislation that intends to modernize the music industry and take into account the growing footprint of digital music. According to Billboard, the act, first and foremost, creates a board that dulls out mechanical licenses for music. A group of publishers runs the board.

The MMA also has crafted a digital database that is easy for streaming services to access. The act was largely supported by the music industry, including songwriters, performers, and publishers. Eight Mile Style’s issue with Spotify doesn’t exactly lambast the MMA, but rather, notes that Spotify is attempting to utilize loopholes within the act to not pay proper royalties.

Why is Eight MileStyle suing Spotify?

Eight Mile Style is suing Spotify for copyright infringement. According to The Verge, the music publisher has claimed that Spotify has hosted Eminem’s music without seeking out the holder of the rights. They also accuse Spotify of failing to obtain proper licenses to host the music.

Eight Mile Style goeson to note that Spotify has purposefully mislabeled several of Eminem’s biggesthits in an attempt to avoid paying out royalties. Eminem is one of the moststreamed artists on the platform, with nearly 33 million monthly listeners.

Eminem is not includedin the lawsuit because he does not own the rights to many of his early hits. TheVerge notes that the majority of his old catalog belong to Mark and JeffBass. The duo owns Eight Mile Style, and they also have production credits onmany of the famed rapper’s early works. Eminem allegedly knew nothing about thelawsuit ahead of the filing.

Why is “Lose Yourself”highlighted in the lawsuit?

Eminem’s hit song, ‘Lose Yourself” was highlighted in the lawsuit. According to the filing, Spotify has placed “Lose Yourself” under a Copyright Control label. According to Music Brainz, Copyright Control is a designation that suggests a piece of music is self-published, and that all copyright protection belongs to the writer.

Copyright Control substantially cuts out the need to add a publisher if the publisher cannot be reasonably located. According to the lawsuit, Eight Mile Style believes the label is “absurd.” “Lose Yourself” is among the most recognizable songs in Eminem’s catalog. The song was featured in the famed film, Eight Mile, and won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2003. The song also won two Grammy Awards in 2004.

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Dad slams ‘disgraceful’ warden after getting £75 fine while visiting sick son

A furious dad has blasted a 'disgraceful' traffic warden who slapped a ticket on his car as he visited his sick son in hospital.

The warden gave Daniel Ingman the £75 ticket after he left a parking permit application on his dashboard.

Mr Ingman left his Land Rover in the car park at Leeds General Infirmary, as his son Percy recovered from a six-hour operation.

Passers-by confronted the warden while he was issuing the ticket but the man turned away and walked off towards the hospital.

A hospital visitor filmed the incident and in the footage a stunned Mr Ingman is heard shouting “It’s disgusting”.

The permit application on the dashboard appears to state it is valid until tomorrow (August 23).

Mr Ingman told the warden: “My child has had a six-hour operation. It’s an absolute disgrace. It’s disgusting. With everything else I have got to then write off.”

The attendant objects to being filmed but Mr Ingman says that the official is filming them on his bodycam.

The warden points at a permit in another car and claims that Mr Ingman’s has not been properly filled out.

But Mr Ingman continued to berate him until the attendant walks away as he snapped: “Don’t talk to me".

The man who filmed the incident said afterwards: “It is absolutely horrible. It is all about revenue.

“I saw what was going on and thought someone needs to go over there and record what these horrible people are doing.”

He also called the attendant “an absolute thug”.


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This New Thriller Breaks One Major Lifetime Movie Rule

Some things just aren’t what they seem. For example, Lifetime’s new thriller A Deadly Dance might make viewers think its about what happens after a woman shares a dance with a secret killer or a high school party where things go horribly wrong. But, that’s not the case at all this time. A Deadly Dance isn’t based on a true story, thankfully, but the plot is an unexpected story full of twists.

Former Disney Channel star and Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan stars as Kate, whose twin sister Karen (presumably portrayed by Bryan as well) was tragically murdered by a person who got away. Kate is a professional dancer on a TV show and tries to go on with her life, but things go awry exactly one year after Karen’s death when Kate’s co-worker and friend Teresa winds up dead. Yep, there can never be just one murder in any Lifetime thriller — it’s practically a rule at this point.

Now, security is ramped up at the set but Kate is still being harassed by this unknown person. She listens to her gut instinct and follows clues on set while the police work to find the perpetrator as well. But, she’s not sure if this person can be caught before her own life ends or someone else is killed. It’s absolutely a Lifetime premise with lots of murder and mayhem (and a little too much upfront information), but at least fans can watch this guilt-free because it is not a real story.

First, this police squad is due for a huge congratulations. They are the first police force in Lifetime thriller history to actually do something instead of leaving the protagonist to their own devices and showing up in the last 5 minutes of the movie. No one knows how helpful they will really be, but they get a gold star for at least trying to foil this killer’s plans. Also, another death will certainly happen after someone who knows Kate confronts the killer by themselves and pays for their boldness.

And, it will be intriguing to find out why this person is centering on Kate’s life so much. Is it a jealous ex-partner or friend who wants to see her suffer after moving on and achieving her career dreams? Is this person someone who works on set and wants to somehow sabotage her life for their own interests? Or, is this simply a viewer who wants to eliminate everyone around Kate in hopes of making some strange obsession come true? This story could truly go anywhere, especially since it is a complete work of fiction. The real plot twist would be if Kate is actually the killer, which isn’t too far-fetched considering the types of stories that have built Lifetime’s brand.

So, wiggle your way out of those Friday night plans that you didn’t really want to do anyway and find out if Kate can crack the case before the cops when A Deadly Dance premieres on Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. ET.

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Femail puts Heinz’s mayonnaise and tomato ketchup creation to the test

As Heinz’s ketchup-mayonnaise ‘Saucy Sauce’ goes on sale in the UK, Femail puts the controversial condiment to the test (with VERY mixed results)

  •  The 400ml bottle of Saucy Sauce, which is available in Tesco, is priced at £2.69
  • The supermarket is one of the first to stock the sauce, which went on sale today
  • But what do Mail Online’s reporters think about it? Nine of them put it to the test 

After an international outcry, Heinz’s ‘Saucy Sauce’ – also known as ‘Mayochup’ – was released in the UK today. 

The condiment went on sale in Tesco today and its Regent Street store saw crowds queuing outside the door this morning, with passers-by treated to samples at the official launch.

A 400ml bottle costs £2.69 – working out more expensive than buying the individual bottles and mixing them yourself. 

Yet social media was awash with excitement, with TV personality Bobby Norris describing it as a ‘game changer’ as another person said they couldn’t even sleep due to excitement. 

But what do Mail Online’s reporters think about it? Nine of them put it to the test… 

The 400ml bottle, which is available in Tesco , is priced at £2.69 – working out more expensive than buying the individual bottles and mixing them yourself, but how does it taste? 

Bryony: 3/5        

Although the sauce didn’t look appealing, it tasted better than I anticipated and had a lot of flavour. 

Not sure I could dip into this sauce too much though – still team ketchup! 

On a side note, this is brill for those weirdos who mix mayo and ketchup anyway. 


Bryony said the sauce tasted better than she expected while James was more impressed

James: 4/5 

I love tomato ketchup and I love mayonnaise – especially for chip dipping – so this really was a treat. 

The colour is a little off-putting. What is it? A sort of pale pink? Nothing like the fierce red of a ketchup. 

But the taste was generally pleasant. It added a little something to the mayonnaise and I’ll certainly be using it as a dipping tool in future. 


Both Jessica and Monica gave the sauce a perfect score, despite Jess not liking the name

Jessica: 5/5 

I really enjoyed this mix of two classic sauces, and had to be physically held back from finishing the bottle. 

It tasted as expected, but was lighter than mayo and had a great touch of sharpness from the ketchup. Delicious – not sure on the name though! 

Monica: 5/5

I was extremely satisfied with how much this mix of ketchup and mayo tasted exactly like a mix of ketchup and mayo.

I will definitely be purchasing this very time saving sauce, I like how it does exactly what it says on the tin. 

Talya: 4/5 

Would go again. Gutted you didn’t leave me with the pot and a spoon. 

Talya gave the concoction a very solid 4/5 and was ‘gutted’ we didn’t leave her with it

Sarah: 3/5

It will never replace my beloved mayonnaise. With a weird colour to it I was very hesitant to try it but as chips were offered with it I couldn’t really turn it down.

I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not and it tasted a bit like my attempt to mix the two sauces together – so not really anything new.

I probably wouldn’t buy it myself, but wouldn’t turn it down either – especially if it was the difference between that and dry chips.


‘It will never replace my beloved mayonnaise,’ said Sarah (left) while Alex really hated it 

Alex: 1/5

I thought the sauce was incredibly bland. I’m not really sure who it’s trying to appeal to as it struggles to be distinguishable. It struck me as being a poor man’s Mary Rose if I’m totally honest.

Richard: 3/5

It’s like kebab shop burger sauce, which I like, perhaps slightly spicier.

Ed: 4/5

Anything with mayonnaise in always gets my vote. This was maybe a little sweet for me, but I would have it again. 

Leigh: 4/5 

‘An exciting new adventure’, is how Leigh – who gave the sauce 4/5 – described the creation

I like the colour, despite a few grumbles from my colleagues. It reminds me of burger sauce and that can only be a good thing.

Taste-wise, I love the mayo hint because I’m a huge advocate of the white stuff. But the ketchup undertone rises and dominates the taste buds, and ketchup is a travesty so that doesn’t fly with me. 

All in all, it’s an exciting new adventure and the taste isn’t bad at all.  

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Taylor Swift Says Trump 'Thinks This Is an Autocracy" in New Interview

Taylor Swift’s apolitical days are officially over. In a new interview with the Guardian, Swift took direct aim at President Trump. “We’re a democracy – at least, we’re supposed to be – where you’re allowed to disagree, dissent, debate. I really think that he thinks this is an autocracy,” Swift said of the president.

Her comments mark the latest chapter in Swift’s recent entrance into political discourse, something she was widely criticized for avoiding during the 2016 election and its aftermath. Because she avoided explicitly endorsing Hillary Clinton at the time, Swift inadvertently emerged as an unwitting emblem for the “alt-right.”

In the interview, the singer explained why she avoided entering the political fray at the time, citing her very public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. “I was just trying to protect my mental health – not read the news very much, go cast my vote, tell people to vote,” she said. “I just knew what I could handle and I knew what I couldn’t. I was literally about to break.”

Swift went on to accuse Trump of “gaslighting the American public into being like, ‘If you hate the president, you hate America.’”

Her comments are by far the furthest she’s gone in directly calling out Trump and his administration. In June, she wrote an open letter to Republican Tennessee senator Lamar Alexander, in which she urged him to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination via the Equality Act.

She also promised that this is just the beginning of “woke” Taylor, as she’s prepared to “do everything I can for 2020.” The full interview runs in The Guardian this Saturday, and Swift’s seventh album, Lover, is available on all platforms this Friday.

Related: Taylor Swift Explains The Moment She Decided To Get Loud About Her LGBTQ Support

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’13 Reasons Why’ Star Alisha Boe Likes To Keep Her Friends Close

13 Reasons Why skyrocketed to success when it premiered on Netflix in 2017. And a lot of the actors in the series have also gained a massive following of fans, including Alisha Boe who has played Jessica Davis for three seasons. Fans might want to know everything about her, but they might want to take a step back. She likes to keep things private, so if you were wondering who Alisha Boe is dating, you’re out of luck. The actor doesn’t have a history of talking openly about her romantic relationships; however, she is pretty open about her love for her friends and co-stars.

The Netflix original series garnered a lot of attention over the controversial way they graphically depicted suicide in a Season 1 scene that has since been removed, but it also earned praise for depicting real issues. Boe’s character Jessica, for example, was raped at a high school party in Season 1, and Season 2 saw her dealing with aftermath and finding her way. Now entering its third season, 13 Reasons Why will focus on the question of who killed Bryce Walker, the student who, among other things, sexually assaulted Jessica.

Boe has been posting about the show on Instagram, hyping up the week before it premieres Aug. 23. In one post from Friday, Aug. 16, Boe stands with her co-stars Brandon Flynn and Dylan Minnette, as they laugh at her double-fisting what looks like beer. Clearly, the cast has plenty of fun together. So, while the actor hasn’t really made any public comments about who she’s dating, her friends are front and center in her social media — and in her life.

Boe seems to be friends with a lot of her cast mates, but her friendship with Tommy Dorfman stands out. In April, they enjoyed a spa night, as reported by Teen Vogue reported, complete with face masks. "When you can’t laugh in a face masqueeee,” Dorfman captioned an Instagram story of Boe at the time. The two also got matching semicolon tattoos at the end of Season 1, along with actor and singer Selena Gomez, who is an executive producer on 13 Reasons Why.

She’s open about her non-13 Reasons Why friendships as well. In an interview with W Magazine last May, Boe shared the story of her 21st birthday, which she spent with her close friends. “My friends and I went to Joshua Tree and all we did was listen to the Call Me by Your Name soundtrack,” she said. “We reenacted the dance scene, where Timothée [Chalamet] is sitting on the chair and smoking, but instead my friend had a Juul in proper millennial fashion. Every time that song by the Psychedelic Furs came on, we’d be like, ‘Again!’ It was a lot of fun.” Though she admitted that the weekend had some rocky moments, Boe said it all turned out to be the best birthday. "I actually had wine the whole night like a classy adult,” she said. “I mean, I was still super hungover the next day. I usually hate birthdays, but I was surrounded by all the people I love."

So, while the world may not know who Boe is dating, she does share other aspects of her life that are important to her. And maybe that’s really all fans need to know.

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Google is promoting 'fake' debt charities that could 'trick' you into handing over cash

GOOGLE has been accused of promoting "fake" debt charities that could "trick" you into handing over cash to clear your debts.

Help is actually available for free from leading debt charities, such as StepChange and National Debtline, but vulnerable people could be fooled into forking out for the service.

When you type these charities into Google, the first two to three results are often adverts promising to "write off debt".

But it's not clear that the service comes for a fee until you've clicked through to the site and filled into your personal details, including how much debt you have.

It's all to do with the way Google works – firms can pay top appear at the top of searches in an automatic bidding process.

The paid-for search results are flagged with an "ad" icon next to it but money experts and charities are warning that it could put struggling households at risk.


"Our concern is that these impersonators can lead people into receiving unsuitable and wrong advice at a time when they are most in need of support," said Joanna Elson from the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline.

We first reported the issue back in January last year and StepChange says that since then, it's worked with Google to take down adverts from 50 firms pretending to be from the charity.

But The Sun has found that they still appear when searching for other charities too, including Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and Money Advice Service (MAS).

Earlier this week, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a warning about "copycat" companies pretending to be from National Debtline, and last month StepChange issued a similar warning.

How to get help for free

THERE are lots of groups who can help you with your problem debts.

      • Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060
      • StepChange – 0800 138 1111
      • National Debtline – 0808 808 4000

      You can also find information about Debt Management Plans (DMP) and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA) on the Money Advice Service website and on the Government's Gov.uk site.

      Speak to one of these organisations – don't be tempted to use a claims managment firm that will claim it can write-off lots of your debts in return for a large up-front fee.

      Sara Williams, who runs the Debt Camel blog said only last month she spoke to someone who believed that MAS had advised them to pay to consolidate their debts.

      But in reality, the person had clicked through to an unregulated service via a Google ad after searching for the charity.

      She added: "It is a very big step for people to phone someone up for help with their debts.

      "For them to be tricked by fake firms posing as government organisations or national charities is disgusting. I think Google should refuse to accept these adverts."

      James Daley, from Fairer Finance, branded the adverts "unethical" even though they're not illegal, "particularly when people are vulnerable and in problem debt."

      A spokesperson for Google said: "We take dishonest business practices very seriously and consider them to be an egregious violation of our policies.

      "If we find ads that violate our policies, we take swift action. We also have a tool where anyone can report ads and these complaints are reviewed by our team."

      Earlier this year, we reported how there has been a "worrying" rise in the number of people with payday loans and high cost credit debts.

      If you're struggling, here's our eight step guide to sorting out your finances and how to get help for free.

      Martin Lewis has revealed how to claim back hundreds of pounds worth of overdraft charges after rip-off fees are banned.

      TIPS FOR SEARCHING FOR DEBT ADVICE ONLINE

      HERE are some tips from the National Debtline on how you can protect yourself when looking for debt help.

      • Be careful – Some firms are not what they seem and use adverts that pretend to be free debt advice charities when they are not.
      • Know where the ads are – Search engines like Google often have paid adverts at the top of the page. Before clicking a link, check if it is an ad or not as they can be difficult to spot.
      • If it looks too good to be true, it probably is – If a link promises that it will wipe all your debt away easily, then it's probably not one you want to get help from.
      • Only use official organisations – If you need help, only go to official bodies like National Debtline, StepChange and Citizens' Advice.

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Mum hasn’t seen son, 4, in THREE YEARS after Kenyan ex ‘abducted’ him

Heartbroken mother reveals how her Kenyan ex tricked her into taking their British-born son on holiday to meet his family in Africa – and is still refusing to bring him home THREE YEARS later

  • Charlotte Morris, 24, and ex-husband Shiv Singh Benawra, 29, in custody battle
  • The UK citizen and Kenyan singer had a child together before splitting up in 2015
  • Charlotte lives in UK while Shiv is keeping their four-year old with him in Kenya 
  • Shiv refusing to return the boy to his mother and ignoring court orders to do so 
  • Worried she may never see son again, Charlotte is speaking out about her case 
  • She hopes doing so will force Shiv to return him to her after three years of hurt

A heartbroken mother has made a desperate plea for her ex-husband to bring their four-year-old son home to the UK after three years of keeping him in Kenya.

Charlotte Morris, 24, of Basingstoke, told how Shiv Singh Benawra tricked her into thinking he was taking the youngster on holiday to meet his family in Africa three years ago.

To her despair, at the end of the 60-day trip, Shiv told her he and the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were staying in Kenya.  

The couple, who split in 2015, have been embroiled in a bitter custody battle ever since. 

Having kept quiet for years while she tried to figure out a solution, Charlotte is finally speaking out about her ordeal – after a judge agreed public criticism could push Shiv into giving her the little boy back. 

Charlotte Morris (right), and Shiv Singh Benawra are embroiled in a bitter custody battle after Shiv, who lives in Kenya, refused repeatedly to comply with court orders asking him to return the four-year-old son they share to his mum in the UK

Speaking to Take a Break magazine, Charlotte spoke of her pain at not being able to see her son grow up for the past three years. 

Having begged her ex-husband to return him, she is terrified she will ‘lose [her] boy forever’.

‘Shiv lets me talk to him but it’s not enough,’ she told the publication. ‘I fear one day all contact will be cut off and I’ll lose my boy forever.

‘I want to see him grow up, so I’m sending out a desperate plea to Shiv: Please, give me back my son.’

Charlotte and Shiv got married in Kenya when she was 18, having been pressured into tying the knot by his mother. 

Charlotte said she is heartbroken not to have her son with her, as his father is ignoring court orders to give him back 

She fell pregnant with their son two months later. During her pregnancy, Charlotte moved back to the UK in order to escape Shiv’s family. 

When their son was three months old, the couple split up during a visit to Kenya, and Charlotte travelled back to Basingstoke with her baby. 

Eight months later Shiv, who had not visited once and only talked to his son via FaceTime according to his ex-wife, requested a custody hearing. 

The couple went to court for the first time and it was ruled Charlotte would have custody of the child while Shiv had visitation rights: seeing his boy one weekend a month.

The cover of this week’s Take a Break, which includes Charlotte’s story 

After three months of this arrangement, Shiv asked to take the boy to Kenya so that he could meet the rest of his family. Charlotte agreed – but soon lived to regret this decision. 

They agreed Shiv would take the boy for 60 days before returning him to the UK. But at the end of the trip, Charlotte got an abrupt phone call from her ex. 

The mother recounted her shock at hearing that Shiv would not return their son, admitting deep down she had ‘always feared’ this might happen. 

She called 999 to report her child had been abducted, however the authorities were powerless. 

Helpless, Charlotte said she ‘spiralled into depression’ and decided to travel to Kenya to plead with Shiv, but he wouldn’t budge. 

That’s when she turned to the courts, hoping to strong-arm her ex into handing back her child. Her son was made a ward of court and his father was ordered to return by law, but Shiv ignored the court decision. 

According to Charlotte, he refused to comply with court orders another four times. The mother explained she felt frustrated by the situation, which has not evolved in three years. 

‘Now he’s been gone for three-years, I feel broken-hearted,’ she said. ‘I miss my son and he needs his mum.’

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Wilko opening and closing hours for August Bank Holiday Monday

BANK holiday weekend is HERE and knowing your local store's opening hours is a good idea in case you run out of bits and bobs this weekend.

So what time is Wilko's open this weekend and how can you check which one is closest to you? Here's the lowdown…

What are Wilko's opening hours this bank holiday?

It's recommended that you look up the opening times of your local Wilko store as each one will vary.

Closing times also tend to vary between stores, depending on size and location.

However, you can find out specific details using the Wilko store locator.

You can also find out more information about each store using the service.

When are the bank holidays in 2019?

Here is the full list of 2019 bank holidays left in 2019 – those in bold text apply to the UK.

Dates in Scotland and Northern Ireland vary.

  • Monday, August 26 (Summer Bank Holiday)
  • Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
  • Thursday, December 26 (Boxing Day)

What is a bank holiday?

A bank holiday is a public holiday in the UK when most people are given an extra day off work.

It was Liberal MP John Lubbock who first tabled the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 and said its aim was to ease pressure on workers by giving them an extra four days off.

At that point, those days were Easter Monday, the first Monday in August, Whit Monday and Boxing Day.

Over the years more have been added, and England and Wales now has a total of eight bank holidays – including Good Friday, Christmas Day, May Day and New Year's Day.

Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has ten.

They were given the name bank holidays as banks are closed – and if they can't do business, no-one else can.

Similarly, schools are shut on bank holidays, and transport services are often scaled back.

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