How to avoid it all: a guide to a royal-free bank holiday | Mental health
Watching Monday’s state funeral is not compulsory, although some public figures have claimed it should be. But if you want to avoid it, you have other options.
The bank holiday closures range from supermarkets and large retailers to leisure centers and tourist attractions. No English heritage site will be opened, not even its historic churches as confirmed last week, nor any National Trust gardens or mansions.
People with cars and full tanks – many gas stations are closed – can flee to the countryside. National Trust car parks are open, as are national parks and trails, as well as local trails. Walkers can take a break at most pubs with chains like Greene King and Whitbread, although those with TV screens are likely to be showing the funeral.
Tourist attractions are closed, but many of Britain’s historic and picturesque churches are not, and while some will show broadcasts of the funeral on big screens, many will simply be open to visitors. St Cwyfan’s Church-in-the-Sea in Anglesey, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lullington, East Sussex and Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire are all well worth a visit, with more across the country.
If you don’t have a car, trains and buses will operate without strikes, and there will even be additional services to meet the demand for travelers to London and Windsor.
It might be easier to stay close by with a stroll in the park or a trip to the playground. And not everything is closed: independent shops and restaurants are open earlier and can’t lose a day’s business while grappling with rampant inflation and the specter of winter fuel bills.
While most leisure centers are closed all day, some open for swimmers and training courses, such as Putney Leisure Center in London, and others open in the afternoon, including Stechford Leisure Center in Birmingham. Even those looking for a snooker hall, a soft play center, a bowling alley or a climbing wall will find what they are looking for in some places.
And anyone with an interest in open justice can go to a magistrates’ court – although most hearings have been canceled some courts will open early Monday when they have to deal with defendants who have been held in overnight custody.
There are even some live sports broadcasts on TV. Premier League matches and County Championships matches have been postponed but the Road World Championships are live from Australia on Eurosport and cricket fans can watch five straight European Cricket Championships matches on FreeSports. And at racing events at Fairyhouse in Meath and Listowel in Kerry, there’s always the horses.
Royalists may have little sympathy for Republicans who choose not to mourn the Queen’s death, but families with young children may not have the stamina to endure the BBC’s nine-hour non-stop broadcast or the slightly shorter coverage on every ITV and Sky channel to see.
And people grieving the loss of a loved one or caring for someone with a serious illness may not be able to cope with the public spectacle.
Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind, the mental health charity, said many people reacted differently to the Queen’s death:
“However you feel about the news and the broadcast of the funeral, it’s okay to feel that way. It’s perfectly okay to take any steps to help you feel safe and comfortable, whether it’s only selecting specific times to watch the news or opting out of media coverage altogether. The most important thing is that you do what is in your well-being.”