We've definitely entered mixed-message territory.
When the date for the Queen's Funeral was announced for Monday 19th September, it was also confirmed as a national bank holiday. But it quickly became clear that significantly more businesses would be closed for the day when compared to a normal bank holiday. Supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco said they would be shutting their doors, there was the whole Center Parcs problem and then Hawksmoor entered the fray, suggesting that companies should not be criticised for wanting to stay open.
Now, it seems, we've gone full circle. According to The FT, The Greater London Authority is now encouraging hospitality to stay open for what will be a huge influx of visitors to the capital on Monday. In somewhat "we could have seen this coming" territory, it seems that a massive amount of people arriving in the centre of London but not having anywhere to eat or drink might not be the very best of ideas.
The FT article says that "someone in the know" says that the GLA has said “it would be helpful if hospitality businesses in London, particularly in our city’s centre, could be ready to open their doors to the guests arriving over the coming days and on the day of Her Majesty’s funeral”
We know that, while many restaurants are shutting during the funeral, others like St John have announced that they will be open as normal in the evening. We'll have to see how this all shapes up on the day and let you know how the situation evolves, particularly for those who are heading into town to get close to the events of the day.
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