Royal Wedding Parties

[Florence Fennel]

I'm being an old grump I know, but I have a big fence around my garden (and used to have two German Shepherd dogs) for a reason. Hopefully it will be a child friendly "do", I love children, but I'm not too keen on the adults!

[jojo2910]

We're having one in the street (well lane). I'm donating one husband to help out and my new bunting. It will be nice to meet everyone, as we only know our 2 immediate neighbours. Not really a wedding celebration, but an excuse to get together.

[cptncrackoff]

I am a fully fledged royalist!!

I'll be working... holiday pay, pay for hours worked, and time of in lieu... who wouldnt!!

[Patchninja]

Well, another english gal up the road sent me a lovely royal invitation for a get-together so we'll be a mixed french/english bunch, we'll watch tv and eat good old english goodies - I've been practicing my sausage rolls yum.

[Glutton4...]

Don't s'pose there'll be anything going on round here - they're all far too busy arguing about opening up the Pub again!

[BigShot]

Our cul-de-sac looked into it and there was far too much red tape involved to close the street, so we have hired (only £5), our village hall, and will be having our street party there instead. Grub laid on courtesy of Asda (store manager in street), music by Welsh Philharmonic performers, and some fun and games to boot.

I'm not only "humbug" but I really *do not like* the royal family or... wait, actually no... no ranting!... so no, I won't be watching or celebrating.

The bolded bits made me take note though.

"Cul-de-sac" and "close the street".
Why not just go ahead with the street party without any permission at all?

I mean, if it's your street and your party, and no delivery vans or the like will be arriving that day - why get permission at all? Get out the tables, chairs and have a blast.

It's not like normal roads where you'd need diversions setting up, proper signs, advance notices putting up and that - it's just a cul-de-sac.

[Alison]

It's not like normal roads where you'd need diversions setting up, proper signs, advance notices putting up and that - it's just a cul-de-sac.

I'd be mightly peed off if somebody set up tables etc in my street and I couldn't get out

Re the celebrating thing, don't really understand why anybody is interested, I've never met them and am unlikely to ever do so. Nothing against them personally but the only weddings etc I'm interested in are ones of my family and friends, it's not like they celebrated mine when we got wed!

[BigShot]

Alison - I'm assuming that all the residents would be there.

As for being blocked in, well that would happen with or without the permission anyway, wouldn't it? So really the red tape serves only to make people go cap in hand to some stuffed suit and say "please may we have a party on our road?". Permission which will likely be granted anyway and so blocking people in.

That said - they could set up the party on one side of the road and leave the other (and driveways) clear for residents to get cars in and out if any of them are like me and can think of very little less appealing than celebrating a royal wedding.

The games could take place in the turning area at the end and just like kids playing footie in the street, a shout of "car!" has it cleared in a moment.

I'm still "humbug"ing though.

[Hilary B]

I don't understand HB, you support the monarchy, but don't like weddings?

I am only interested in weddings where I am personally acquainted with those getting married! There is some plan hereabouts for a giant screen showing the TV coverage in the public gardens, and I can think of few less appealing ideas!
I wish them well, and that is where my interest ends. I DON'T want to watch the ceremony on TV, I DON'T want to hear assorted commentators saying the same banal things umpteen times over, and I DON'T particularly want to miss a working day so close to our holiday. We can't afford it!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Have any of the grapes or their friends been told by their employers that this is not an official bank holiday?

So its day off without pay of book annual leave I have several acquaintences who have been given this news.

Colin

[BigShot]

"Not an official bank holiday" is not right at all. It IS an official bank holiday.
However, not everyone is ENTITLED to paid time off. It all depends on their contract.

Royal wedding bank holiday won't apply to some staff - Telegraph explains it well.

If your contract lists specific bank holidays or gives an amount of paid holiday "inclusive of bank holidays" there's no contractual obligation on employers to give an extra paid leave day.
If the contract gives an amount of paid holiday "plus bank holidays" they should be able to take the time off.

And now I'm going to try to forget what date the wedding is again. :P

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks Bigshot guess my friends will have to start checking their contracts.


Colin

[Mikey]

Well Bigshot, the red tape is important if you are planning on closing an adopted highway (one owned and maintained by the council, which ours is)

If we were to go ahead and close it off without permission, and someone in the street that wasn't going, and I don't know whether all 36 homes are attending, we would be technically breaking the law. As an organiser you would also be required to carry out a health and safety policy and have correct coning off, aswell as a procedure in place for emergency access. RED TAPE.!!!

It was a lot easier to take over the village hall which sits 25 yards from the top of the street, as this had no red tape, just a £5 charge. I can't imagine there will be many street parties for this wedding like there was for the silver jubilee which I remember as a kid.

[BigShot]

That's a bigger street than I'd imagined.

I'm all too familiar with red tape. I've done things where every last hoop was jumped through, and other where I didn't jump through a single one and just got on with it.
Always had the same result mind, just one had far less effort involved with less stress and cheaper.

I'm well aware that obstructing a highway is illegal, I just meant that if everyone was going and most staff that could stumble across it and know it was illicit would be off work anyway then who's to know?

But like you said - you don't know if everyone would have been going so it makes little difference anyway.

't was just an idle comment though... no need to change your plans now.