When I counted my age in single figures Sundays were very different from what they are now. Shops were closed. Churches were open. Out of town retail parks hadn't been thought of. There were nurseries but certainly no garden centres. Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero? They hadn't even been dreamt of by their creators. Sundays were a day apart from the rest of the week.
Save for a few paper shops that closed their doors at noon and the odd, the very odd corner shop the world of commerce took a back seat on the seventh day. People were just getting used to having two television channels to choose between. Sunday Night at the London Palladium was the, "must see," programme even though it was provided by the brash, young pretender of the airways, ITV.
Looking back I suppose Sundays were slightly boring, certainly for children. Visiting an elderly relative tended to be the highlight of the day. One was expected to pursue quiet hobbies and pastimes. Sundays were definitely less frenzied. Was it better? The temptation is to clamp those rose tinted lenses firmly in place and answer in the affirmative. However looking at things objectively causes one to admit, albeit reluctantly, that not all the changes have been for the worse. Maybe it is the speed of change which is the most disconcerting thing.
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