The feeling of a bank holiday weekend in London is pretty unmatched, isn’t it? That collective sigh of relief that you can hear sweeping across the city as laptops are slammed shut and pints are immediately poured. The UK government has already confirmed the eight official bank holidays that we’ll get to enjoy across England and Wales next year. But a new parliamentary petition is calling for an extra date to be added to the calendar to commemorate a rather mighty milestone in English history.
The petition in question has been set up by Derek Hilling. He’s calling for Monday, July 12, 2027 to become a bank holiday to mark the 1100th anniversary of the birth of England. In the petition, Hilling says: “It is recognised by many that the meeting arranged by King Æthelstan on 12th July 927 at ‘Eamotum’ in Cumbria represents the original unification of the English people, it is rightly described as the Birth of England”.
Bank holidays can only be altered or added by Royal Proclamation. Earlier this year, for example, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Scotland would be treated to an additional day off on June 15 to honour the nation qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
If Hilling’s petition reaches 10,000 signatures, it will receive an official government response. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in parliament. Right now, the petition sits at 698 signatures, so there’s a pretty long way to go. But Hilling believes that the creation of this bank holiday on July 12, 2027 would ‘allow most people in England to join in the celebrations‘ of the ‘significant day in England’s history’.
You can find out more and sign the petition here.