The Country Round Haileybury - Walking Map |
Bank holidays never seem to mean much to me since at school we just worked on through them. Twas not ever thus. FW Headley (Staff 1880 - 1919) and W Kennedy (1883 - 1919) published The Country Round Haileybury in 1920 to provide botanical, geological and historical information for excursions on Half and Quarter Holidays. Maps of the area in about a fifteen mile radius were provided for cyclists and walkers. Ascension Day was the main annual holiday within the school term.
Measuring time, and time off in our busy world has moved away from the rhythm of the church's year, though not as much as maybe we think, for of course, the school year still revolves around Christmas and Easter. The quarter days are still marked by the feasts of Christmas, Lady Day, S John he Baptist and Michaelmas. I am not sure I would ride a bicycle from Haileybury to Luton (one of the routes Headly and Kennedy suggest) to mark a holiday. But happy Holy Day, however you keep it.