Lunch Break...

[Madam Beryl]

I was just watching Shoulder to Shoulder and the scene was from the canteen at lunch time. Mr. Grainger was having trouble getting "the sauce" out of the ketchup bottle and Mr. Lucas said: don't worry we still got an hour yet.

When the staff is on their 1 hour lunch break - who serves the customers? Do they shut down the floor for lunch?? I've always wondered about this.....

MB :shrug:

[Tiddles]

Better yet....when the staff are up to their "shenanigans" on company time, or just all in a conflab in Rumbold's office...WHO'S MINDING THE STORE? :D I think the "Junior staff" we see milling about in the background handles this load. And...after all...not many people shop at Grace Brothers anyway!! :lol:

[Madam Beryl]

Better yet....when the staff are up to their "shenanigans" on company time, or just all in a conflab in Rumbold's office...WHO'S MINDING THE STORE? :D I think the "Junior staff" we see milling about in the background handles this load. And...after all...not many people shop at Grace Brothers anyway!! :lol:

Yeah!! They all shop at Harrods or Austin Reeds :saludando:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Good question. I just assumed that the store closed down for the hour for lunch.

[Tiddles]

I think I remember one of our British Servers saying (maybe on the old board?) that some London dept. stores DO indeed shut down for lunch hour. In Spain, this is the NORM. But it would seem the canteen would be a LOT more crowded if GB's shut down at lunch. And if the canteen food was so awful, why didn't people just go out to lunch? :D Lunch time aside, the staff seemingly can just leave their counters at any given time to satisfy the plot devices.

[Madam Beryl]

I think I remember one of our British Servers saying (maybe on the old board?) that some London dept. stores DO indeed shut down for lunch hour. In Spain, this is the NORM. But it would seem the canteen would be a LOT more crowded if GB's shut down at lunch. And if the canteen food was so awful, why didn't people just go out to lunch? :D Lunch time aside, the staff seemingly can just leave their counters at any given time to satisfy the plot devices.

I'm sure in Europe they close down many places for lunch. But not here in America - God forbid!! I eat at my desk while I'm working!!!
But I always make sure I pay a visit to this site! :wave:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I eat at my desk while I'm working!!!
But I always make sure I pay a visit to this site! :wave:

:thumbup:

[adamclark83]

They would probably put a sign on the door saying "Out to lunch. Back in an hour."

[offthefloor]

I support the junior staff people theory. In the background you always see sue Bishop among others milling around the department and such and they probably take over the department at lunch. but like tiddle said...there are never that many customers in the store anyway so 1 person could probably man the whole floor during lunch :lol:

[sanna_o75]

In Sweden they close for lunch too around between 12-1 in the afternoon and sometimes 1-2

[sonosun]

In Sweden they close for lunch too around between 12-1 in the afternoon and sometimes 1-2

That is a very civilized custom. :)

[Tiddles]

They would probably put a sign on the door saying "Out to lunch. Back in an hour."

Or how about: WE'RE SHUT!!!! :lol:

[sonosun]

:lol:

[Red Shadow]

I've forgotten which episode it is, but when the staff are going to lunch a few minutes late, one of them asks Captain Peacock if they will have extra time for lunch. His response is that at 2 o'clock, the customers will be coming in and need attending to. I always took this to mean that the store did indeed close from 1 to 2.

What always bugged me was when the staff also took their coffee breaks at the same time. I guess the "other assistants" we sometimes saw in the background minded the store then?

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I've forgotten which episode it is, but when the staff are going to lunch a few minutes late, one of them asks Captain Peacock if they will have extra time for lunch. His response is that at 2 o'clock, the customers will be coming in and need attending to. I always took this to mean that the store did indeed close from 1 to 2.

What always bugged me was when the staff also took their coffee breaks at the same time. I guess the "other assistants" we sometimes saw in the background minded the store then?

Alot of the time we see the assistants taking break with the staff. My honey Sue Bishop was in the canteen in many a scenes with the regular staff.

The eppy your thinking about is "Coffee Morning".

[Sienna]

I seem to remember that, in 'Up Captain Peacock', Mr Rumbold literally says something like 'Mr Grace feels we are losing too much money by closing between one and two, so from now on we will close between two and three.' So I presume the shop is indeed closed between one and two. The coffee break thing bugs me too though. They say 'It's time for my coffee break,' but eventually they all end up having a coffee break together... oh well, it doesn't change the fact that I will always love this show! :):)

[Mr. Rust of Audio-Visuals]

In "Up Captain Peacock", Rumbold says Mr. Grace is worried they're losing a lot of trade by closing for lunch between 1 and 2, so they must be closing the department.

[Melchett]

It's hard to imagine that today... going to a modern department store and having the hours posted as 9am - 5pm, closed 1pm-2pm. I mean that sort of thing happens in the mom and pop shops, but not at Macys.

[Lucas The Tucas]

Wibby wrote ......... My honey Sue Bishop was in the canteen in many a scenes with the regular staff.



Can you post a few pictures of her. :)


:lucas01:

[Goldie]

It's hard to imagine that today... going to a modern department store and having the hours posted as 9am - 5pm, closed 1pm-2pm. I mean that sort of thing happens in the mom and pop shops, but not at Macys.

My doctor's office does this.. :goldie: .. seriously.. :D

[Dean]

There's obviously no correct answer to this.

I worked in a supermarket once and to allow people to have lunch breaks, staff who were working in other areas, like packing or stocking shelves or taking deliveries or doing the accounts came out to fill in so staff could have a break.

[John Inman Fan]

Here's a neat site that talks about "break times":

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029451

[Lady Stableforth]

what i didn't like was captain peacock scolding and reporting mr. grainger being back 5 minutes late back from his coffee break? for heaven's sake how long a walk is it to the canteen from the men's dept.? and 15 minutes is crazy.

[John Inman Fan]

what i didn't like was captain peacock scolding and reporting mr. grainger being back 5 minutes late back from his coffee break? for heaven's sake how long a walk is it to the canteen from the men's dept.? and 15 minutes is crazy.

I always wondered the same thing since the elevator was an option as well- when it worked that is.

Marlies