It is Good Friday, once a day of religious observance with strange, typically British traditions. In  the past the only people who worked were the building trades, and in particular carpenters, as  penance for putting Our Lord on the cross. It was also, traditionally the day you planted your potatoes. This latter tradition arose as for working class people it was the first non working day that they would have enjoyed since Christmas; the weather would have improved and the conditions were ripe for getting spuds and vegetables in the ground on your little plot.

Now we seem to have sold our souls to the Mammon of the retail sector and the shops are all open. Locally there will even be Sunday Markets on Easter day as we always hold our Market on the third Sunday of the month, even though you could hold it next week on St George’s Day, now that’s English!

So if Jesus lived and he were to return today, it would probably be a waste of time looking for money lenders in the temple, too many, like banks have closed and are empty. It would be better that he and his disciples attack the supermarkets.  I think I would join in, around the corner at our local superstore, where I would turn off the coolers in the dairy section and turn over the display shelves in jams, conserves and related products so our scepter’d aisles would once again flow with milk and honey.

I think Jesus might approve