Bristol shuts down for Queen’s funeral bank holiday on Monday - what shops and services are closed near me?

Bristol is expected to come to a standstill next Monday as the country comes together to remember Queen Elizabeth’s death sparks surge in online sales for royal memorabilia - from Barbie dolls to teabags">Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen’s funeral has been scheduled for September 19, which has also been designated a bank holiday.

Although the government has said there is ‘no obligation to suspend business’ during this national mourning period, many businesses in Bristol and across the country have taken the decision to down shutters.

It means schools and universities, Council services, high street shops and attractions will be out of action - here’s the full list so far.

Supermarkets

Most of the major supermarket chains across the UK have revealed they will close for the Queen’s funeral, and this includes numerous branches across Bristol.

Tesco superstores, such as the one at Lime Trees Road, will close for the day - but Express stores will open from 5pm until 10pm.

The likes of M&S, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons and Waitrose will also remain closed on Monday in Bristol. Asda and Co-op supermarkets will be closed until 5pm, when they will reopen to shoppers.

High street shops

The following high street shops, all of which operate branches in and around Bristol, have all announced closures on the day of the funeral: Waterstones, Joules, Curry’s, L’occitane, Pandora, Cook, River Island, JD Sports, H&M, Home Bargains, WHSmith, Wilko, Poundland, Dreams, Costa Coffee (with a few exceptions such as stores within a hospital), Primark, Zara, Next, Matalan and Smyths Toys.

DIY stores and other shops

B&Q, Ikea, Wickes, Screwfix, Pets at Home, Halfords, Dunelm, Kwik Fit and Toolstation will be closed in Bristol for the Queen’s funeral.

Museums and Libraries

Museums in Bristol, such as Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, the M Shed and Blaise Museum will all close on the day of the Queen’s funeral before opening on Tuesday as normal.

The city’s libraries will also be closed – but online services will remain live, and extensions will be granted for any books due to be returned on Monday.

Schools, colleges and universities

As the day of the state funeral was formally announced as a bank holiday, all schools, nurseries and colleges will be closed on Monday.

The University of the West of England (UWE) will be closed. A spokesperson said that most staff will not be working, except for those who are needed to provide essential services.

A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: “In line with UK Government guidelines, the University has taken the decision to close, as far as operationally possible, on Monday 19 September.

The spokesperson added that because of the time of year, there will be some student-facing academic and professional services teams required to work. Some welcome and induction events that coincide with the funeral will be re-arranged.

Waste collections and recycling centres

Waste and recycling collections in Bristol will be postponed on September 19, and the city’s recycling centres will be closed for the day.

If your bins were scheduled to be collected on Monday (September 19) Bristol City Council said it would now be collecting general waste (black wheelie bins) and garden waste (green wheelie bins and sacks) on Saturday, September 24.

Any recycling will be collected the following Monday (September 26). Anyone with a bulky waste or a recycling centre booking will be contacted to re-arrange, the authority added.

Gyms

Bannatyne’s gym on Redland Road, Redland confirmed it will close on Monday.

Pure Gym, which has branhes in Bristol city centre and Harbourside, said it would be closed from 10am - 2pm on Monday to allow residents and staff to pay their respects.

Bristol City Council services, parks and cafes

Council services will operate under bank holiday conditions meaning that most public buildings  in the city will close and most services will be accessible only in the event of an emergency.

Council-owned parks and cafes, as well as the Ashton Court golf courses, will also be closed for the day and no markets will be held.

All council services and buildings will return to usual opening hours as of Tuesday, September 20.

Fast food restaurants

McDonald’s, which operates branches in Bristol city centre, Bedminster, St Philips, Longwell Green, Fishponds and Filton, announced that all of its branches will close on Monday. However, they will reopen at 5pm.

Greggs has revealed that its branches will shut up shop on Monday, with only a very limited number of branches remaining open. The bakery chain operates several branches in Bristol city centre.

Cinemas, theatres and bowling alleys

Odeon, Cineworld and Picturehouse, which operate cinemas in and around Bristol, will all be closing their theatres on Monday, it has been confirmed.

Other cinema chains including Arc and Curzon have chosen to screen the funeral for free while cancelling the rest of their programming that day.

Bristol Old Vic and Bristol Hippodrome will be closed on Monday, with theatre managers stating they would be in touch with ticket holders directly.

Hollywood Bowl at Cribbs Causeway and Longwell Green will be closed on Monday.

Can funerals and weddings go ahead in Bristol?

Government guidance specifically requests that services for major life events, such as weddings and funerals, remain available.

All wedding and funeral arrangements scheduled for Monday can proceed if the organisers wish to do so.