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Another wee story, Elle,
Around here, if you took a day of work for no particular reason and someone asked why you were off.
The reply usually was "I'm off for the Bombay Fast".

Good morning, Rusty!
Dreich early on, but just dull now.
Not the best of mornings.
Always nice to get out for a walk though!
Now, Trades holidays?
I have never heard the term used, but am assuming that it is a holiday taken by particular businesses at a time of year to suit their purposes?
For instance , "Bolton holiday fortnight" always fell within the last week of June and the first week of July.
Being a cotton mill town, all the mills used to shut down then.....and even after the closure of the mills, this tradition carried on........
I have no idea if it is still so?
Bolton holidays conveniently fell within Wimbledon fortnight!
Ah, the sun ( a very weak one) is attempting to come out now.....we may have a nice day after all!

Good morning, Elle!
Bolton was like here, then!
Dundee was the jute capital of the world.
Dozens of mills here years ago.
All gone now.
The mills and the building and shipbuilding trades and the dockers etc, all came off together. And the schools followed suit.
Even today, Easter Monday, our schools go back, after their Spring holiday.
I have just seen a very nice Tweet from Laura Muir wishing Jenny Meadows a very happy birthday!
"To the best pacer ever!"
It is a fine day here.
Very quiet in ASDA today.

Hi, Rusty!
The sun is gaining a foothold........our afternoon walk later might be a big improvement on this morning's, weather-wise.
Yes, we had a lot of mills in Lancashire....you will perhaps know the artist L.S. Lowry, renowned for his mills and matchstick men?
He painted mostly life as he saw it in Pendlebury, where he lived and worked - and also nearby Salford (near Manchester)
I like Lowry's work.
I once went to a huge art exhibition of his work held in Salford - it was excellent!
I am inundated with crosswords from today's Times ....John has sent me five!
I shall give the Jumbo Cryptic a miss, though, as that is far too hard for me!
Mm...... past mid morning...time for a coffee!

Hello, Elle!
I have heard of Lowry.
The Jumbo is no more difficult than the Times crossword, just more of a slog, if you have the time to do it.
I have not done it for a long time now.
I am off for a walk now.
The Irish Grand National is on TV later.
Must see that!
Eilish McColgan is interviewed in my local paper today.
She says she would not encourage her children to take up athletics.
Says they are rife with drug cheats.

Rusty and Elle, as you're both not doing today's Times Jumbo Cryptic, here's one little clue...

27 A. Out of practice, but with change of hands becoming strong (5).

Not entirely clear which answer is required, malone. Does the crosser resolve it?

Yes, the crosser does resolve it - but I feel the 'becoming' showed what was needed anyway.

I have several times convinced myself that the phrasing makes one alternative the desired solution, only to find that the setter had decided on the other one!

Oh yes, ChrisE, I've done that many times myself!