Bank holiday Mondays may be designed for rest, but many use them to get on top of those jobs which have been on the to do list.
The first May Bank holiday falls on Monday May 3, ahead of another national day off on Monday May 31.
Those who need to head to a DIY store on Monday - should they suddenly realise they're short of tools, supplies or garden furniture - need not worry. On both May bank holidays, major DIY chains B&Q, Homebase and Wickes are open as normal.
While large retailers have to close on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day, they are permitted to open on the May bank holiday Mondays.
Below are the B&Q, Wickes and Homebase opening hours for the early May bank holiday weekend.
B&Q
DIY giant B&Q has stores in Washington, Sunderland, Newcastle, Durham, North Shields, Consett and Bishop Auckland.
It opens between 7am and 8pm on Saturday May 1, 10am to 4pm on Sunday May 2 and 7am to 8pm on Monday May 3.
Wickes
There are branches of Wickes in Darlington, Sunderland, Wallsend and Stockton.
They open between 7am and 8pm on Saturday May 1, between 10am and 4pm on Sunday May 2 and 7am to 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday.
Homebase
Stores, including Homebase branches in Hexham, Bishops Auckland, Alnwick and Blyth, will be open as usual for the May bank holiday weekend.
They will open between 8am and 7pm on Saturday May 1, 10am to 4pm on Sunday May 2 and 8am to 7pm on Monday May 3.
