Knowledge under lock and key

I had arranged to meet a friend at one of my favourite meeting places in London - the British Library...I was totally oblivious to the fact that it is good Friday today. I arrived at the library this morning only to find the library was closed and under lock and key. I have never seen the gate locked to the library and it did seem somewhat surreal.
The delayed train service was another story and I will not go into that...why does everything have to close or grind to a halt because it is a religious holiday? Crazy for a country in which god has or is fast losing relevance...