Today is 5.5.25, a square day.
There are only nine square days a century.
We're already halfway through.
It's also the second time a square day has been a bank holiday.
1.1.01(Monday)
This is the other time a square day was a bank holiday. It was New Year's Day with all the hangover that brings, but more importantly it was New Century's Day. The general populace had already celebrated the millennium the previous new year with beacons, fireworks, a Teflon Dome and an observation wheel by the Thames, spurred on by the incredibly rare phenomenon of a change in the first digit of the year. But as every good pedant knows the 20th century actually ran from 1901 to 2000, just as the 19th century ran from 1801 to 1900, each century ending with a double-zero year. The reason for this is that there was no year 0, the first century starting in AD 1 and running until AD 100. Thus every successive century must have started with a year ending in 01, not 00, in this case 2001. As the 21st century slipped officially into existence, barely anyone at the time either cared or noticed.
Centuryfact: A century can only begin on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, not a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. The reason for this is that the Gregorian Calendar operates on a 4-century cycle with all the same dates coming round again 400 years later. 1st January 1801 was a Thursday, 1st January 1901 was a Tuesday, 1st January 2001 was a Monday and 1st January 2101 will be a Saturday. Then 1st January 2201 will be a Thursday and so the whole cycle goes round again. Centuryfact: That Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday fact only works post-1752. Before the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, removing February 29ths in certain years, centuries could start on any day of the week. In Britain 1st January 1701 was a Wednesday, 1st January 1601 was a Thursday and 1st January 1501 was a Friday. The last time a century began on a Sunday was 1st January 1301 - the last time ever.
On the telly: Daytime classics included Bargain Hunt, Cash In The Attic, Working Lunch, Neighbours and Doctors. CBBC included Rugrats and Blue Peter (again). Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen was hosting Changing Rooms. Evening comedies included Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Coupling and Room 101. There was a lot of snooker. In the wider world: A presidential commission launched into Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, Israel dismantled settlements in the Gaza Strip and Roger Federer became the world's number one tennis player. In my world: At work I had a meeting to run and tried to keep Judith in her place. Lunch arrived on a trolley and the sandwiches were both unappealing and unfilling. In the evening I went to the Limelight on Charing Cross Road where the London News Review was holding a launch event for their new print version. 500 people were invited, the only one of whom I knew was Dave Gorman, and I felt socially very out of it and left early. It's blogged here. The main action on the blog that day was two anagram quizzes under the frankly brilliant title "gee, randomized".
3.3.09(Tuesday)
On the telly: Homes Under The Hammer joined Bargain Hunt and Cash In The Attic. Chucklevision was still going, also Tracy Beaker and Blue Peter (again). The Weakest Link before the news, The One Show after, then EastEnders and Holby. On BBC2 Eggheads, Coast, Horizon and The Culture Show. In the wider world: Gordon Brown met Barack Obama at The White House. The Sri Lankan cricket team were attacked by gunmen on a bus in Pakistan. In my world: Back to the office again, but a new office we'd only just moved into. I had a lot of words to write and a lot of paper to print, shuffle and audit. Lunch was lamb, much better than we'd been used to at the old place. After work the entire team piled down to The Coalhole for drinks, mainly because the boss was paying, where the talk was of bungee jumping, upcoming weddings and inevitably [Peach]. On the blog that day, the Gail Trimble University Challenge scandal.
4.4.16(Monday)
Hmmm, Monday again.
On the telly: Homes Under The Hammer series 19, Bargain Hunt series 43, Doctors series 18, Escape To The Country series 14, Flog It series 14, Pointless series 12, Great British Railway Journeys series 6, EastEnders series 1, Master Chef series 12, the Graham Norton Show series 19, QI series M. In the wider world: The Panama Papers were released. Donald Trump failed to win the Iowa caucus. Sadiq Khan was campaigning to be Mayor for the first time. In my world: Back to the office again but to a new desk following a seating plan shift over the weekend. Hated the new one. Bangers and mash and apple tart for lunch. Back to a previous workplace for a meeting, hoping they'd remember me, but instead got a newbie who knew nothing of my reputation. Round to BestMate's in the evening to continue our Blake's 7 rewatch (one of the sillier episodes). On the blog, appropriately, four squares.
5.5.25(Monday)
Hmmm, Monday again. But it is a complete coincidence that four of this century's square days have been Mondays, and this is indeed the last one.
On the telly: Bargain Hunt and Escape To The Country have escaped being cancelled by the VE Day parade and all the snooker. Pointless and House of Games are repeats. EastEnders appears again, up against Emmerdale rather than Coronation Street. The Snooker World Championships play to a finish. In the wider world: tbc In my world: Today is a getting a train to the seaside kind of day, followed by catching a bus to a cottage.
6.6.36(Friday)
Eleven years ahead. Imagine how different everything'll be by then.
