Monday... Monday!

Monday 28th July 2008 and the ever present existing unbroken British mentality of "Monday" being dubbed in certain quarters as being the worst possible day on the (seven days a week, twelve month, fifty two weeks in a year three hundred and sixty five day calendar) looked set to continue- "Bar, the peculiar leap year!"

Well who could blame those self-obsessed, analytic groaning critics? Its typical mediocrity, conventional unsatisfaction and its inability to excite said it all. Even, words such as 'moody', 'murky' and 'miserable' conjured and swept up an immediate gusty whirlwind of negative connotations to one's mind. They even shared a coincidental alliteration with Monday. Maybe it wasn't a simple mistake of coincidence. Maybe they deserved each other and went hand in hand like health and happiness, chalk and cheese. But, would today be any different.......

It was almost as impeccable perfect timing- like a gift from the heavens which lay above. The moment a heaped cluster of assorted various individuals from many different walks of life stepped measurably into the Arndale Centre, evading the ear bashing deafening wrecks of a number of ragged "gas guzzling like worn out Fingland type buses", an unscheduled illuminating radiance of beaming sunshine announced itself- instantly powering and forcefully bulldozing its way through the city centre.

The heightened intensity of the scorching sun was so extreme that it pierced through the air, similar to a permanently thick dollop of custard on a blue plate. Literally on a day like this, the oozing mercury crimson rod in the thermometer, hung up on the walls of a majority of households would shatter into nothing more than the remains of minuscule, diminutive pocket sized pieces.

This unexpected weather seemed to smile down on not only everything, but everyone. It seemed to inject a much needed dose of new found optimism- plucking many from whatever obscurities they had come from, presenting them with a fresh rejuvenated spark outlook on life of pleasure, joyfulness and an added purpose in life. A breath of fresh air.

The ("I don't eat breakfast at home, I eat out gang") seemed to be content withstuffing their faces with: succulent, crispy bacon butties rounded off with a medium sweet coffee. An appetising, tantalising smell of the morning Subway special aroused through the atmosphere, like a newly discovered multi purpose infectious scent of perfume: tantalising taste buds and envious minds in the process.

To your right hand side, or as the French would say (la droite) situated in Piccadilly Gardens the crisp, clear concentrated water came sprinkling out of the separately, crafted, free standing hoses similar to an unusual overextended early morning, but never ending shower. Noises, screams and shouts of laughter and joke like nature could be heard as several individuals lay motionless on the welcoming luscious green grass in a serene sunbathe basking in glory, while many had now made an impromptu decision.

They were now spinning their employers a bogus baloney citing their physical state or in extreme cases family bereavement as a justification to lie in the sun.

Some seemed to be fully prepared, organized and "up for" waiving a full day's wage in order to brandish their companions or nearest neighbours with oceanic droplets of water, who in turn reciprocated by returning the favour with a greater droplet.

Abundances of people were now flaunting their designer shades of contrasting colours, shapes and sizes. Some bigger and more worthy of actually being called 'designer' than others! It was like some sort of 'makeshift' modelling exhibition parade taking centre stage on the runway of the 'Arndale' modelling world to see who had the largest and most expensive shades.

Advancing away from the water fountain, members of the general public who had who had like any other Monday carved intentions of going to their respective places of work, schooling or leisure based activities scrapped their initial intentions of speed haste and acceleration converting them into dawdling and loitering in a manner that the tortoise in Aesop's most famous parable would have been proud of.

Even the respective, apparent "responsible" adults simmered and slowed down to fully absorb the richness of the sunshine. In the mean time oblivious to some people's knowledge; the method of public transport they would be taking, be it the tram or the bus to reach their second and final part of their journey was fading further and further away from their reach into the distance- arriving late was becoming a real possibility.

As the typical afternoon rush of conveniently located workers popped into town to grab a quick bite to eat, the blistering, baking 30°C of yesteryear had now begun to subside settling into a sighing breezy gale force wind and looked set to continue for the remainder of the day.

The climate conditions dramatically took an unexpected turn for the worse. Influxes of people suddenly descended into the city centre and were quickly forced to exchange their fashionable shades in favour of the less glamorous, but effective protective shield of an umbrella, as a brief tremendous bolt of thunder shook alerting its immediate presence to the public, while a heavy downpour of rainfall trickled simultaneously on top of them.

Dissimilar, to the events of earlier in the morning, not one person loitered or dawdled, they didn't even walk as fast as they could, they went one better- sprinting as fast as their drenched shoes would carry them. An avid scientific lover may have suggested that this scenario was reminiscent of Darwin's theory of natural selection (The Survival of the Fittest). All living species of plants and animals scrapping and competing for certain features which they needed to ensure they had a greater chance of surviving, paramount for passing these characteristics onto the next generation.

This was relating to how people were jostling and hustling and bustling past each other in an attempt to prevail over the precipitation and safely return to their homesteads.

While the weather conditions worsened through the gloominess and blackness of night time, a deteriorating patient would have been on par with this. As you looked around you the city centre was captivated with total stillness, tranquillity and subtleness. There was no one to be seen. Almost as if the majority of people had taken a very very long vacation. The city centre was not accustomed to such an empty and desolate attendance. Least, it could now put up its feet, take a much needed, well earned rest and then resume its normal order of proceedings the following day.

Monday certainly wet the appetite without a shadow of a doubt. I am sure that those naïve truant absentees who were so convinced that Monday would be such a wonderful day will now seriously regret and live to rue their decision to right off a days pay, all for nothing. It turned out to be a complete waste of time and had consequently gone down the drain. It was certainly money not well spent!

They do say time is money and people spending so much time outside didn't exactly do anything to line their pockets with meaningful wads of cash.

But having sun, wind and rain all jam packed into one day. Who said that Monday was just bland, boring Monday?