Last Thursday we went to Cudworth’s chatty cafe.

There were seven of us sat around a table and we were absolutely laughing our heads off at something and nothing, but it got me thinking about how often we - well me, actually - have a good old laugh.

I think that as a nation we don’t laugh enough but why, I wondered. Could it be a lack of good old community spirit?

I can remember as a kid watching the women on the street. Yes, they were always tittle-tattling about something, or more to the point someone, but they used to laugh.

Good, hearty laughs. Laughs that we don’t seem to hear anymore. Is it that women don’t seem to have time anymore to stand and chat with their neighbours as they did years ago?

Let’s face it, after working all day then coming home to the kids and hubby, preparing meals and doing chores I shouldn’t imagine there’s much time left to talk to neighbours, let alone laugh.

Maybe it’s that we all watch too much Corrie and Eastenders which are as depressing as hell. What we all need is more time with our girlie friends, either in or out.

Even men don’t seem to have the same blokes’ banter as they used to have. Everything’s so politically correct now they daren’t say anything in case it upsets someone.

We don’t seem to have or be bothered to make time to slow down - take a chill pill and watch the world go by. Maybe we’ve just all turned into miserable gits. So, after much consideration I have decided to make July 13 an official laughter day.

It’s a Sunday so not everyone will be working. Now, this day must be used wisely. That means no hurting others’ feelings to get a cheap laugh. No physical contact. And no taking the Michael out of your partner.

Unless you really can’t help yourself that is, but please be aware that this could possibly lead to divorce, separation or even death, especially if your partner is a miserable sod. There will be no laughing at others personal tragedy, for example falling over or off the curb when intoxicated.

And for those who are working, don’t let the boss find out about silly pranks. It won’t be funny when you lose your job, will it? Although when I was a young girl and went to work at Albert Martin’s, the mechanics used to send the new girls for lots of silly things such as a left-handed screwdriver, or striped oil, one even sent me to ask for a ten-inch screw.

I was very young and naive then and very red-faced when the penny finally dropped. But if you’re the sort of weird person - like me - who does really enjoy a prank or two but can’t think of any, then I’m here to help.

Buy a bag of plastic spiders and empty them out into a drawer. Or put one in a cup, better still inside a slipper. But if none of these appeal to you why not just sit and watch a funny film or watch some of the old sitcoms?

Visit friends, reminisce about stuff you used to get up to years ago when laughing didn’t seem quite so hard. Remember those days when laughing seemed so much easier?

Basically, we need to be reminded that life’s too short to be miserable and it takes a lot less effort to laugh than frown. So, everyone should discard those sad worried faces and just for one day try to have a laugh.

You never know, it just might catch on…