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Monday 16 January 2017 11:57 am

Here are 29 reasons to be cheerful on Blue Monday

By: Emma Haslett

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It's Blue Monday, the day officially designated as the most miserable day of the year.

Yes, it's raining and yes, you may well be off to see the divorce lawyers today – but that's no reason to be sad, daddy-o. Here are 50 reasons to turn that frown upside-down…

1. The FTSE 100 is on a 15-day winning streak, after it closed at its highest ever on Friday.

2. The weather is about to improve in London – the Met Office forecasts that in the second half of the week, it will be "brighter but colder". Cue crisp wintry walks at the weekend.

3. Southern is looking for new drivers – a chance for you to sort out the franchise's crisis…?

4. No, global inequality is not getting worse – whatever Oxfam says.

5. Quality of life is going up in the UK, according to research by the Office for National Statistics – which also found happiness levels in the UK are flat (so not getting worse…).

6. The Trading House bar in the City is giving away free gin, flowers, posh chocolates and cocktail masterclasses to cheer people up.

7. Growth in London's business activity is at an 11-month high, according to Lloyds Bank.

8. Only 342 sleeps until Christmas…

9. Chocolate exists. Even if you're on a diet, it's important to know that.

10. You might start a business this year: research from FreeAgent suggests 3.2m Britons are planning to do exactly that.

11. As a London-dweller, you're more likely than anyone else to keep your New Year's resolutions.

12. Only 65 sleeps until the official start of spring…

13. The UK got two thumbs up from Donald Trump, who thinks it is "doing great"

14. … and his inauguration line-up includes an 80s cover band called The Reagan Years, and someone called DJ Freedom. Stop laughing at the back. 

15. Paddy Power reckons its odds-on George and Amal Clooney will have a baby called Brad, George or Lisa this year.

16. Five-a-side football pitch provider Goals Soccer Centres says sales increased as people went berserk for five-a-side last year. All together now: En-ger-laaaand….

17. Heinz is giving away free cream of tomato soup at "In Case of Emergency" points across the UK.

18. Tired of the drudgery of London life? Now may be the time to move – rents across the Home Counties have fallen. 

19. Andy Murray has won his first Grand Slam since becoming world number one. Go on, Andy. 

20. The company behind the world's largest airship, known affectionately as the "flying bum", is planning an IPO in London. Cue dozens of "float" jokes…

21. Theresa May might not be wed to the idea of staying in the Single Market, but David Davies has insisted the government is "listening to business". 

22. Hamilton is finally coming to the West End – tickets for the smash hit US musical are going on sale this month. 

23. There might not be any more Tube strikes – RMT is sitting down with London Underground to begin talks today. You never know.

24. It's been revealed the team who brought us The Night Manager are getting together to adapt another of Le Carre's spy thrillers, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. We can only hope Tom Hiddleston makes another appearance…

25. IPOs are floating higher: the value of global IPOs is set to grow more than a quarter this year. 

26. The Goring Hotel, where Kate Middleton stayed before her wedding to Prince William, made record revenues last year.

27. There are rumours the next iPhone will be water and dust resistant (but will it be shatterproof?). 

28. Only 156 more sleeps until the official beginning of summer…

29. Pizza Express is doing buy one get one free on pizza today. 

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