Of course imperial measurements are silly – maybe that’s the whole point

I mean, I come from France; so much about us as a people is fundamentally a bit ridiculous, writes Marie Le Conte

Soon, shops will once more be able to sell their wares in pounds and ounces (PA Archive)

So here’s a funny story. There is a project I am launching very soon, something I have been working on for months – very secret, very exciting – and for weeks I had a date in mind. The big announcement, the day I was working towards, was 2 June 2022.

Thursday afternoon felt like a good moment for a big reveal, I thought; the point at which the week is beginning to run out and people go on Twitter to faff about. Early June felt like a good bit of the year too; the days are long, it is – hopefully – quite warm, everyone is in a good mood.

As I was putting the finishing touches together a few days ago, something kept bugging me. Why did the date feel familiar? I googled it. I then stared at my screen, slack-jawed. Of course: 2 June is the platinum jubilee. How did I not know it was the platinum jubilee?