Left-Handers Day

Left-handed workers all over the UK are poised to strike a blow for equality on August 13 – International Lefthanders Day.

Hundreds of ‘lefty zones’ are being set up, where right-handed people will be asked to try out left-handed scissors and complete daily tasks with their left hand, to see what life is like for this oppressed minority.

All year round downtrodden lefties have to cope with doors, cookers, sinks, computer mice, keyboards and desks that are uncomfortable and designed for right-handers. Left-handers contort themselves to use back-to-front tools and gadgets that make them look clumsy and awkward in their efforts to make them to work.

But on August 13 the lefties will strike back. Watch out for posters indicating you are in a designated lefty zone, and learn about the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed.

You may also hear of left-handed events in your region, such as left-versus-right sports matches or left-handed tea parties. Some pubs may be using left-handed corkscrews and asking people to drink and play games with their left hand.

The names of famous left-handers, some living and some dead, may be invoked. They include Prince William, Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo da Vinci, Martina Navratilova, Nicole Kidman and guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.