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Who doesn’t love a fun fact? Probably those who also don’t love alliteration. But I am not that person, so every Friday I post a fun fact on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I absolutely love doing these, they are often linked to a day or an event that is happening around the world that week, and I learn something new and they bring a bit of frivolity to my week. However, the story behind the fact is quite often longer than a social media post will allow so here are my top five fun facts from 2020 and a bit more information about them. I am going to hold my hands up now and say that my sources aren’t the most robust when it comes to Fun Fact Friday, but for once I am going to say that doesn’t matter. 5) The Guinness World Record Holder of “oldest cat ever” (Crème Puff, 38) drank coffee every day. My first Fun Fact Friday and one which marked World Coffee Day in October. Crème Puff sadly passed away in August 2005 and has held onto the record since then . According to his owner, Crème Puff’s diet was integral to his longevity and consisted of: “…dry commercial cat food, a home-cooked breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon, broccoli, coffee with cream, and—every two days—about an eyedropper full of red wine to ‘circulate the arteries’.” Don’t try this at home. 4) A group of frogs is called an army When my oldest daughter turned 10 this year, I let her suggest a fun fact as a birthday treat and this is what she went for. I have since become obsessed with collective nouns for animals and included a round of them in our family Christmas Quiz (a very serious affair that even has its own trophy). Here are some of my favourites: A flange of baboons A bike of bees A coalition of cheetahs An intrusion of cockroaches A tower of giraffes An implausibility of gnus A consortium of octopi A rhumba of rattlesnakes 3) In a deck of cards, the king of Hearts is the only king without a moustache. I used this fact to mark Movember, the annual event when men are encouraged to grow moustaches in November to raise money and awareness for men’s health. I am happier for knowing this fact and I am waiting for the perfect opportunity to drop it into casual conversation. 2) In public toilets, the first cubical is the least used so probably the cleanest I used this fact to mark World Toilet Day in November and it has frankly been life-changing. In a report by Reader’s Digest (see the apologetic note above about sources), several surveys of toilet cubical use have shown that people have a “centrality preference” and go for the middle cubicles. Interestingly there is a gender divide if the middle ones are not available, with men going to the cubical closest to the door and women going to the one furthermost away. But whichever one you use, ALWAYS wash your hands. 1) A half-frozen, half-naked chicken is said to haunt Pond Square in London This Halloween special is my absolute favourite. The story goes that on an unseasonably snowy day in April 1626, Sir Francis Bacon was traveling with his friend Dr. Witherbone when they started to discuss ways of freezing meat to preserve it. They decided to conduct an experiment to test their theory so bought a chicken and after it was killed, plucked, and gutted, Bacon stuffed it with snow. However, after the exposure to freezing temperatures, Bacon became ill and died of suspected pneumonia. Since then, many have claimed to hear the screeching of a chicken or even seen a half-naked bird plucked of its feathers, running around in circles in Pond Square or sitting “sullenly” in a tree . Why it is the chicken that haunts the square and not Bacon is unclear, but I think for once it is best not to ask too many questions. References: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-cat-ever https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-raise-a-165-year-old-cat https://www.worldtoiletday.info/ https://www.thehealthy.com/digestive-health/cleanest-stall-in-public-bathroom/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/560789/scientific-spirit-sir-francis-bacon-and-ghost-chicken-highgate