I MUST contest the notion of "Blue Monday" as discussed in The Argus (January 18).

While of course it is understandable to find a Monday and midwinter not an particularly exciting time, to label it as a specific time of depression and inevitable gloom is ridiculous.

I have noticed this trend over the last couple of decades and find it frankly rather disturbing. To categorise certain times of year with inevitable misery is I feel at best misleading and at worst a bit dangerous.

It also ties in with stereotyping that automatically summer and sun equals bliss and winter the opposite. Do people not enjoy winter activities and routines that flourish like sport and, education and politics? Whilst is the dearth of these in mid summer really a time of fun and sun for everyone?

Surely an appreciation of all seasons makes life good.

I would suggest that the constant suggestion that sun equals pleasure and clouds equal pain is a cause for more depression in itself. Think how many people have met their partners, given birth, been born etc on a Monday in January.

Trevor Hopper

Valence Road

Lewes