Northampton comedy writer wins competition to write best birthday card gag

Northampton-based comedy writer, Dave Hefford, won the competition - ran by British Comedy Guide - to write the funniest birthday card with the tongue-in-cheek gag: “This card is not late. It is just socially distanced from your birthday.”

The greetings card marketplace, Thortful, teamed up with BCG in the summer to ask British comedy writers to submit their best slogans so that they can be launched into a new range of birthday cards.

Winning comedy writer, Dave Hefford, said that he was: “excited to think people will receive - and hopefully have a laugh at - a card I’ve designed. My son is usually late with cards so I may get this one from him! There are lots of great cards up there so proud to be included.”

Mr Hefford was awarded with a £250 cash prize and the other three runners-up were given £100 each. They will all receive ongoing royalties for any sales of their card, which are now available to buy on the Thortful website.

Perry Wilsher, from Nottingham, came second place with his gag: “You are aging just like a fine wine… full bodied and very overrated.”

Third place was awarded to Lizzy Mansfields from Newcastle, who submitted: “This is not a card. I just ironed a tiny ghost.”

Zoe Brown was the final runner-up, who posted the caption: “So you’re 50? Stop whining and get the wine in!”

According to data analysed from the UK government live births database, the most popular birthday period is from late September to early October - specifically, 24-26 September. This means that most people were conceived from Christmas Eve through to Boxing day.