Since autumn started in August this year, what better time to hear Dr Allinson’s reflections on how gloomy weather makes one, well, gloomy.

On seeing the light: "There are some people so constituted that their very spirits depend in great measure on the weather. If it is bright and cheerful, they are well; but if it is dull and dark, they become depressed and dispirited. So it is more or less with all of us. A bright day makes us feel well, and a dull one more or less miserable. Moral: When possible, expose your body to the sunlight; it strengthens it, tones it, and preserves you against colds."

Next issue: fight the flab