Having a healthy and lively curiosity has been linked with psychological, emotional, social, and even health benefits. People who are curious tend to have active rather than passive minds. They ask questions and search for answers. They notice and are stimulated by new ideas. Life is far more exciting when you’re curious!

The conundrum exists that while many of us see ourselves as working long hours and being busy-busy-busy, findings from research suggest that most of us have more discretionary time than we have ever had before.

After the awful weather of the last couple of weeks it feels more like Noye’s Fludde (about the biblical flood and which I vaguely remember doing at school) than Keats’ season of mellow mists and fruitfulness. It won’t be long before the winter flu bugs are back in full force, so this week there’s a reminder of how to reduce your risk of picking up a nasty little lurgy at work.

This year I have started suffering the winter blues very early. They’re not really winter blues so much as Westminster blues. Brexit and parliamentary activities calculated to delay any proper decision, have once again cast uncertainty over the future.

However secure you think you are, life can throw googlies in the way, so it’s sensible to make provision for the occasional “rainy day” by having the equivalent of three-six months’ worth of household expenses in an easy access bank account.