“IT’S a gorgeous day out there…” said the text, followed by a smiley.

I put my head back under the pillow.

A little too much over- indulgence the night before didn’t make it feel particularly gorgeous.

I dragged myself over to the window and tentatively drew back the curtains.

Clear blue sky, brilliant sunshine, a handful of gulls wheeling carelessly above.

The text was right; it was gorgeous out there.

Some strong black coffee and I was almost ready to face the day.

“I think I’ll take the dog for a walk along the beach before I head back home,” I said, trying to make a delaying tactic sound virtuous.

It didn’t wash.

“Well some of us have work to get to,” came the reply.

Undeterred I grabbed a reluctant, still-sleeping beagle and headed towards the beach.

And after a few moments I found my head clearing, my eyes opening and a spring returning to my step.

Seven swans were swimming on the boating lake. Joggers were jogging on the promenade.

The sun was twinkling on the waves, the Isle of Wight looked inviting in the morning sunshine and even the ferry setting out across the channel seemed to carry a promise of an exotic destination.

On the way back to the car I felt inspired enough to make a few work calls.

“You sound happy,” said Tim as we discussed a particularly difficult client of his.

“Yes,” I said, “I am,” surprising myself at how a short walk in the winter sunshine had made the world seem different.

The beneficial effect of sunlight has been known for years.

The Greeks called it Heliosis.

Exposure to sunlight produces Vitamin D, which in turn promotes bone growth, is essential for proper immune function, cell growth and proper nerve and muscle function.

It can also help to prevent illnesses such as breast and colon cancer, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, seasonal disorders, and depression.

The US Food and Drug Administration now recommends 10 to 15 minutes of exposure to sun every day in order to promote good health and prevent cancer.

It also helps you sleep better.

Sunlight shuts off the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone produced at night to make you feel drowsy.

Going outside for 15 minutes at the same time every day, preferably in the morning, tells your body that it’s no longer night time. Sunshine in Britain can be a rare treat, particularly in the depths of winter, which is probably why it makes you feel even more special.

And tomorrow, weather permitting, we’re in for an even rarer treat from the sun.

At 9.29am more than eighty per cent of the sun over Salisbury will be eclipsed by the shadow of the moon passing in front of it.

The show starts at 8.23am and will last just more than two hours.

Don’t miss it!

It’ll be another 65 years before you’ll have a chance to see the sun working its magic like this again.

Martin Field