before you can say . . .

This is the White House, probably Appleby’s most individually memorable building. A fine, substantial eighteenth century mansion, it would have been the height of elegance when it was remodelled in the 1750s in the early Strawberry Hill Gothic style. This was done for John Robinson, a businessman who became an MP, first for Westmorland, then for Harwich, and was Treasury Secretary from 1770 to 1782. He had a reputation as a political fixer and the saying ‘ before you can say Jack Robinson . . .’ is supposed to relate to him, although there is some doubt about this! If you could fix something faster than you can say Jack Robinson, that would be very fast indeed.

In Appleby for vaccines - G had Covid and Flu, I just had Covid - I still have this little quirk about not wanting two jabs at the same time.