I have spent much of the past month talking to businesses about the current challenges they face, whether it be the hiring of people or rising costs and I am buoyed by the resilience and innovation of our retail, hospitality and leisure sectors to keep adapting to these issues and returning consumer demand.

It is also a period of political upheaval, recent elections in Hungary and France and the ousting of a great cricket hero, Imran Khan, in Pakistan demonstrate this. Elections have also been called recently in Australia and India will go to the polls this summer. This is all against the backdrop of the tragic events in Ukraine which look this week to only worsen.

Easter is for many a time of reflection, for spending time with friends and family and for Christians an important festival of rebirth and new beginnings and it is surprising how the challenges that businesses are facing are closely allied to those of consumers.

As I walk around the city, I see many signs of this business rebirth. We have new hotels being developed in the city centre, newly opened restaurants and bars on Bridge Street and Green Street and near the rail station new offices waiting to be occupied.

Retail openings are also vibrant with a new kitchen showroom and the return of Dogfish to the city both on Sussex Street.

Of course, Easter is also synonymous with chocolate and eggs. Like you I’m also very partial to good quality chocolate especially dark with salted caramel. So, as you consider what to do this weekend, consider this.

We live in a beautiful city, enjoy it, cherish it and support your local shops and retailers. Resist the temptation to shop online but take in the free health and wellbeing benefits of walking around the city, visiting the museums and open spaces and use the city, in the words of the sociologist Ray Oldenburg, as a third place, to convene, to meet friends to debate, to discuss, but most of all to live.