Sitting on my mother’s knee, I can vividly remember the rising trepidation as she poured that unctious gloop onto a teaspoon… true fear, as any six year old will tell you! Of course, I knew I had to have it and I knew deep down it would good for me, bit tasted horrible and I did not enjoy it one iota.

But I did get better. Today’s austerity economics and the UK’s recent emergency budget are part of the medicine we need to take as we try to improve the fiscal well-being of the nation, and the wider European continent.In the run-up to last Wednesday, commentators were fearful that too strong a medicine would push the country into a double-dip recession which would last for years.

Most now agree this is unlikely. But the year ahead will be tough with many battles to fight and of course, a full recovery will take time, maybe until 2011-12 is upon us – hopefully we will not require John Isner-levels of stamina for that day to come.

So as the health of major industries, the manufacturing businesses and SMEs improves and personal debt is being calmed, we will see less volatile and slowly improving market conditions. We might even see a filip in the short term as larger ticket items (furniture) are snapped up before the January VAT rise, and then over the first six months of next year, let us pray that the economy is in slighty better shape and the consumer in more confident mood to be able to withstand an initial tail-off in sales.