Someone should try bottling Rosie Millard's infectious enthusiasm for her adopted city. They would make a fortune.
As the chairman of the company tasked with the job of delivering Hull's City of Culture programme in 2017 conducts a series of media interviews marking her appointment to the role next to Hull Marina, the sun shines, people smile as they pass by and all seems well with the world.
The writer and broadcaster meets and greets with gusto, popping into the various venues along Humber Street to introduce herself.
We opt to settle on a leather sofa in the Museum of Club Culture for our interview.
She has a grin as broad as the Humber as I ask for her reaction to landing the role.
"I'm absolutely thrilled, I still can't quite believe it," she says.
"I love Hull, I've worked in the arts all my life, I couldn't imagine a better job than this one."
Chosen from a four-strong shortlist, the former BBC arts correspondent studied English and drama at the University of Hull 30 years ago.
She says: "For someone who was born and brought up in Wimbledon, coming to Hull was a bit of a revelation. In fact, it was complete eye-opener.
"I had never seen anywhere like it before but from the first day up here, I was hooked."
Her student days were eventful, not least because of where she lived. She says: "The first year I was in Auckland Avenue, then I moved into a house in Fitzroy Street off Beverley Road.
"That was in the right state – damp everywhere, paper peeling off the walls, all the usual student horror stories you hear about.
"Eventually, it was condemned and got knocked down.
"In the third year, I lived in a house in Grafton Street. Roland Gift lived at one end of the street and Paul Heaton lived at the other. I remember thinking at the time it was probably the grooviest street in Hull."
Another memory from those days is being blown off her bike by the wind.
She says: "I don't suppose that happens much anywhere else. Only in Hull!"
Even after leaving Hull to start her career in journalism, she turned back to the city for inspiration.
She says: "For my first article for the Observer, I decided to write a profile on the M62 .
"I was living in Liverpool at the time and I was fascinated by the way this motorway, unlike any other, was seemingly ignoring London by running across the country between Hull and Liverpool.
"As part of the profile, I got a tour around the Humber Bridge with the bridgemaster, both inside it and right to the top of one of the towers. That was an amazing experience."
Friendships forged here during her student days have ensured regular return visits over the years.
She's also banged the drum for Hull whenever the opportunity arose during her career.
When the city made it on the shortlist to be the UK City of Culture 2017, she found herself on another sofa at the ITV studios waiting for the final result to be announced.
She says: "They had a champion there for each of the cities and I had been asked on to speak up for Hull.
"Lorraine Kelly was the presenter and she is from Dundee so she was obviously rooting for them.
"When it was announced that Hull had won, I was jumping around the studio like a lunatic shouting 'Yahoo!' I was so thrilled.
"To be fair, everyone was very gracious afterwards and they kept congratulating me as if I had actually won it for Hull, which was definitely not the case."
Once the dust settled on Hull's success and the advert had appeared for the role of culture company's chairman, she decided to go for it. She says: "I thought: 'God, that's a big job' but then I realised it could be for me.
"I looked at the criteria and what they wanted and started ticking off the boxes one by one.
"At the end, I thought it was something I could do. I still feel like that, I feel I've got the necessary skills for the job."
She will now divide her time between her home in London and Hull, helping to assemble and then lead a team capable of delivering what is being billed as the biggest national event following this year's Commonwealth Games.
One of her main aims is to ensure 2017 involves people from all walks of life in Hull and not just the usual culture vulture suspects.
"Public democracy of the arts is crucial," she declares, sounding briefly like a politician.
"I think art is for everyone and I am confident Hull will be able to deliver on this.
"The challenge for us to make sure we come up with something which directly engages with the people of Hull and beyond, some- thing which involves people by getting them to participate in whatever way they can.
"Engagement is crucial. I lived in London during the Olympics and saw what happened then.
"Everyone seemed to get involved and that is what we have got to aim for here in Hull.
"We have to tap into everyone and I believe we can."
Hull's new-found can-do culture is, she believes, going to be its trump card.
She says: "There has been a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of disbelief. What it's clear now is that disbelief has gone. People are starting to believe."
£25,000-a-year salary, plus expensesContrary to earlier suggestions, Ms Millard will receive a salary as chairman of the new culture company.
She will be paid £25,000 a year and can claim travel expenses.
Initially, she is expected to work four or five days a month, although that is likely to increase as 2017 draws nearer.
She will play a key role in assembling the team which will oversee the programme for the year.
Applications for the new company's chief executive have closed, with a ten-strong short-list of candidates expected to be drawn up in the next few weeks. That full-time job is likely to command a six-figure salary.
Places on the company's board will be advertised next week.
