Despite all the hype; despite all the expectations of thousands upon thousands of people attending and causing chaos; despite the rather large traffic monitoring operation put in place, less than 500 fools folk turned up for the opening of Belfast Ikea. And most of them were southerners with far too much time on their hands.

Belfast, I know I’ve been rude about you in the past, but by God I take it back. Your cynicism in the face of idiotic hype warms me to the very core of my being.

In short: Belfast, you rule.

And in direct opposition to my earlier gut feeling, I fear I may end up visiting at some point. Because of the view that the restaurant has over the nearby airport, not because of a great need for furniture. I’ve already told you I’m a geek for aircraft, haven’t I?