I was down at the Tesco wine store this  morning looking for a bottle of dark rum. There was a great sucking of teeth. Dark rum? No demand for it these days.

He said, ‘Doing a bit of baking are you? Your best bet is Devaney’s, next door to Rody Boland’s.’ Which was precisely the direction I didn’t want to go in but I did.

And the man in Devaney’s, who looked pretty shocked anyone wanted to buy anything from him so early on a Monday morning said… ‘Doing a bit of baking are you?’  As he plonked the wee bottle on the counter before my grateful eyes.

As it happens they were both spot on. I’m experimenting with this chocolatey-chilli puddingy thing of which, I hope, more triumphant news anon. Meanwhile, this being November 1st,  the supermarket have their Christmas tree up and lit. Naturally.