The incessant media and political barrage insisting that we ignore increasing poverty, cutbacks, homeless crisis, housing crisis, health crisis, mental health crisis, suicides, food banks, emigration and the rest – but still believe the country is in the grip of some recovery can seem surreal.

But who are we to trust our eyes when there are men in ties saying things about ‘GDP’ and ‘sentiment’ and warning severely about change and the IRA or whatever?

Strange then to see the CSO publish figures that show December’s retail figures drop below November’s for the first time since 2012 (when VAT was increased) and in line with figures of 2010 before this shower took over from the other shower.