Now of course, the venerable institution that is Le Greenwich has undergone a much-publicised makeover, and not everyone is enamoured with the new set-up, least of all chess obsessives;who had been playing in the Greenwich for decades and who, since the revamp, have found themselves relegated to a back room.

All efforts to review The Messenger without alluding to the band that made Johnny Marr one of the most revered guitarists of all time have proved futile. And in a way he only has himself to blame: while Morrissey has a dozen post-break-up albums to his name, and is therefore justified in feeling aghast at only ever hearing about the Smiths, this actually is Marr’s first solo album proper (2003’s Boomslang was credited to Johnny Marr + The Healers).

When one feels strongly attached to a cafe, there is always the temptation – admittedly antithetical to the journalist’s code of conduct – to keep it entirely to oneself. Especially when said cafe is the very definition of cosy, accommodating only some two dozen patrons comfortably.This is how I feel about Lord Byron Art Cafe, which is tucked away in the once-quiet Rue des Chartreux in downtown Brussels.