My first visit to Northern Ireland was a memorable one. A fairly junior (and totally useless) civil servant, I was dispatched to represent the Treasury at a seminar about something or other at Stormont. The other attendees were all permanent secretaries of Northern Ireland government departments.
When it came time to introduce myself, the country's most senior civil servants greeted me with mock hisses. My line manager later attributed this to the esteem in which the Treasury was held across the Irish Sea, rather than anything I'd done. Still, it's not an experience one forgets.
Moving on and today is without doubt a historic day. For the first time, a British prime minister shook hands with a Sinn Féin first minister of Northern Ireland. No matter that the first and deputy first minister are co-equals, creating a duumvirate (one of my favourite words), the significance need not be pointed out.
The ascension of Northern Ireland's first nationalist leader has inevitably raised questions about its future as part of the United Kingdom, something Michelle O'Neil is only too pleased to discuss. Indeed yesterday, the first minister shared her belief that a border poll could be held within the next decade. Such a possibility comes not only in the context of demographic change in the north, but also as Sinn Féin eyes up power in the Republic of Ireland.
Both the prime minister and Northern Ireland secretary, the latter being responsible for calling any border poll, pushed back on the suggestion. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also called the question of reunification "not one for today". And there are certainly a whole host of nearer-term problems to wade through, unsurprising for a place that has been run without ministerial direction for two years.
The Executive must set a budget and settle various public sector pay disputes. It has an additional £3.3bn to spend, and an offer to alter the Barnett formula by introducing a new 'needs-based' funding floor which would lead to (English taxpayers look away now) £124 per head being spent on public services in Northern Ireland for every £100 in England.
Northern Ireland's politicians point out that this is because the need is greater. The Alliance Party's Naomi Long, returning as justice minister, said as much today. Meanwhile, the Executive has already written to the prime minister urging greater funding above the initial £3.3bn. Normal politics in Northern Ireland has well and truly resumed.
It must be said, getting Stormont back up and running is a proper political achievement for Rishi Sunak and his Northern Ireland secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris. Combined with improved relations with the European Union (see: the Windsor Framework) as well as flashy treaties (the Aukus agreement) and Rishi Sunak might have gone into the next election election banging on about getting big things done.
But there were two key problems with this strategy. First, that voters who often don't follow the minutiae of government policy definitely noticed when Liz Truss blew up the economy and caused their mortgage repayments to spike*.
And second, most people living in Great Britain don't care about Northern Ireland or foreign policy. In fact, many treat them as one and the same. Case in point: during the EU referendum, the status of Northern Ireland was barely debated, despite the massive strain Brexit was always going to place on the operation of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement
After today, Northern Ireland will likely recede once more from the minds not only of voters but British politicians, until the next crisis unfolds. It's not the ideal way to run a country.
In the comment pages, Dylan Jones warns that if you can't recall WWII and its long tail, then you won't get the threat of WWIII. Ewan Kirk says Sunak risks shutting the door on budding global talent in pursuit of political slogans. While Going Out Editor David Ellis wonders whether a new Ottolenghi really will tip Richmond into wild chaos.
And finally, the line between romantic and schmaltzy is a fine one, says Clare Finney. But here are 11 London restaurants that toe it well for Valentine's Day.*Interest rates were going to rise regardless of the 'mini-Budget' but tough luck
