There’ll be days like this: Van keeps his hat on despite museum’s Da Vinci code

Moody music legend Van Morrison is rarely seen without his hat these days — and he now refuses point blank to appear without it in public — no matter what the cost.

Publicity-shy Van, who divides his time between luxury homes in Belfast, Dublin and Bath, recently turned up at the Ulster Museum to check out a new exhibition of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, but turned and stamped off when told by officials he would have to remove his trademark black fedora to enter to the building.

Heavy security measures are in operation in the Belfast venue and these include getting full-on CCTV images of each visitor. This results in everybody being asked to remove their headwear.