MY WIFE wanted to shop, I’d had my fill and suggested she go ahead while I had a coffee in the new super comfortable restaurant.

Clearly a sensible choice, but no procedures had to be followed. Once started, there was no way out.

I will enumerate...

1 Wait to be allocated a seat in the empty restaurant (five minutes)

2 Wait for the waiter/waitress to take my order – “Flat white, please” (ten minutes).

3 Waiter/waitress goes to the counter and submits order (ten minutes)

4 Barista completes order and shouts: “Flat white ready” (15 minutes)

5 Waiter reports to barista and collects flat white (ten minutes)

6 Cold flat white delivered, rather past its best but drunk (15 minutes)

7 Wife about finished shopping but no time left to get a coffee (ten minutes)

8 Ask for bill (ten minutes)

9 Waiter/waitress goes to cashier and seeks the bill (ten minutes)

10 Cashier seeks confirmation as to what I have had (ten minutes).

11 Cashier prepares bill (ten minutes)

12 Waiter/waitress collects bill and delivers for payment (ten minutes)

13 Bill delivered and payment made (ten minutes)

14 Waiter/waitress delivers payment to cashier (ten minutes)

15 I shout to the waiter/waitress: “Keep the change” (five minutes)

16 Leave the restaurant (Total: two hours and 15 minutes). Is this what makes Britain great?

Keith Wareham, Linton Road, Nether Poppleton, York.