I AM glad that Paul Gardner, the owner of Russells Restaurant in Coppergate, York, has found a way of enhancing service to customers by introducing some new technology in the form of an interactive menu (February 22).

I wish he could have done something to improve the level of service I experienced there at lunchtime recently. I called in to Russells personally to book a table by the window for myself and five family members, one of whom is a wheelchair-user.

However, when we arrived for lunch, the tables were all occupied because staff had "forgotten to look in the diary". Being an insulin-dependent diabetic myself, I needed to eat without delay; Russells did not have any tables with wheelchair access and so we had no alternative but to make an unseemly dash across town to Gert & Henry's (Jubbergate) where the staff were kindness itself and fortunately were able to accommodate us quickly.

Computer wizardry has its benefits, Mr Gardner, but a bit of old fashioned attention to detail on this occasion was all that was needed.

P Hutchinson, Juniper Close,

New Earswick, York.

Updated: 10:15 Saturday, February 24, 2001