Whenever I decide to go and do my grocery shopping, the queues at the tills always seem to be ridiculously long (it’ll get worse and worse as Christmas approaches). Why do I always take about 5 minutes deciding which is the best till - size of queue, size of trolleys, dithering nature of customers only to be told as I start to unload my shopping ‘Sorry I’m closed’ This is accompanied by a nod towards the most ineffective notice!

I was delighted (it doesn’t take much!) when I actually managed to get my shopping on the conveyer belt yesterday before the lady on the till said, ‘Can you just pop this down for me love’ . As she handed me the ’closed’ sign I felt silently smug and satisfied that for once it wasn’t me looking harassed and annoyed as I was sent in search of another till.

As I was waiting for my shopping to be scanned, a man then started to unload his shopping behind me and it was my turn to indicate the sign and say, ‘sorry it’s closed‘. I felt his irritation and empathised with his plight. But, I have to say, as my shopping began to be scanned, my over-riding feeling was one of relief, that this time I made it through!