Last week’s big news at my office was that the tills in the canteen were on the blink, and could no longer swipe our vending cards. So in order to buy, say, a large latte and a lemon muffin, we had to open our purses and find £1.80 in coins instead.

This caused quite a stir. I objected not only because any change to routine is abhorrent but also because the business of having to hand over real cash suddenly made my morning treat seem rather more expensive than usual.