Why eating at 6pm is the most civilised thing you can do

I've booked us a table for 8.30pm — hope that’s OK!” Few messages are capable of filling me with such instant dread. | am very fond of the friend in question — | wouldn't be meeting her for a midweek dinner if | wasn’t — but she is testing the limits of my affection.

- Helen Coffey, The Independent

“Thanks! Didn't they have anything earlier?” | ping back, with little hope that the inclusion of my own exclamation mark will do much to mask the pass-agg undertone. “It was that or 4pm, sorry!” In that case, book it for 6pm, you sadist!, I want to scream at my phone. Alas, convention forbids it.