I’m a caffeine addict. I basically can’t function without it. My morning routine is a bit of Radio 4 to awake me from slumber, then a quick wee and straight to the kettle and the coffee tin. This is the one of many throughout the day.

My normal coffee routine then continues with another at work at some point in the morning and one to beat the 3pm lull.

I like to go out for coffee too, especially the afternoon one.

I occasionally weaken and have some cake too (only for the sugar hit you understand).

Yesterday I had my folks in town and we decided to visit the Botanic Gardens.

The weather was lovely and as a plant nerd I got amongst the borders with my mum planning my next purchases for my own garden.

This is thirsty work. I think I inherited my cake gene from my dad so he suggested we have an afternoon cake and coffee stop en route back to the car. Great idea I thought.

I have heard friends raving about a few venues in Oxford so I thought let’s try somewhere new.

I often pass by the Grand Cafe, reputedly the first place to serve coffee in the UK and favoured haunt of Chelsea Clinton.

I recalled some steps – so I called ahead. As usual I declared that I am a wheelchair user and I asked do they have alternative access or a ramp?

The waitress said there is no wheelchair access stating there are two steps but I would be ok. I was a bit flabbergasted. She made no inquiry as to my age, whether I had a power chair or a manual one, whether I was alone or accompanied, whether I needed assistance.

She gave no more information. Knowing access was tricky I pushed a bit further. I asked about the size of the steps, she conceded they are quite big.

By now I had decided I wasn’t going to give them my business no matter the provenance of their history with coffee and a US president’s daughter.

I don’t blame her she is just doing her job; the owners have the responsibility to make reasonable adjustments and train their staff accordingly.

There are load of shops and cafes in Oxford that are old buildings, I get that, but there are also loads that have temporary ramps, either wooden ones made to measure, or a simple aluminium ramp bought off Amazon.

It’s really not that hard to work around. Unfortunately for the Grand Cafe they didn’t know that I was journalist who they irritated but fear not I’ll send a copy of this column to the owners.

I’ll let you know what they say.