Does any reader know who came up with the idea of adding 10 per cent to the bill for a meal in a restaurant, then having the cheek to call it a service charge?

Isn't it the customers who are doing the service by their patronage? And, as an afterthought, are we legally bound to pay such a charge?

The reliable, old custom of tipping has served extremely well for many years. If you were pleased with the food and service, you would show your appreciation by leaving a tip. Dissatisfied or disappointed customers didn't. It was as simple as that.

We have all been in restaurants where supercilious waiters act like they are doing you a favour by serving you and, by the same token, there are finger-snapping customers who are forever complaining about something or nothing.

Of course, there are some excellent restaurants in Brighton and Hove and you don't have to push the boat out to get a good meal at a reasonable price. My wife and I chanced upon such a gem and a better lunch we've never had.

But... yes, here it comes. The waiter, a jolly soul by nature, had been at the cooking sherry. Dear, oh, dear - as the meal progressed, the worse for wear the poor man became. More than once we had to duck to avoid being scalped by his silver tray as he wobbled and toddled around the restaurant like he was aboard ship on the high seas.

We ordered coffee for two and I had a fancy for a chocolate eclair that caught my eye on the sweet trolley. He brought the coffee and I reminded him about the eclair. I couldn't help but smile as I poured the coffee from the saucer into the cup. A few feet away, he slapped the eclair on to a plate - who needs tongs, I thought? On the short return journey, he managed somehow to trip over his own feet and my eclair took off like a missile, zooming into the air only to crash-land under the vacant table next to us. His dander up, our intrepid waiter dived headlong under the table after it and by the look on his face he couldn't understand why I had changed my mind - but I gladly paid the 10 per cent.

The only good restaurant I know that doesn't have a service charge is in St James's Street. I would happily name it but, the odd thing is, it doesn't have a name. Plus, it has the best-looking waitresses in town. Perfect.

-Bill Grant, Devonshire Place, Brighton