‘What’s the café called?’ I asked as I helped lift down the chairs from where they had been left upside down on the tables.

None of the furniture matched, but because it was all painted, everything sat harmoniously together.

‘The Wynmouth Beach Café,’ Sophie told me. ‘That’s what it’s always been called so I took the name on when I signed the lease.’

It was a perfectly acceptable name for a run-of-the-mill seaside eatery, but it didn’t suit Sophie’s clever creation at all. There was absolutely nothing about it which even hinted at what you would find if you ventured along this side of the coast.

‘That’s all right, isn’t it?’ she asked, when I didn’t say anything.

I wasn’t sure how I could say no without offending her.

‘Well,’ I began.

‘Oh,’ she groaned, before starting to laugh, ‘don’t tell me. It doesn’t match the ambience of the place; it doesn’t suggest any of what’s on offer.’

I didn’t say anything.

‘Am I right?’ she said, placing her hands on her shapely hips and raising her eyebrows.

‘Yes,’ I squeaked, confirming what she obviously already knew, ‘you are.’

‘There now,’ she tutted, shaking her head. ‘That’s exactly what my daughter is always saying. You’d get on well with her, Tess. She thinks I should have a website too.’

‘Please, don’t tell me you haven’t?’ I gasped.

‘No,’ she shrugged, her laughter fading in response to my reaction, ‘I haven’t, but I will get around to it.’ She hastily added.

‘And what about social media?’ I quizzed. The café was pure Instagram heaven. ‘Please tell me you have a Facebook page at the very least.’

‘All in good time,’ she said, flicking on the lights behind the counter. ‘All in good time. I’ve managed without all that palaver so far, haven’t I?’

‘I’m not so sure,’ I told her.

‘What do you mean?’ she frowned, tying on an apron which was every bit as bright as the décor.

‘Well, you said a minute ago that you would like the café to be busier, didn’t you?’

‘A little busier,’ she conceded. ‘No one wants to compromise the tranquillity of the area. I wouldn’t want to be inundated, but yes, I could do with a little more cash coming through the till.’

‘Then you really do need to embrace what your daughter has already suggested and get yourself online,’ I said forthrightly.