It's 8.30am and I'm sitting in Starbucks on Liverpool's Castle Street. For once I'm early and have time to sit and observe instead of downing my coffee while walking to work. The coffee shop itself is not as busy as I thought it would be, but I also know that could change in a second. More than once did I walk away without something caffeine-containing because the queue was that long.

A man in suit and tie works on his laptop on the table across from mine. Another man sips coffee in the corner, while lounging on one of the sofas and reading today's news.

Business men, construction workers and women in summer-y, flowery dresses walk past, and I can see them thinking "coffee would be nice right now" while they haste out of sight.

One of my colleagues just walked through the door. It seems I'm not the only one who needs to wake up!