I always feel a bit uneasy using paid help when there's a name and face to it. I can make myself believe that hotel rooms magically clean themselves, but at home I end up cleaning up so that it's all neat and tidy for when my cleaning lady comes.

Guilt, perhaps, or an obsessive worry about what people might think. But here I am, unable to take taxis for short rides, lest the cab driver thinks I'm a lazy git or I'm making him miss a more lucrative ride, or ask an assistant to fetch me a coffee, because it's obviously a bit of a demeaning task.

So I'm hopeful about TimeSavers, a new concierge service that's fully bookable via email or phone. In addition to standard tasks like personal shopping or getting reservations, they'll also get the dog walked and fed (at least the four-legged ones), redecorate your home or arrange for an image make-over.