The Perfect Cup Of Tea

Is this your cup of tea?

Imagine- sitting down after a stressful day and entering another world- the tea world. Here you are permitted to sit with your feet up, purely to drink an amazing cup or mug of your favourite tea. No other agenda, no further demands, simply that the liquid in your cup is slowly sipped and sent down your throat into the place where all tea goes! In Winter, enjoy it as hot as you dare, curl up with a blanket and watch the steam swirl around you as you unashamedly drink it to the very last drop. In Summer, cool your black tea in the fridge before you leave the house and when you return it will be there to welcome and reward you with a swirl of lemon or peach juice to add to the refreshing sensation that you just won't be able to resist. After all, people have been doing this for years, even if the containers used to transport it to your waiting lips have changed, but basically it's something in England that our grandparents were doing and their grandparents before them.

In 1987 we left the shores of Britain for a foreign country, having enjoyed many a cup of tea made with real tea leaves and lovingly served from a tea pot, into a cup with a saucer. When we returned, we were horrified and almost fled the country again in panic! The traditional tea pot, tea leaves and cup and saucer had been brutally replaced by a huge, clumsy mug into which a lonely tea bag was dumped and after a couple of swishes and a splash of milk, it was duly delivered to it's recipient. How had our country gone so far from it's traditional tea-making heritage that had made it famous for so long? What were we giving our guests, the tourists, who only came to sample this simple, yet dainty tea-making ceremony? I suppose they were having to go to China instead, after all, I guess they were doing this before us Brits.

Then it dawned on me and with delight I realized that there was a remnant left, in fact I had enthusiastically been visiting it for most of the 13 years when I had returned to visit my country. Can you guess where I found it? Not in the cafs or the office staff rooms. Sadly not even in the majority of homes, but in the quaint cottage tea-rooms, where, what has now become a luxury, you can be sure to find the perfect "Cream Tea" served from a pottery tea set where the tea pot is lovingly adorned with hand-knitted cosies and along with your pot of tea you are offered a selection of home-made tea cakes and scones with jam and cream.

So- chin up, some British traditions are still alive and let's enjoy them whilst they still are!