Thursday, January 27, 2005
Tea and Politics
The Guardian had a front page story yesterday about Tony Blair giving Tea mugs and pot as a gift when visiting a West London housing estate. Jane Pettigrew, author of "A Social History of Tea" said it was a publicity stunt that he just couldn't pull off, he's no man of the people, even if he does go on GMTV with a cuppa in hand.
More detail was given in the G2 feature, explaining that his biggest fault was the choice of mug. First off, it was a sale item, £1.70, and on a soon to be discontinued line, and second, the drinker was more of a cup and saucer lady, a self confessed "purist" who liked somewhere to put her tea spoon, and who believes thinner cups keep the Tea warmer (No scientific evidence is available to verify or dispute this claim).
However, despite the respectability of the Guardian, I believe this article was flawed, claiming that the art of sitting down to a cup of Tea was dead, gone the way of other social traditions such as the rounds system, the mix tape and handshakes. As it happened however, I only bought the paper because I wanted something to read in the cafe while waiting for a friend to show up for our first Tea meeting of the year (I predict there being many). As if this wasn't proof the tradition was alive and well, she also brought a book, "A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down", which discusses the importance of choosing the right pot and the picking the right biscuit (The book also has a very informative website).
Tea continues to be in the news today, as it was revealed that Police Officers have been excepting Tea and coffee while on duty. Accepting this hospitality is against policy, but officers argue that accepting Tea is part of "good community policing", and that it has been going on since Dixon of Dock Green. Not all bad Tea news for the rozzes however, apparently herbal Tea calms down prison inmates, making life easier for guards.
More detail was given in the G2 feature, explaining that his biggest fault was the choice of mug. First off, it was a sale item, £1.70, and on a soon to be discontinued line, and second, the drinker was more of a cup and saucer lady, a self confessed "purist" who liked somewhere to put her tea spoon, and who believes thinner cups keep the Tea warmer (No scientific evidence is available to verify or dispute this claim).
However, despite the respectability of the Guardian, I believe this article was flawed, claiming that the art of sitting down to a cup of Tea was dead, gone the way of other social traditions such as the rounds system, the mix tape and handshakes. As it happened however, I only bought the paper because I wanted something to read in the cafe while waiting for a friend to show up for our first Tea meeting of the year (I predict there being many). As if this wasn't proof the tradition was alive and well, she also brought a book, "A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down", which discusses the importance of choosing the right pot and the picking the right biscuit (The book also has a very informative website).
Tea continues to be in the news today, as it was revealed that Police Officers have been excepting Tea and coffee while on duty. Accepting this hospitality is against policy, but officers argue that accepting Tea is part of "good community policing", and that it has been going on since Dixon of Dock Green. Not all bad Tea news for the rozzes however, apparently herbal Tea calms down prison inmates, making life easier for guards.
