Tea-Time with Frances

I wrote a poem about a good friend, Frances, who, though born in Scotland, spent much of her life in the US and gave birth to three daughters who grew up as American citizens. Frances herself would never take citizenship. She valued her Britishness, her traditions, and perhaps most of all she valued her cup of tea. Over many, many, shared cups of tea she helped me through a painful time in my life. ‘Tea and sympathy,’ was the best medicine anyone ever gave me.

We sat in painted white basket chairs in her caravan, the chubby blue teapot, blue and white cups, saucers, and plates (for the Abernethy biscuits) between us on a small cane table, also painted white and covered with a crisp hand embroidered cloth. Once I offered to pour the tea. I was about to pour from the pot into the empty cup as my mother-in-law, a terrific snob, had done. It had taken me years to throw off the ‘milk in first’ pattern adopted by my parents, but I had done it in a futile attempt to win some approbation from this severe lady. I was slightly taken aback therefore when my friend said kindly: ‘Let’s do it like the Queen and put the milk in first.’ Somewhere she had read that Queen Elizabeth II preferred her tea served this way. So I dutifully reprogrammed myself again. When, long after her death, I wrote the poem about Frances I put in her comment verbatim. Another writer friend who read the poem told me firmly that the Queen would have the tea poured first, ‘because that’s how the aristocracy do it.’ And so the discussion began. 

I have trawled the internet for support of Frances’ claim. Found nothing sadly (although I’m sure she had read it somewhere at the time) but I’m now a repository of information about tea. I had no idea that whole blogs are written on the subject of the British cup of tea. And facts around tea.

here are a few:

The first record of tea written in English came from English merchants abroad, suitably enough in the East India Company in Japan. In 1615 Richard Wickham, the manger of the office there wrote to merchants asking themto bring him ‘The best sort of chaw.’ It was often called chaw or chaa and described to those not in the know as ‘water with a sort of herb boyled in it.’

By 1657 it was being served in the coffee houses in London but had to be explained to the patrons until they got the taste for it.. By 1667 Samuel Pepys was noting that his wife took tea for medicinal reasons and the Royal College of Physicians debated whether any of the exotic new drinks appearing (the cocoa bean arrived at about this time) would agree with ‘the constitution of our English bodies.’

Even very slightly formal events can be a cause for cups and saucers to be used instead of mugs. A typical semi-formal British tea ritual might run as follows (the host performing all actions unless noted):[18]

1. The kettle is brought to a rolling boil (with fresh water to ensure good oxygenation which is essential for proper diffusion of the tea leaves).[19]
2. Enough boiling water is swirled around the teapot to warm it and then poured out.
3. Add loose tea leaves, (usually black tea) or tea bags, always added before the boiled water.
4. Fresh boiling water is poured over the tea in the pot and allowed to brew for 2 to 5 minutes while a tea cosy may be placed on the pot to keep the tea warm.
5. Milk must be added to the tea cup, the host asking the guest if milk is wanted, milk may never be added after the tea is poured.
6. A tea strainer is placed over the top of the cup and the tea poured in, unless tea bags are used. Tea bags may be removed, if desired, once desired strength is attained.
7. Fresh milk and white sugar is added according to individual taste. Most people have milk with their tea, many without sugar.
8. The pot will normally hold enough tea so as not to be empty after filling the cups of all the guests. If this is the case, the tea cosy is replaced after everyone has been served. Hot water may be provided in a separate pot, and is used only for topping up the pot, never the cup.

I have also learned that afternoon tea was introduced by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, who became low and peckish at about 4pm.

I used to love afternoon tea when it was available in tea shops. Not, ‘High Tea’ which can include fish ‘n chips or baked beans on toast or Welsh Rarebit, all lovely in themselves but NOT for afternoon tea which should have little cakes and biscuits, sandwiches with the crusts cut off and..... I’m making myself hungry now.