This week, International Tea Day occurs. It’s December 15th every year. It’s not a day devoted to drinking copious quantities of tea – that’s every day. It’s a day dedicated to thinking about tea workers. So, I was thinking about it yesterday, because here in Australia, Dec 15th is indeed yesterday. I wasn’t thinking about it as well as I […]
DECEMBER 8th, 1970 Dear Father Christmas I am five and my brother is three and if there were any naughty stuffs done it was johns fault and i want some tea and a bike. Robby Aged 5 DECEMBER 12, 1971 Dear Father Christmas Last year you forgot my bike. Can you remember this time? Also thank you […]
A post about Sencha? Well, no. Not really. Though a man dressed as Father Christmas once bought some Wild Cherry Sencha from our tea shop long ago and inspired the title, this is a post about words. Two words: One of them is utilitarian, one quite delightful. Seen as interchangeable, but I’d argue against it being so. The first […]
If you look at 18th and 19th English tea caddies, you’ll see they have a lock. Often, the key was kept around a trusted neck – the head servant, or even the lady of the house. Tea was (and I think is) a precious commodity. And it wasn’t used only once. I remember seeing a […]
In the past, on some occasions, I’ve been portrayed as a person of strong opinions, in various fora. Yes, fora, not ‘forums’ . This is something else I feel strongly about. But I digress. ‘Tea people’ often have strong opinions. After all, if you are the kind of person that stands up against the sort of […]
Here’s yet another blog where I combine tea and history and travel, albeit with quite a misleading title. From this photo, taken from our hotel window this morning, you might assume we are somewhere tropical. Not so. We are in Kingscote, because both Lady Devotea and I have been commissioned to write articles for upcoming editions of […]
With all the fuss about the US election of late, I wondered about tea. All that footage of people lining up to vote for hours brings us the obvious questions: Why the big lines? Surely they knew that people would be wanting to vote? And why so few flasks of tea? I guess if you have a two-hour wait, […]
Yes, I love Tea Quotes, here’s some. “While her lips talked culture, her heart was planning to invite him to tea” ― E.M. Forster, Howards End “I am so fond of tea that I could write a whole dissertation on its virtues. It comforts and enlivens without the risks attendant on spirituous liquors. Gentle […]
We are in search of a tea plantation. It’s here somewhere. Four miles to go, and we were ten minutes before our allotted time. Should be easy. We turn off the smallish highway into a quite small road. “In 100 yards, turn right”, squawked Google Maps. I know what you are thinking at this point: “Miles? Yards? What’s with […]
“This is to be mortal, And seek the things beyond mortality.” Byron This is my 125th post on Tea Trade. Yes, I have way too much to say. But I might as well say it now. After all, I have no idea how long I’ll live. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, as […]