It’s sort of Friday. Feels like it anyway. So I'm fairly cheery because I’ve just listened to James May “guest presenting” on Radio 4. I'm on topic because he had two points of discussion/ranting close to my heart: tea and cycling. Rambly post I’m afraid as I’m trying to avoid doing the washing up. Make a pot of tea perhaps. Or just “grab a coffee” and ignore me.
To digress slightly, one of my Crimbo prezzies was from a mate in Wales – some tea. Doesn’t sound very impressive until you see the stunning jet-black jar:
Aye, Welsh tea grown in, er, Wales. The Peterston-super-Ely tea gardens in fact. It contains precisely 12 grammes of leaves, and suggests 3g per brew re-useable 3 times (strange idea). I don’t know but I’d wouldn’t be surprised if weight for weight it's more expensive than saffron. Swap you for a bit of
gold leaf?
Anyway, James May. He’s of the opinion that discerning tea drinking is being overwhelmed by mindless coffee drinking, and I agree. Firstly he went to The Ritz (*) to sample a proper pot of tea and ask the views of the general populace, where he discovered that many people are now having coffee first drink of the day rather than a decent brew. Shocking.
(*) in Hammersmith
Off he goes next to Stoke-on-Trent (great place) to visit Port Vale Football Club, where they have not one but TWO tea ladies, with actual trolleys. Now that’s more like it. The Club believes that the provision of tea and tea ladies greatly improves productivity (no “going out to get a coffee” time-wasting) and team cohesion (everyone sits down and has a proper chat over a pot of tea and biscuits and/or cake). I expect they use bone china cups (they certainly ought to in Stoke!) and tea leaves as well.
Of course tea drinking is a far more contemplative and thoughtful affair than the ridiculous “grab a coffee” alternative, and more sociable and pleasant too. With tea one converses languidly and companionably over a
shared pot of taking it in
turns to pour. Far more civilised than “grab and go and gobble”.
Even tea venues are nicer. Compare sitting in a soulless corporate coffee chain with its garish lighting and no tables – they don’t want people hanging around enjoying themselves – with a nice chintzy tea shop. I totally refuse to patronise any of those ubiquitous coffee places. My spot of choice in town is a little independent café called Latte Dah (even he couldn’t resist) where you take as long as you like over a pot or two. And talking of Latte, please can we stop calling them “Lartays”? So uncouth. Thinking about it, coffee is frequently not even taken when sitting down, but while walking quickly down the street, bucket in hand, phone in the other. What’s all
that about? Joyless. And wasteful plastic lid and "cup" litter. Most people don't even seem to notice they're carrying it - they've just been talked into it by the Corporate Juggernaut.
The whole tea drinking “moment” is so good that of course there’s even a whole book extolling its virtues: “A Nice Cup Of Tea And A Sit Down”. Note that the sitting down is just as important as the drinking. I do not have the equivalent coffee book: “A Bucket Of Coffee And Running After A Bus”.
So James is right. Coffee is basically associated with wandering down the road, or sitting round a campfire farting prodigiously.
OK, I can now take my tongue out of my cheek ;-). Maybe.
Later on James moved on to cycling and specifically the benefits of cycling in London – fast, free, fun and keeps you fit. He rightly thinks a change in attitudes to cycling is more useful than better infrastructure. He is not a fan of HiVis clothing or licences. Although he did think E-Cargo-Bikes are getting a little too close to becoming a “vehicle” and can cause more damage than a plain bike so there may be a case for licences there.
A nice touch to interview a taxi driver who liked cycling but still believed cyclists should have licences, HiVis and mirrors as well. James disagreed of course
.
So there we go. Tea and bikes. How could they
possibly be controversial?
Right, now where's that teapot?
It's Crimbo Eve... the season of goodwill to all, er, mannequins....
.