Misc

It’s all about me!

February 25, 2013

My name is Denise and I am the creator and writer of the Tea in England blog. I’ve recently shared with you the story behind this blog and the story behind the blog banner, so today I thought I’d tell you a little bit about myself.

I love England and have been an Anglophile all my life. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I don’t exactly know how that happened, but suspect that Rex Harrison in ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir’ had something to do with it.

I love Tea ~ and not just drinking it. I am fascinated with its history, ceremony, and the entire tea experience.

The only way I could eventually get around the whole Anglophile/Tea thing was to marry a tea-drinking Brit and move to England. So I did! Three years ago, after living for six years in the States, we returned to the UK; later this year I will obtain British Citizenship which I am very excited about.

I live and work in a small village not far from London, and have been designated by The Travel Institute as a London Destination Specialist. I can tell you how to get from Twinings on the Strand to the Ritz London in Piccadilly in time for Afternoon Tea, just please don’t ask me whether it’s jam or cream first when the scones arrive – I’ve not even finished my sandwiches yet!

I am also a UK Tea Council Tea Masterclass graduate – which just means that when it comes to tea, I can talk for England. This blog was created to let me do just that.

Thank you for dropping by! But before you go having a good snoop about, what do you say we put the kettle on?

 

 

 

 

If you liked this post, please use the buttons below

to share it with others on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

Thank you!

 

 

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: 12 Comments

The story behind the Tea in England blog

February 20, 2013

Gravitea for Two by Duy Huynh

The longer I live in England, and the more I see and do, the more I discover that in one way or another almost everything here has a tea connection. Some are fairly obvious, others are pretty darn obscure – all of them are captivating.

After two years of posting my adventures and these unique finds on my personal Facebook page, I decided that it was time to start sharing it all with you and the rest of the tea-drinking-England-loving world, so I created Tea in England.

But … it’s not all about me. (Well, okay, sometimes it is.) This is a place for you to talk about tea, England and Tea in England, so please join in the conversation by leaving comments and telling me about your favourite Tea in England places and experiences. #sharethetealove

Tea in England

Although my husband – yes! that’s him in the drawing above :-) – thinks that I know everything (shhhhh, it’s taken me nine years to get him to this point), the truth is: I don’t. There’s still a lot to learn about tea and about England. I hope you won’t mind my dragging you around with me as I do so. Bring a flask. Extra points for Tunnock’s Tea Cakes.

Speaking of going places, isn’t my blog banner sensational? London illustrator Emma Block has captured perfectly – in her talented, imaginative, charming way – my personal journey of discovery across this Land of Hope and Glory and Tea. Emma likes charity shops, tea, and very sharp pencils. Her latest book is called Tea & Cake. Oh yes, our kind of girl.

 

Tea & Cake by Emma Block

 

So there you have it ~ the Tea in England blog. I’m so glad you’re here! Now then, one lump or two?

 

 

 

If you liked this post, please use the buttons below

to share it with others on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

Thank you!

 

 

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: 9 Comments

The story behind the Tea in England banner

February 18, 2013

I Love My Blog

One of the things I especially love about my blog is my banner. I’m not really sure how many people click on that little ‘About’ tab at the top of the page and take the time to read the About Me, About This Blog, and About My Banner pages, so I thought I’d be a bit cheeky and splash them out to you over the next few days.

The Tea in England banner was a collaborative effort between myself and London illustrator Emma Block. (Okay, okay, yes, she did the hard part.) I knew what I wanted in the banner, and the very talented Emma made it happen.

Dotted across the illustrated landscape of the Tea in England banner are representations of what I believe to be the more important contributions to England’s tea history:

 

 

The Tea in England Blog Banner

Tregothnan, Cornwall – Tea Plant · Home to the first tea grown in England.

Devon Tearoom  · See that cute little sign in the window? There’s nothing like a Cream Tea in Devon, birthplace of the Cream Tea.

Stoke-on-Trent – Teacup · Teacups, teapots, teawares – and more. England’s ceramics industry base for over 300 years.

Woburn Abbey · Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, lived here and in 1840 she ‘invented’ the ritual of Afternoon Tea.

Village Féte · I love fete’s, fairs, and county shows. Look for me in the tea tent.

Big Ben · Represents London, a city I love and one with a rich tea history. Appropriately, it’s three o’clock – teatime!

Locket engraved with Rex CII & Regina C · In 1662, Charles II’s new bride arrived in Portsmouth from Portugal. Her name was Catherine of Braganza and she brought with her an impressive dowry: money (lots of it); a city (little place called Bombay); and tea. Catherine had tea trending in England long before the Twitter hash tag.

Teapot Balloon · In the 17th and 18th centuries, hot air balloon rides were given at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London’s famous tea gardens. So that’s me up there, teacup in hand, travelling across England visiting fantastic places and tea-centred spaces.

Cutty Sark · The great tea clipper. Newly refurbished and now a living history museum in Greenwich, just east of London. If tea clippers could talk . . . . .

I hope this post has been an enjoyable insight into the people, places, and things that I consider to be important factors in the story and history of Tea in England.

 

The Tea in England blog button

If you liked this post, please use the buttons below

to share it with others on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

Thank you!

 

 

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: 18 Comments
« Older Posts

To the Top