Ineke,
If the mods get hold of this I don't know what section it will fit in with !
OK Making a decent cup of tea, cups not mugs, a tea pot ,jug of milk and in some nice tea shops a second pot of hot water to top the tea pot up with. You must warm the teapot first and pour the hot water over the tea ( some prefer tea leaves to teabags , they say it makes better tasting tea, ) let it brew again some like it different strengths, then pour it into the tea cup. There is a difference of opinion whether you put the milk in first or after, some say it cools the tea too quickly and spoils the taste , some countries also frown on milk at all and say it's more correct to drink it without.
If I'm in a hot country sometimes Earl Grey is very refreshing taken with lemon and not milk, and a large slice of coffee and walnut cake .
The way you described it being served is the greasy spoon variety , worse still is a tea bag dumped in a mug of hot water usually with no means of dragging it out before the tea is stewed .
One detail I forgot was don't forget to stick your little finger out when drinking from your fine bone china cup !!!
Shelly,
The first time I saw a CDer was in a small grocery store in Hawkeshead in the Lake District, she was smartly dressed in a tea dress and heeled wedges, yes she did stand out but more so for looking agitated and nervous.
As you say a confident smile goes a long way even if you are in panic mode inside !
Nikki,
I did think you might make a humorous comment about hot crumpets but you didn't take the bait !!
As matter of interest , do they make crumpets in the US ? Obviously they don't in France .
