Speakers club
HOW often have we heard these remarks when someone is upset or distressed: “Come on in and sit down. I’ll just put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea and you can tell me all about it. “
Or if someone has had an accident or in shock: “You will feel better when you’ve had a nice cup of tea”.
Or when friends visit: “How nice to see you, will you have a nice cup of tea?”
“It just goes to show how tea has become central to the way we live our lives”, said Mrs. Sandy Leong, when she was guest speaker at the Charnwood Antique & Collectors’ Club on Tuesday, May 2.
She came along to give an illustrated talk titled, (yes, you’ve guessed it!), “A Nice Cup of Tea”.
Sandy said that the story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water.
Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created.
The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea. As the emperor enjoyed it so much, everyone started to drink tea. A slide was produced showing the Emperor sitting under a tree with leaves falling into a pot of boiling water.
The Japanese and other eastern countries soon followed. However, it was the Dutch who brought tea to Europe, who in the last years of the sixteenth century began to encroach on Portuguese trading routes in the East.
Since 1600, the British East India Company had a monopoly on importing goods from outside Europe, and it is likely that sailors on these ships brought tea home as gifts. But the first dated reference to tea in this country is from an advert in a London newspaper, Mercurius Politicus, from September 1658. It announced that ‘China Drink, called by the Chinese, Tcha. Again, a slide was shown showing the advert.
At first tea was a very expensive drink and could only be afforded by the rich. Coffee Houses were already in existence in London. These were frequented by businessmen and merchants and when tea came on the scene, it was available in these Coffee Houses. Catherine of Braganza the wife of Charles II, became addicted to it and therefore all the Royal Court drank tea.
As tea was a sort after commodity, a tax was imposed, (about 119 per cent!) and it was not long before smuggling became a lucrative occupation. But to make it go further, a variety of things were added to it (sheep dung to keep its colour; leaves from other trees of which some were toxic with terrible results).
In 1773, the “Boston Tea Party” took place in Boston, America as a rebellion to the high tax imposed. Great debates took place until Wm Pitt the Younger reduced it to about 12.5 per cent. Tax on tea remained until 1964!
Most of the tea came from China at first, but plantations were being developed in India and in particularly in Ceylon (Sri Lanka now), and great rivalry between ship owners soon sprang up with fast ships “Clippers” being built.
Tea was mainly consumed at breakfast, but the Duchess of Bedford in 1840 decided to hold afternoon teas for her friends. This idea soon spread and was to become the norm in most rich households.
Later Tea Rooms were being built for the more middle class people. One well known one was “Lyons Corner House” in London (1884).
During WWI, the government took over the importing of tea and issued large amounts to the British Forces. In WWII, tea became rationed until well after the end of the war.
Sandy said that now over 60 billion cups of tea were consumed in Britain. Her talk ending on this statistical note.
The chairman, Rowland Tatton, thanked Sandy for her most interesting and amusing talk and for her slides that were produced by her and illustrated all the points made during her talk.
Some members had brought along some of their tea cups and saucers to add to the evening’s entertainment. Members then dispersed to take “A Nice Cup of Tea!”.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 6th June and will be on Sarees” presented by Sudha Amin. RFT.