Day 31 #100DaysOfOldDays

The Irish people are well known for their love of the cup of tea. It’s likely the first thing you’ll be offered when you enter the home of an Irish person. The offering might go like this;

“You’ll have a cup of tea.”

You might refuse at first but then you’ll be ‘offered’ a second time. “Sure ya will.”

“No thanks. I’m fine.”

“You will of course.”

It’s easier to say yes the first time you’re offered.

You won’t find a better cup of tea anywhere else in the world. And what you’ll get is a good strong cuppa too. Some Irish people drink their tea so strong, you could dance the jig on it.

Before the tea bag made it’s way here, tea was made with tea leaves in a tea pot. Most Irish mammies had a china tea set that came out only for special occasions, or when a special visitor called. Posh mammies drank from a china cup every day.

The good china was kept in a china cabinet along with the good glasses and anything else that only came out for the visitors. If you were a child who broke the china cabinet or anything that was in the china cabinet…you have my sympathy. I hope your punishment wasn’t too severe.

This particular cabinet would have been quite stellar back in the day. Cabinet lovers would pay a small fortune for this today.

I was lucky to get this beautiful Royal Albert Old Country Roses tea set from a friend a few years ago. This set is over forty years old—maybe closer to fifty. Old Country Roses was originally launched in 1962 and it is one of the most recognised and most sought after bone china tea sets.

No, we don’t drink from china cups every day, but the set does come out now and again. Why not?

And Lucy’s drawing today is of nothing other than a china tea cup!