Our Life

Has anyone noticed how there are some meals that just go brilliantly well with a cup of tea? Apart from the obvious choice of proper afternoon tea with sandwiches, cakes and scones, I have found that the following dishes are vastly improved by the addition of a cup of tea:

- fish and chips
- a huge fry-up
- beans on toast
- anything involving poached eggs
- spag bol

Having said that, when I was a child we just always had tea with all meals, regardless of what they were. There was just a pot of tea in the middle of the table.

(I realise that's a bit common.)

I only have tea with food if it's breakfast time or snack time.
However, tea is really good after a heavy meal of any sort, to aid in digestion.

blatantly fish, chips and mushy peas… all the way! in fact anything at all

a bacon and mushroom sarnie with HP sauce. admittedly more of a snack than a meal. make sure said bacon and 'shrooms are grilled, not fried. and it must be yorkshire tea, no question!

Yeah, that does actually sound like a meal from heaven.

A really hot Indian curry! Seriously. It takes the edge of it.

deep fried chicken southern style wit southern sweet tea (extr sweet of course LOL) goes damn good together.

I'm the type to have it with anything, to be honest.

I have a question, I've never heard these two terms before: Spag bol, and sarnie…

no offense intended, but what are they?
Thanks!

Would like to recommend Pistacio and Craberry cake to go with your tea.

spaghetti bolognese and sandwich! think a nice red wine goes better with spag bol, personally.

Oooh tea and a pile of toast, or better still a plate of crumpets!!

Although I couldn't possibly drink anything else apart from tea with a fry up.

Hm hmmmm.

I've never had spaghetti bolognese…but sounds red sauce-y…means a nice red is definitely in order.

Sarni / sandwich…hmmm hard to see the connection, lol

Thanks so much for the info!

and then there's a whole new topic…..sandwich = sarnie = sanger = buttie = banjo. but why?

The English language is a most confusing way of communicating…now, a cup of tea, on the other hand, says it all! :)

I glad I'm not the only one who'd drink it with spag bol!

Pies are good too. Preferably peppered steak, the tea adds to the kick.

A cup of tea is an absolute must with a big greasy fry-up! I usually drink mine just with milk, but I always put one sugar in if I'm hungover (which I usually am if I'm eating a full English!) Also very good with an egg and sausage / bacon sandwich (with tommy k as I'm southern!) I suppose that might be classed as a type of fry-up as well though!? Good shout whoever said with beans on toast by the way!

Currently having a cuppa with a toasted cinnamon and raisin bagel, which is also very nice!

Breakfast. Lunch. Tea. Dinner. Supper. Afternoon Tea. Between Meals. But especially Breakfast.

Haha I'm guessing you're American. Spaghetti bolognaise and sanwich, good old British slang for you!

American? Good guess, but nope….Canadian, actually. I grew up in a British household (My Nan and Grandad…) but only ever heard of 'bangers and mash', 'spotted dick' and 'bubble and squeak'…that kind of thing…

Roast lamb and yorkshire puds, with roast carrots and parsnips and cauliflower cheese and tea,mmmm! I think I just ruined my pants.

Definitely with a good brekkie – whatever the time of day! Tea on its own when you get home from work or with toast late at night if you want to relive your student years. Jasmine or Green is great in a decent chinese restaurant and Dandelion tea is quite refreshing in the morning.

Whatever is happening, I'm British and a cuppa is great anytime!

Dim Sum and Oolong!

We can buy lovely funky tea pots but I haven't seen many nice modern tea cosies to go with them and warm the pot…why??

Don't want a knitted one or an 80's padded one..there must be something better than using my tea towel to warm to pot!

Or is the concept just too old fashioned??

I often see interesting cosies at Craft Fairs. The ones I particulary like have the tepot sitting on the base it with "flaps" that come up either side and tie together above the spout and handle … I'll have to take a photo of mine as that description is a bit naff….

I got a fab embroidered elephant one in nepal – I've seen them in the UK in Indian shops it's lovely. It even has a name but shame on me I forgot it…

I use a cosy and I knitted it myself. You could make a nice one out of fleece I reckon, too. Why don't you want a knitted one though? They are stylin.

Great, I'm v glad to hear people are still using tea cosies! I had worried they were being edged out of the tea world as you hardly ever see them in regular shops nowadays…

Guess I just haven't been looking hard enough! I like the sound of the Indian one and I now see you can get Cath Kidston ones, Charles Mackintosh ones, African, cat cosies etc etc.

Not sure about this one though: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HAND-CROCHETED-OWL-TEA-COSY-Fully-Lined_W0QQitemZ270156913049QQihZ017QQcategoryZ1362QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

My family use a chicken-shaped cosy. It's funny, until the subject of tea cosies was brought up I didn't really register that my family had one. It was just always THERE, you know? Part of the furniture.

That owl tea cosy on e-bay is SCARY and WRONG!

I have an 80s padded pig-shaped tea cosy but don't use it. By the time I've waited 3-5 minutes for my tea-leaves to brew, I want to drink it as soon as possible.

Oh, and loose tea please, no bags.

We have two tea cosies. One is a knitted touque(it's Canada, eh?) and the other is one I was given that keeps the tea so hot you can't touch the handle. You can buy them here in specialty kitchen shops. I also sew them and knit them. (not on demand, but for gifties)

we used to have a tea cosy that looked just like my cat from a distance… but then it was the 80's.
I heard that tea cosies were making a comeback…

They are always far too big, unless you buy a knitted one from a craft fair-and they can be a bit naff (hoping not to offend all owners of knitted tea-cosies-I'm sure yours are lovely). Tea cosies in shops are always one standard size-why don't they have a variety?

Thought I would recover this topic and tell you that I now have a tea cosy that I love!! It's crocheted with a pom pom and so cute, and you don't have to wait for the tea as it's got a hole for the spout.

I agree with Liz tho that they should be different sizes..mine is slightly too small to fit over the handle but I like that little imperfection!

I love it so much I'm going to create a group for all lovers of tea cosies ;)

So I just created the group – it's called I Love My Tea Cosy! You are all welcome to join and share some pics of your cosies!!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12254171125

For a really interesting and personalised tea cosy check out….

http://www.mybiggerpicture.com/products/product_detail.asp?572,0,0,0,0

Came across when I was looking for somethine else entirely but thought it might be appropriate for this group!!

Use tinfoil…it also keeps out the messages from the aliens.

Hell yes I use a tea cosy, it really is the only way to keep the tea cosy! But I think it was inherited from my nana. I've never seem them in stores at all.

Yay, I found that one as well, cool yet very cheesy at the same time!

Ha ha very funny.. you're obviously a tea cosy sceptic!

Though some people do have metal ones… now I know why ;) A very practical suggestion!

I've now got an image of a tea pot covered with foil (Blue Peter UFO stylee), complete with aerial receptors, flashing lights, remote control, automatic raise/lower function etc…. and some very paranoid person watching it by night by torchlight. Yikes!

Well thank you for being on my wavelength! Would you consider joining my group and showing a pic of your nana's cosy? I love the old ones…

I Love My Tea Cosy!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12254171125

PS everyone – I am quite sane, believe me, just very into tea and evereything that goes with it. :)

Oh, far from it – I'm a huge fan of the cosy!

It's true – you wear one all the time…

I do – it's an essential safetea hat.

Oh tea hee hee! :)

I'm an insomniac, damnit! I need to know…

Camomille is the one "they" recommend and it worked for me, though have to say most things work for me getting to sleep, sorry!

i totally swear by clipper sleep easy tea – i get it in tesco's for just over £2. it's an aquired taste but knocks me out in 10 minutes. give it a bash, it's like kalms in a cup

catnip

I'd say camomile and peppermint tea! :) Of the two, I prefer peppermint… Something about the minty taste that sends me to la-la-land… :p

I lean to the belief that "sleep is for wimps" and if I can drink enough tea then maybe I won't need to sleep.

And then… "peppermint tea"… is that, you know, really tea…?

Just asking.

>Anything that doesn't have real tea in it, isn't tea. It's a tea substititute. A herbal infusion. An abomination.

Thank you, Benjamin! I think we're tips from the same plantation.

Incidentally, does too much tea give you wind? If so, how many cups over 20 a day would be too many?

Ah! Ha! Brilliant Robert – a man after my own heart!!! Anyone would think tea-drinking was bad for you the way some people go on!!!

I get a lot of gip cos I drink tea from the moment I open my eyes in the morning until the moment I close them again at night.

As a matter of fact I find it hard to get to sleep WITHOUT my last cuppa – a REAL cuppa that is – nice and hot and sooo soooothing. Ummm! (Must be time for one right now!)

Peppermint tea is good for everything!

Any kind of tea, really. Tea is soothing & once you're all soothed…you'll sleep. Then again, I could sleep after a jug full of espresso. Try a jug of espresso. If you don't end up sleeping, I'm sure you could work your way through a novel in a night. :)

My favorite is a chamomile-peppermint blend.
mostly chamomile with just enough mint to make it interesting.

valerian is absolutely vile, but it's supposed to great for helping u sleep :)

I never thought I'd find a supplement that tastes worse than kava, and then I tried valerian. I think I'd rather stay awake :-P

They say CAMOMILLE is best for sleep. But then again, if you're an insomniac, nothing helps (I know). Then, all that tea drinking makes you get up from your comfortable warm bed to go and pee!?%#@

can't say i didn't warn u…

Dr Stuarts Green Chai – tastes of gingerbread, mmmm

Thank you for all your suggestions, I have tried many of them but the only two that seemed to have any effect were camomile and the Heath and Heather 'Sleep-time tea' (at least I think that's what it's called). I've currently run out of both, so it being 5am and me being oh-so tired but awake, I may be foreced into another type of tea.

Any more suggestions?

PS. Lizzie, thanks for your suggestion, but Kalms don't work for me either :0(

Camomille always knocks me out especially if teamed with a bath before hand. or failing that its not tea but a nice glass of warm milk or a hot chocolate. good luck T

I just found another remedy. You could try Safflower Tea. I got some from Thailand on my last trip there. It is made of herbs and flowers. Has a mild flowery hint and one need not add sugar! It is very calming and soothing… might send you straight to your goose down feathers!

Health and Heather do a lovely tea called Night Time, which has spearmint in it.

Of all the readily available brands of tea bags in the US, which is the best? I've visited my local grocer many times, yet I can't seem to decide which brand would be best to buy. Thoughts? Should I look elsewhere?

My favorite is PG Tips. I don't know if they're readily available everywhere in the US, but I'm seeing them more and more.

Twinings Afternoon Tea (the purple box!)

For any situation at any time of day

I see- I suppose I'll have to check those out, as I've seen them both at the store.
Any other suggestions? ^ ^

Yorkshire tea!

I reccommend fairtrade: don't know whether you have Fairtrade certified teas readily available in the US – do you? Clipper, which can be bought on-line are a brand that do ethical organic/fairtrade teas that taste pretty good too- the fancier single estate and and varietals as well as the more 'everday' tasting blends. I know British PG Tips drinkers who are dedicated to that brand on taste grounds- but they find Clipper acceptable, and sometimes buy it, once they've tasted it whereas before they only had fairtrade at church/work (thinking of two poeple- one a churhgoer, the other not but works in the voluntary sector where fairtrade is of acknowledged importance). And NO NO- I'm not being paid by anyone. Yorkshire tea is pretty good too. And although it isn't fairtrade certified it has won Prince's Trust awards for social responsibility.
Fairtrade and ethical buying ensures that the people on the tea estates are given fair, living wages, because they work with a given tea estate and guarantee price per kilo at slightly above the market rate: enough to eat, clothe, house, school a family, and buy medicines and care too. Premiums (they are slightly more expensive usually- but look out for offers) with Fairtrade teas also go to the community to build hospitals and schools and so on. Adherence to labour laws and good practice are also ensured, including banning child labour. Otherwise, in non fairtrade, you don't know, you could be drinking the tea produced by minors on a pittance, bareley enough to eat daily, and beaten if they complain. I'm not saying that definitily is happening with any of the non-fairtrade brands mentioned (please, nobody sue anyone or shut anything down). But, if they buy at market without looking at the provenance, then there are no guarantees. There is the 'ethical tea buying partnership' (look up membership on line) that checks for basic adherence to local laws in the producing tea estates, but that still doesn't ensure a living wage and is still not as strongly built-in checks and relationships not developed to as great an extent or 'value-added' as Fairtrade. It adds a bitter taste to tea, wouldn't it, if you knew that worst case senario was happening, to bring that cup? So, I say,look at your grocer's store for the best tasting fairly traded tea. Or try a church- in the uk most churches have someone who sells traidcraft items. Or a specialist shop- or maybe a supermarket- they usually stock several varieties of fairtrade here in the UK now. Even Walmart/Asda! Or try the internet! Choose fairtrade today! :))))

Earl Grey is an excellent soothing rememdy, followed by English breakfast as a close second

Revolution Tea, I get it at Shaws and they have full leaf tea in teabags.

Republic of Tea is pretty good, you can get it at Panera.

i only buy fairtrade tea!

It's all about Yorkshire Tea, Clipper Tea tastes of meat :-(

Where have you found PG Tips!?!?

I live in Seattle and like Twinings Earl and Lady Grey. I also really like Stash Double Bergamot.

i like to mix two bags of PG tips with one earl grey in the teapot, it is actually the best tea in the wooorrrlld
suddenly your trauma vanishes

Yorkshire tea, no doubt about it! Bog standard for everyday drinking, Yorkshire Gold for when you're feeling a bit swish.

yorkshire is the best of the common teas ,but ringtons is where its at…its delivered to your door every fortnight eliminating the need to leave the house to get tea

2 years ago i was visiting relatives on Barbados and happened upon a dairy farm and polo poney breeder. These people were well off and mixed in the same circles as Prince Charles and Mr Parker Bowles. To cut along story short, we were offered afternoon tea on the lawn. We knew the popularity of iced tea but thought it would be enjoyable in the middle of a hot afternoon.

We were surprised when the lady of the house came into the garden with alarge tea pot and four breakfast tea cups. My wifes cousin who lodge there was taken by surprise as he had never drunk hot tea before. We then talked about tea whilst drinking it eagerly.

In the detail of the conversation the womananounced the source of her tea. she said that when they visited Newmarket to sell ponies, they would always search out the nearest Asda supermarket and purchase asuitcase or wo of Asda Tea Bags.

I think i prefer PG tips myself even though the location and tea was superb.

Breakfast Tea has to be the best although as a firm disciple of the builders strength I am very patrial to a drop of Yorkshire.

Tension Tamer by Season something.Tea lovers know it.

Dilmah pure Ceylon tea. It is imported by Sri Lanka(Ceylon).
Is the best in my opinion by far.

Twinnings Earl Grey Tea. Especially as it is from Newcastle where earl Grey was from. :-)

So I've got summer travel plans on the brain right now, I know many are heading out for spring breaks…

where are the best places to travel to for tea?

where do you need to be sure to pack your own?

The best? Well, the UK takes a bit of beating!

You beat me to it, Andy!

I was going to say the UK!

No, no, I'm not biased! Not at all!

Nor am I about to remind people that not only our country but also our entire former Empire was built on cups of tea… as if I would! lol! ;)

Worst countries for tea? Most of the rest of Western Europe. Utterly pants. They claim to brew up in Holland but don't believe a word of it unless you actually like seriously weak "tea"!!! So weak it's almost a fortnight! I had the misfortune to experience this back in 1993 and it was NOT tea. Hot gnat's piss would be a more accurate description!

England yes, just don't buy a cup at a train station or in one of the large chains of coffee shops, you'll be put off for life!
Iain

Good bit of advice that. Thanks, Iain!

Costa do an acceptable cup of tea (Twinings Everyday), but I wouldn't bother from the other coffee shop chains!

I know Costa's alright as they have one in Waterstone's and their cups of tea are decent enough.

Scotland, very good
England, very good
Ireland, very good
Wales, very good
France, very bad
Italy, don't even bother
Canada, good on the whole
USA, don't bother
Shrilanka, Excellent
Spain, take your own bags and give them very precise instructions!

Rebekah,
I would reccomend a trip to Yorkshire, and in particular Harrogate, there you will find an enchanting Tea shop called Betty's.

I am just going to say that yes you should bring your own tea cos not only will it taste right it will remind you of home! x

Holland – very bad – don't even bother!

(well, not unless you like exceedingly weak "tea" – but I'm pretty sure most of us on here like our cuppas nice and strong!)

What about all those Asian countries? You know, where tea began….

I've been wondering about in the middle east? are their good places for tea in the middle east?

Controversially perhaps I absolutely love my cuppa tea in Scotland (where I originate from) but although I still love it here in the south of england it is just not the same (think its the difference in water).

Also visited a tea plantation in Sri Lanka and the tea there was very good although this wasnt always the case everywhere I went there!!

One of the best is Finland, everywhere I've gone here (almost on a daily basis…) has excellent strong black tea! If you want milk though you have to ask for it, because the usual cuppa here is black. Sometimes when I'm taking the tea with me I ask them to make it extra strong and they do it very well. And most of the tea in the cafes and such is loose leaf and very often if you drink the tea in a cafe you can control the strenght of tea yourself as you get a tea ball in your cup.
London and Stockholm are also great places for a cup of tea. And Copenhagen!
The worst cup of tea happened in Tallinn (Estonia) so…

If I go to Dubai later this year, I shall see what tea is like over in the United Arab Emirates and let you all know… c\_/

Tea brewed in Scotland tends to have a lighter more refreshing taste inmy experience, my guess would be that it is due to the softness of the water up n Scotland as opposed to the south of England, particularly if you are using thames water, which on average is recycled 9 times.
The Butler

One problem with living in Kent is the chalky water. We filter the water before it goes in the kettle, which helps.

I would also like to test the teas of Dublin and Scotland. And Reading! Just for the fun of it!

I'm drunking Punjana, a blend from Dublin, with water from Kent. And spam from the internet.

The best place for tea is India! Take your pick, the eastern states sure is any tea drinkers paradise! Be it flavored, or strength, aroma or taste..bet u it will be just your cup of tea!!!!

I've also just noticed that I put 'drunking' – d'oh!

It's the stress of dealing with all that damn spam! Perfectly understandable!

Best place for tea this afternoon was sat out in our garden, having a brew and reading War & Peace. :) c\_/

I sat out in mine reading 'Oryx and Crake' – a book high on weirdness, low on tea.

How's W&P coming along? It's a rattling good read once you get going, isn't it?

W&P coming along well… feel I'm starting to get going with it now, though still absolutely loads to read yet! Am on for vol 1 part 1 chapter 11…

Think it's time I had another brew and settled down for another spot of Tea & Tolstoy…

c\_/ ^(__)>

My fellow tea-drinking ladies & gentlemen…

Having had a good look down the most recent pages of the discussion boards, it would appear that the spam has disappeared! There are a couple of "topic deleted" messages but it would seem that all those other "sexual health tips" spam discussions have all vanished into thin air!

We cannot afford to count our (Easter) chickens as spam can strike again at any time, and should be always on our guard against a repeat of such antics from the spammers.

However, I think it is fair to say that we have won this particular battle and the discussion boards are largely back to how they ought to be – full of topics about TEA!

To Andy, Amanda, Susannah, David, Linda Ann, Linda, Lizzie, Robert, Joshua, Paul, Sara, Iaih, and everyone else on A Cup of Tea Solves Everything – Congratulations and Well Done! Round one to us!!!

Tea Drinkers 1 Spammers 0

(And the spammers were lucky to get nil!)

Joanne D-J c\_/
Detective Tea Inspector (Facebook Tea Constabulary)
High Priestess of Tea (Church of Tea Appreciation)
Woodwind instrumentalist – clarinet & flute (Tea & Symphony)

It is, after all, OUR responsibility to win these battles. This group may be the final bastion of civility on facebook, and so our duty as members of the Church of Tea, the Tea & Symphony, or any other of the myriad of tea-related callings, to keep it as thus.

This calls for some brilliant, sombre marching music, as to war with the spammers we all march!

*Queue "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary"*

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yGYQtNAHbX4

I am hopeless, how do I embed this thing?

And I appologise if this is in poor taste, what with England being a Monarchy after all. I chose this piece for its sound, not for its political meaning, so sorry if I offended anyone!

I was just about to start pontificateing about how awful SPAM is when i realised you were not talking of the school dinner deep fried in batter variety! Oops!

Well, while we should always keep a look out for spam in case that level of spamming happens to the discussion boards again, it would appear that this particular battle has been won and the spam has been removed! :D

I think we need some celebratory music now, Joshua!

This is VT Day – Victory for Tea!

(No, Iain, it wasn't THAT kind of Spam – it was even worse than that!!!)

I don't know if you have a gmail account, but if you do, you've undoubtedly noticed in the spam folder, there are always links to recipes for spam…completely disgusting!! Gmail somehow always provides links to ads related to the subject or content of your messages, it's kinda spooky, but constantly seeing a link for "spam casserole" or "spam omelette" or "spam avocado wraps" or worse is really gross.

The spam creeps in overnight! I report any as soon as I see it. TEA TEA TEA TEA…

I still think the "Admin" should be taking a more active role in the group.

If she can't be bothered to take part, someone else should be allowed to run the group…..and then all the SPAM could be avoided!!

I agree with that and I've offered to help – in fact I messaged the Admin the other day offering the services of not only myself but about 10 other regulars on here!

And I see the stupid sexual health tips discussions have sprung up again. Time to do some more reporting and to start bumping up tea threads again, ladies and gentlemen!

Seconds out, round two! Make Tea, Not Spam!

Hi everyone!

In response to all of your posts and messages: I just want to say that I'm really sorry for the spam thats been taking over in the past few weeks! I can honestly tell you that I'm doing my best to stop it but unfortunately every post is from a different person, so just blocking them wont stop more from popping up (although ive been blocking all offenders so we dont get repeats)…

I'm also deleting all the new spam posts and discussion boards as they roll in, however they pop up at the most unexpected moments! i really do apologize and i am going to keep doing what i can to make sure this site is tea-related only!!!

my other option is to make this a private group so no new members can join but i think that would be a shame for all the future 'cup of tea'-ers who want to join for the right reasons…

anyhow, thank you all for your suggestions and most of all thank you for being such active members of the group!

im going to make myself a BIG cup right now..

Doing a great Job Christina Make an extra special pot and enjoy

Thank you for your message – the rest of us will also continue to report spam as and when we see it and try to keep our tea group a spam-free-zone.

*Raises mug of loose leaf Assam to Christina* c\_/

I understand we can't make it a private group – there are way too many tea drinkers in this world to do that – wouldn't want anyone else to miss out on the opportunity to join the other 130,000 of us who are already members of A Cup of Tea Solves Everything!

Joanne D-J

One spammer has managed to get through… this might have to go to a third round

I suspect one or two will always get through such is the nature of these beasts.

However, the Admin's on their case now, so I suspect any spammers will not be on the boards for too long now before being removed.

We should just continue to do our bit by reporting spam, not giving spammers the satisfaction of a reply and by replying only to anything tea-related. This is the best way to prevent a repeat of the spam plague that infested our boards a few days ago.

Just when I thought I'd seen everything…

Maloma Ana (Saudi Arabia) wrote
at 11:30pm
منتديات – ثقافة – موسوعات

اغاني – فيديو كليبات

ازياء – صور – كروت تهنئة

رجيم – وصفات طبخ

الابراج اليومية – تفسير الاحلام

موقع معلومة . كوم

http://m3loma.com

We now have FOREIGN SPAM!!! The bad news for this person is that I do know a bit of Arabic! I do happen to know what the Arabic word for "tea" is and how it's written in Arabic script – and I can safely say that none of those above words resemble the Arabic for "tea"! Therefore I have reported it as spam. You've been rumbled, matey!!!

It doesnt' matter what language it's in! Spam is spam and it's not acceptable! And there are a fair few of us who know what "tea" is in a wide range of foreign languages, so spammers beware – we WILL know if you're not on topic!

Joanne D-J
Detective Tea Inspector (Facebook Tea Constabulary)

Tough on Spam and the Causers of Spam. Including Foreign Spam!

The script is so amazingly Elvish looking, we might as well keep it as decoration!

extra time in the war on spam…

Have to hand it to them that it DID make a change from spamming in English! And that they thought they'd get away with it, cheeky so and so's!

It does look very decorative, I must admit – I do like that about Arabic script, but it was still advertising and not tea-related and thus had to go from our Wall. Still, as it's copied into my above post, it's still there as an example of cheeky foreign spam!

We need to get bumping tea threads up again while we wait for the sexual health tips spam to be removed once again!

I'm dedicating my next cup of tea to Christina for her tireless efforts against the evil axis of spam. Cheers!

I'm also impressed Joanne, that you know how to read the word "tea" in arabic!

Thanks, Charlie! I've always had a thing for foreign languages since I was a kid.

I think it goes back to the fact that when I was 5, my dad's job sent him over to their HQ in Basel, Switzerland, for 6 months so we all went over there. I was actually too young for school over there (they start at 6) but did go to kindergarten and picked up alot of German while I lived over there.

I guess getting my first exposure to foreign languages at such a young age helped matters. Most people don't start learning them until high school – well, I think they learn them at a younger age now, but when I was a kid, we didn't do any foreign languages at primary school!

And I have needed a bit of Arabic – went on holiday to Tunisia a couple of years ago. Looks like I might need my language skills to decipher foreign wall posts too, now! See if they've anything to do with tea or not!

Unfortunately, I need to go back to having relatively earlier nights and I am back in work tomorrow so I can't be around to fight the good fight against the spammers. However, I thought I'd try and come up with something to inspire all my fellow tea-drinking Spambusters while I am unavailable…

You may wish to put some Elgar on in the background for this next bit, or even the Spambusters March…

As the Bard might've put it if Facebook had been around when he was writing Henry V…

Once more unto the discussion boards, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our tea-drinking dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a tea-drinker
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of spam blows on our tea group
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest tea-drinkers.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of tea-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even brewed
And cosied their teapots for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of spammier blood,
And teach them how to brew. And you, good yeoman,
Whose cuppas are always brewed properly, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble Assam in your caddies.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Christina, Facebook and A Cup of Tea Solves Everything'!

Hope that's stirring enough for you all!

Make Tea, Not Spam! c\_/

Joanne D-J
Detective Tea Inspector (Facebook Tea Constabulary)
Spambusters Squadron Leader! (lol!)

I've been wanting to learn arabic, I actually "borrowed" Arabic Word of the Day application that you have Joanne (hope you dont mind)

i'm all for allowing arabic spamming, it brightens the place up a little!

Does anyone recognise ANY of these people???

No! Not seen any of us regulars on it yet!

Mind you, there are over 140,000 of us on this group and thie members thing randomly shows 6 at a time, so the more there are of us in a particular fb group, the less likely you are to see your mugshot on display.

Whereas, on my Waterstone's group, there are a mere 24 of us so you often get to see your own picture on that one!

Still, I would've thought, the amount of times I come on the tea group, I might've seen a picture of somebody I know from here – you, David, Robert, Amanda, Susannah, Lizzie, etc… but I haven't yet!

140,000, and most are the silent majority. Maybe they're all too busy drinking tea to join in!

I've often wondered about this myself…

It's true, who are these people? And how many of them are spammers?!

I'd like to hope that's the real explanation!

I think, particularly in a group this big, there's bound to be rather a lot of inactive members – people who joined some time ago because it seemed like a good idea at the time and have probably forgotten that they're even members of this group – I know I'm guilty of this in many of the other groups I've joined and should really have a major group-leaving session to remove myself from stuff I can't be arsed with.

I doubt they're all spammers though. I think most spammers join a group briefly, post their spam and then leave. That's the impression I get with such numpties…

But I still think it would be nice to see someone I do recognise on the group members' photos!

I must admit, I'm a member of several other groups, but tend not to post because nobody else is! Here, there's a lively, engaged core of tea drinkers, and I post more here than anywhere else. I have also made more friends on this board that anywhere else. Moral of the story: drink tea, and you'll never be lonely.*

* Something that Sussex/London band The Feeling obviously know, as there is a song called 'Kettle's On' and one called 'Never be Lonely' on their first CD.

Yep, I join in on this group more than any others cos there is always something and someone interesting to talk to about/to. Other groups I've joined in the past dont have much activity so after a while I've left. Even when I dont post anything on here I always learn loads from just reading the other discussions etc

Now I have 'never be lonely' running through my head…

Better than having 'Agadoo' running through your head, I suppose!

am new.. cant really tell

but i'd do mt best to be active and might ..just might answer ur question one day :)

Definitely, it's good to have such a universal topic as tea. For one thing it's a daily lifestyle for many and second it's not so dead-serious to have people at each other's throats for petty disagreements or semantics.
This is one of the nicest, most active and most useful groups I have encountered on Facebook. Yay tea!

Yes, I definitely post more here than on any other groups. i think once i saw a photo of someone i recognized on the group homepage…maybe ximena?

Joanne was on it today!

And my brothers girlfriend!

Oddly enough, I keep seeing a friend of mine who never posts (Liz Black)…

Ooh, fame at last! lol! :D

I've started seeing more of my friends from this group of late on the members' pictures bit… including David, Lizzie, Amanda and several other "die-hards"…

Do wish they'd sort the photo album out though so we can go back to adding our tea-related photos to it… I think this might be a Facebook-wide problem at the moment, though…

I think it now shows 3 of the 6 as friends (if you have that many in a group). It's doing it on other boards, too.

Yes I think they want to make us feel good by seeing some of our group friends up there!

I've sent two messages to support re adding photos but they have sent one standard response refering me to the help page (where did they think I got their email from? Doh)

A little message somewhere would help.

Never mind…. I'll just put the kettle on….

The photo uploading thing's been sorted out again, now. :)

It's great to see people I know from this group on the members' pictures! I should think so too, really, given how many friends I have because of this group! A considerable percentage of my Facebook friends were made thanks to A Cup of Tea Solves Everything! c\_/ ^(__)>

Now, now, I'm a real person and I love my tea. But I'm not really an actve poster. There's just too much spam to read thru to actually get to real discussion! One of my friends is pictured as one of the 6 members when I looked at the homepage.

We are experiencing a bit of a spam epidemic at the moment, unfortunately. I think we'd better contact the group's admin again and let her know the spam has got out of hand once more and needs some serious removing….

Yes – that's a good idea. Spam and tea do not go together well.

Tea and spam do not mix at all! Will get on to Christina again this evening. I shall let her know we are having a spam epidemic once again…

We had a big problem like this in March and that got sorted out pretty good, but now it seems to have reared its ugly head again. One or two spammers and they can be dealt with fairly easily but there's too many of them at the moment with their stupid "discussions" and they need removing…

How come the members' pics have gone back to no-one I recognise? I thought that if you were a member of a group (and I've been a member of ACoTSE for around a year now), you were now supposed to be able to see at least some of your FB friends who are also members – and given that I've made many of my best FB friends thanks to this group, I'd like to see some of them again on the group homepage!!!

…for putting all the postings in a somewhat 'arse about face' order, but I was trying to bump the spammers down to page 2.

Put down your mouse & step away from the keyboard…

You're doing an excellent job on the Spambusting front! :)

Still got the bouncing teapot?!

I've been working on a big hitter – codenamed 'Teaboy'…

Oooh! Spambusters! Might make a good movie…well, we'd watch it, anyway. Make the spammers faceless evil-looking people like in Top Gun, and maybe others would, too…

It's either going to be like The Dam Busters or Ghostbusters! Or possibly a combination of both films, lol!

The Spambusters March is the exact same tune as the Dam Busters – just that you should think thoughts of drowning spammers in vast oceans of cold vending machine tea while you hum or play it!

How's the 'grand brew' looking? That should teach those spammers a lesson.

They'll regret crossing swords with Brews-Wallis!

:D

Hmmm – I have a weird sense of deja vu.

you know what? So do I. oh well as long as no one brings up Monty Python or Blackadder we should be all right… Teapots away!

A red hot tea spoon apllied to the soft parts would put the spammers off.

I have a cunning plan…

Someone should print those words on a t-shirt or a hat….if they haven't already!

I do have a Piece of Flair with those immortal words! :)

And a picture of Baldrick, obviously.

I still think my Flash flair is the best WOOF!

Is that a canoe in your pocket?

No I'm just pleased to have met a girl who's got a tongue like an electric eel and likes the taste of a man's tonsils.

I was just thinking – you couldn't be a tea fanatic with a name like Slackbladder, could you?

ROFL!!! :D

No I'm usually too busy to be drinking a lot of tea. I suppose it's because of the way I treat my kite (and my women). I climb in her five times a day and take her to heaven and back WOOF!.

Speaking of which,

ENTER THE MAN WHO WEARS NO UNDERWEAR! ASK ME WHY!

Why?

BECAUSE THE PANTS HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT THAT'LL TAKE THE JOB ON!! WOOF!

I would like to ask everyone out there to test the power of their biccies. Peter Kay says the hobnob is the marine of all biccies. Is he right ???

He's not far wrong!

Absolutely, especially chocolatey ones! Mmmmm….

I agree………the more chocolately the better. I'll be back must make a |_|? of tea. I have so much here to catch up on it will take several UP"S
be back save my spot for me.

Spam fritters are not a biscuit – so no spam.

Hob Nobs or ginger nuts are the best biscuits for tea.

With a bit of Half Man Half Biscuit for listening pleasure! lol!

(Be warned, though – HMHB's lyrics are exceptionally amusing and may cause you to splurt out your tea in a fit of laughter! lol!)

I have some ginger nuts… I'm not afraid to use them…

I've got some chocolate Hob Nobs!!!

no biscuit/cookie debris in my tea please

mmmm…half choc covered polo's dipped a roastin hot cuppa….deeeelicious

biting off the top and bottom corner of a tim tam and drinking it through the biscuit….mmmmm chocolatey tea goodness! =]

Oh Wow what a delightful Idea! I shall try that with my next tea. Yum!

Chocolate hob nobs, custard creams or nice.

An almond biscotti is pretty wonderful…or maybe a crisp coconut biscuit???

The finest bicuit to dip into tea has to be the rich tea biscuit!

a biccy designed for this pleasure!
(i made that last bit up!)

I just had some (three) Hob nob vanilla creams – very nice =) I didn't so much dip them as ate them alongside my mugga of Yorkshire Tea. Yum.

yorkshire tea sara – the finest in the land good choice! ;-)

'ecky thump…

choc hobnob or choc chip cookie has to be the best.

sometimes i like to have a chocolate bar with my cup of tea; like a caramel galaxy. mmmmmmmm lovely

I think that can be to much for one cuppa unless I have a really bad chocolate craving.

That's a very good point! When I was a teenager, I used to be obsessed with dunking rich tea biscuits in my tea. The result?… loads of 'accidents' where bits would be found right at the bottom of the cup, when I'd finished.

I've grown right out of that now, though!

Chocoloate chip cookies! Wow, I forgot about them. As much as I thought I'd grown out of 'dunking', my fingers will still dunk choc chip cookies – automatically. I never plan it; it just happens… honest!

You can do it too! Put the kettle on and stop spamming! Sit down and have a cup of tea! Beats spamming any day!

I did it! Fantastic!
I think I'll try it again and again!
I might even attempt to toast some whole grain bread, and with luck, cover it in lingonberry jam.
Great advice Gitte!!! ; ) btw it was Keemun tea flavoured with rhubarb and vanilla.

Excellent! Tea, lingonberry AND rhubarb! 8)

How was your Keemun/rhubarb flavoured tea? Could you taste rhubarb? Is it nice, more to the point… would you recommend it?

I've just had eight cups and feel sick

Excellent advice and brewing encouragement there, Gitte! c\_/ ^(__)>

Guys guys guys…

Why are you making life difficult for yourselves?

Make a cuppa… THEN spam as you drink it… then go make another one

Why force yourself to divide your efforts. Tea is polite enough to fit around what you wish to do.
See, it's polite and lovelly.
Isn't it nice?

We don't want any spamming at all!

We like biscuits, cakes, chocolate, etc… rhubarb crumble and custard, even, but, like the lady says in a certain Monty Python sketch…

WE DON'T LIKE SPAM!!!

We like a nice cup, or pot, of tea and something tasty to go with it.

Not Spam!

While visiting in Calgary I bought the rhubarbish tea at an Ikea store, out of sheer curiosity and extreme love for rhubarb. It turns out to be delicious. I only wish that I had bought more, as it was inexpensive as well as tasty. It's a 13 hour drive to the Ikea store from here!

The tea is an organic Keemun, which has a lovey flavour on its own, with just the right amount of subtle, natural rhubarb flavour. You don't really taste the vanilla as a separate flavour.
The label says: Ekologist Te Med Rabarber-Och Vaniljsmak

It sounds like it might be worth a try so now I know what else to put on my Ikea shopping list =)

c|_| *cheers to the 'barb

Not even spam spam spam tea spam eggs and spam? It doesn't have as much spam.

I'll have the tea and the eggs, please. I'd quite happily do without the spam!

Spam spam spam tea spam eggs and spam without the spam?!?

Preferably, yes!

Scrambled eggs, please.

Actually, I'd like to scramble those bloody spammers! Or turn them into fritters! If they're insisting on filling our discussion boards with spam, frittering them is the most logical punishment for the annoying sods, isn't it?!

I'd still make 'em drink Cold VMT as well, though!!!

While I was on holiday I made more cups of tea than usual – if only I'd had access to this thread while I was away!

*thinks* maybe that was why I didn't sleep very well – well, that and the ridiculously soft bed and the 4,379 tog quilt that meant that I reached temperatures in my sleep previously only experienced by the tiles on the exterior of the Space Shuttle upon re-entry to the earth's atmosphere!

Warm was it? You could've taken the cover off & just used that… & soft beds aren't good. It's like being swallowed by a marshmallow (I'm imagining – obviously I've never tried it. Yet)

I think that's a good description – I seriously contemplated kipping on the floor! I settled for having a cup of tea, instead.

A wise decision! c\_/

I find it's more like being slowly hugged to death by a cloud golem. But then again, I'm a nerd.

I would love that quilt right now. I am hugging a hot water bottle and trying to think warm thoughts. I suppose it's not REALLY that cold by northern hemisphere standards but we're just not prepared for it in our quasi-mediterranean climate.

The spam is back. No one makes money on Google. Google writes its algorithms in such a way that most Google traps are eventually dropped from its search engine. True story.

Yes, but spammers aren't exactly the brightest lamps on the street, are they?! They don't realise that they're about as welcome on here as a fart in a spacesuit, let alone realising that they're not making money on Google!

The gates are down… the lights are flashing… but the train ain't coming!

Or… The wheel is turning but the hamster is dead!

Oops! I did it again! Made a pot of Lady Grey Tea!

Will momentarily have a pot of strong tea, which will then result in several cups. And after that several more pots!