Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

eloisec wrote:I only drink tea if I've got to be polite in company, it's horrible stuff. I don't mind green tea so much.

I'm reading a fascinating book at the moment called Watching the English, and the fact that I feel I have to 'confess' this will almost certainly be covered in a chapter I haven't read yet... as will the fact that eloisec feels obliged to drink it to be polite!

...but I hate tea of any kind, always have, always will.

<<== scurries back into his lonely corner feeling very unEnglish.

In a china mug or cup (not terracotta) and Earl Grey preferably but if not then ordinary tea but weak - if it's not made in a pot, and one bag is quite ample for that, then I'll have the second use of the bag and dip for a couple of seconds. Milk always in second and half a teaspoon of sugar. Then loads of biscuits of any description. I totally blame CH for my biscuit obsession. And we always have chocolate biscuits in the tin. I don't agree with this namby-pamby nonsense of saving them for a special occasion. You might die before that day comes and what a waste of uneaten biscuits that would be. Coffee? Anyone that knows me understands that my body is a temple. To Epicurus. And I wouldn't poison it with that filth.

Epicurus was often vilified as favouring the uninhibited pursuit of pleasure (hedonism); however, he invariably counseled restraint and temperance with respect to physical desires.

Respectfully,
A Coffee (and reformed Ribena) Addict




P.S. Please add to my list of things I miss:
1. McVitie's chocolate biscuits (large packs only)
2. Ribena (no - keep it away from me!)

Milk, no sugar, as it comes. Anything except Earl Grey.

At CH I was one of the few who drank unsweetened kiff. My mother drank it without sugar so I never acquired the taste.
My wife insists on PG Tips served in her Teddy Bear Mug, again, no sugar, whilst I have it in the nearest mug to hand. Cups are too dainty, even for visitors.

Over the years I have tried most types of tea so have no real preference, although I have increasingly steered away from those with too sweet a perfume. English Breakfast is fairly safe, and I now prefer to make the more exotic teas from Tea Leaves, with a tea strainer, rather than the Tea Bags, which when they came out were connected with rumours that they were from the dusty leftovers from the packaging.

For the engineers, tea with milk and two sugars was known as the British Standard Tea. At least it was when I was an apprentice.

marty wrote:Preferably PG tips/typhoo or red label, medium strong with milk

Same here - Yorkshire Tea is nice as well.

I used to have a couple of spoons of sugar in my tea & coffee but after the seniors wouldn't pass the sugar bowl down the table (at Hertford) I stopped having it. That was when I was in my second year at CH so around 24 years ago

Gosh Vonny.... what sadistic Seniors! Glad I had gone by then so I was not one who had denied you sugar.
Why on earth would they want to do that?
At least tea without sugar is probably more healthy than tea with sugar. But was CH tea healthy at all, anyway?!
My mind has started boggling. Think I had better go and lie down.

PS I know a number of people who refer to 'Builders' Tea'. Guess that means something pretty strong, from e.g. budget teabags, and full of sugar......
Not my taste at all!

In this neck of the woods lots of people drink Miles tea, alleged to be blended to suit the local water supply. Tea, with milk but without sugar, ALWAYS in a cup. Coffee is OK in a mug.

I have never heard of 'Miles' tea.
Sorry to display my ignorance. What is it?!

kerrensimmonds wrote:Gosh Vonny.... what sadistic Seniors! Glad I had gone by then so I was not one who had denied you sugar.
Why on earth would they want to do that?
At least tea without sugar is probably more healthy than tea with sugar. But was CH tea healthy at all, anyway?!
My mind has started boggling. Think I had better go and lie down.

I think it was just a case of "we don't have sugar in our tea, you shouldn't either" Unless they thought I was lazy for not getting up to get the sugar myself Anyway, as you say, it's healthier so I guess they did me a favour

kerrensimmonds wrote:I have never heard of 'Miles' tea.
Sorry to display my ignorance. What is it?!

It has a picture of an elephant on the box.

green jasmine. In fact, i off for one now!

On holiday in Australia I developed a taste for Daintree Tea, which is naturally low in tannin, so good without milk. It isn't availble in the UK, AFAIK.

I gave up sugar in tea for lent one year, while at CH, and have never gone back to it.

But at this time of day I am a coffee drinker.

MKM wrote:On holiday in Australia I developed a taste for Daintree Tea, which is naturally low in tannin, so good without milk. It isn't availble in the UK, AFAIK.

I gave up sugar in tea for lent one year, while at CH, and have never gone back to it.

But at this time of day I am a coffee drinker.

My wife has a thing about Rooibos (Redbush) tea which has no tannin (and tastes foul IMHO) whilst I am happy with Builders' B** (rhymes with rum). She uses honey as a sweetener in tea - I use simple sugar (BTW - sugar is one of the items on which there is a dutyfree limit (5 kilograms) as are olive oil and butter! She has one of the dainty blue and white mugs whilst I use a solid colour mug of slightly different shape.

At Horsham I cannot remember unsweetened kiff being available - you drank what you got, like or lump it.