A Monkey's Revenge - My Blog

Everything stops for tea

It's a very good English custom, though the weather be cold or hot. When they need a little pickup, you'll find a little teacup Will always hit the spot....in the words of Jack Buchanan who sang 'Everything Stops for Tea' in an impeccable English accent, despite him being a Scotsman.

Almost everyone offers a cup of tea or coffee on arrival at a shoot, especially if I've driven a long way to get there. Notable exceptions include an ultra religious Yorkshire farmer who sat and drank his and ate his breakfast while I waited at 5 am after a horribly early start. Also a titled gentleman who kept me waiting 2 hours whilst entertaining guests to lunch in his stately pile.

From tea in a fine bone china cup during an interview with Lady Hesketh, mint tea in Morocco to chai and samosas with Kashmiri terrorists, I've usually accepted the offering gratefully as it always seems rude to me not to. Where is the strangest place you have partaken of the national beverage?

This site uses cookies to provide and improve the service. If you wish, you can switch off all unnecessary cookies.