I remember so well in my younger years being taken to visit, whether it be my Gran or Nana or Auntie, and being presented with the 'best china'.
The fine bone china was brought out like a royal event (I always used to wonder how much dust lay at the bottom of the cups!).
A small china cup on a saucer and a side plate with a slice of cake, or in my Grans case a Dundee biscuit.
You would sit there with the best china dithering, trying to balance cup and saucer and plate on your knee........trying not to drop the cup that no adult human could hook their finger through...
Then there was the tea... it was always luke warm, very milky (made with sterilised milk) and 'so weak it was a fortnight'... as my Mum describes it! The tea bag purely waved at the cup only ..It would make you gag!! But you had to drink it and when offered a second cup ..dither again between 'it may offend to refuse' and 'maybe the second cup may taste like tea out of the pot!'
After a recent experience of this whilst visiting my elderly God Mother I got to thinking ... I have just the china tea set to inflict on the youth when I am elderly.
Bought in auction in Kent a few years ago for £1..... Vale bone china.. It is very retro and bizarre..........
I will be serving 'peely wally' tea (earl grey of course) with skimmed milk (white coloured water)
