Time for Tea: Tea and Conversation with Thirteen English Women [Hardcover]

Michele Rivers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 1995

Time for Tea offers a delightfully unique expression of why English society has so steadfastly preserved its teatime tradition. Thirteen English women, ranging in age from six to eighty, share their very candid and entertaining reflections on why the teatime ritual -- in all its incarnations -- is such an indelible fixture in their lives.

From Virginia, Lady Bath, to Winifred Westcott, a dairy farmer, from Anne Slade, a retired ballerina, to schoolgirl Hayley Richards, a farmer's daughter, we are treated to the surprisingly moving and engaging medley of these women's memories and dreams, as they discuss their own teatime traditions and their lives with us -- over a cup of tea.

The women also share their family teatime recipes for delicious cakes, scones, crumpets and jams, and suggest an appropriate tea to accompany them. Along the way, we explore the secrets of an English specialty tea shop, see the inside of a tea blender, learn how to brew a perfect pot of tea and how to make an authentic cream tea.

The women's stories are beautifully framed by spectacular photographs of the breathtaking English countryside, which perfectly complements the peace and serenity of a good English tea.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Time for Tea offers a delightfully unique expression of why English society has so steadfastly preserved its teatime tradition. Thirteen English women, ranging in age from six to eighty, share their very candid and entertaining reflections on why the teatime ritual -- in all its incarnations -- is such an indelible fixture in their lives.

From Virginia, Lady Bath, to Winifred Westcott, a dairy farmer, from Anne Slade, a retired ballerina, to schoolgirl Hayley Richards, a farmer's daughter, we are treated to the surprisingly moving and engaging medley of these women's memories and dreams, as they discuss their own teatime traditions and their lives with us -- over a cup of tea.

The women also share their family teatime recipes for delicious cakes, scones, crumpets and jams, and suggest an appropriate tea to accompany them. Along the way, we explore the secrets of an English specialty tea shop, see the inside of a tea blender, learn how to brew a perfect pot of tea and how to make an authentic cream tea.

The women's stories are beautifully framed by spectacular photographs of the breathtaking English countryside, which perfectly complements the peace and serenity of a good English tea.

From the Back Cover

In Time for Tea thirteen English women offer a unique glimpse into the tradition of afternoon tea.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (April 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517592193
• ISBN-13: 978-0517592199
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS BOOK!, June 3, 2004

By 

Tom Anderson (Piney Flats, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Time for Tea: Tea and Conversation with Thirteen English Women (Hardcover)

If you love tea and all that goes with it, you'll certainly enjoy this book. It doesn't have a lot of technical information about tea, but that doesn't matter and that's not the focus of this book. What it does have is "coziness" to spare. As far as I know, this book is unique in the tea literature in that it explores how people view the tea ceremony (or tea break) and the part that having tea plays in their lives--and who knew it could be this fascinating?

One elderly lady is an expert (and award-winning) maker of clotted cream and bemoans the fact that the standard loose tea bought in the market is just dust anymore instead of leaves (a result of mechanization where leaves are not left whole but are cut, torn, and curled). Another lady works for D. J. Miles tea company, a small privately-held tea business in the country side, and gives an interesting glimpse into the business end of tea. The ladies interviewed by the author come from different walks of life, but their commonality is they take time out for tea. They have found it to be a comfort, a break and respite from the cares of daily life, and a time to gather friends and loved ones and enjoy each others company. It's a shame that the traditional afternoon tea is apparently falling on hard times in England, but not with these ladies. They recognize the value of taking time out for tea and just the sheer pleasure of a cuppa with a bite to eat--no apologies needed! Each lady, by the way, also provides a few recipes for tea time treats. I've not tried any of them, but they generally sound tasty.

One little side note: I work for an English boss who introduced me to English brand teas. Let me tell you, they are FAR superior to anything you can buy in American markets. Even though they are not premium teas, they are stronger and have more complex and interesting flavors than American brands. I highly recommend PG Tips, Yorkshire Tea (Regular and Gold), and Barry's (an Irish brand) for hot tea--all loose leaf, of course. All make excellent hot or iced tea. The British have not taken to iced tea, probably because the only kind they've tried comes in bottles and cans--no wonder they think it's nasty! You can find English tea all over the internet, (...) You'll get your purchase quickly, and some companies put in a few samples to try.

Put the kettle on, brew some English tea, and sit back and relax with this charming, entertaining, and fascinating little book. I guarantee that stress will vanish!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Charming Book, October 8, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Kansas City, M0) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time for Tea: Tea and Conversation with Thirteen English Women (Hardcover)

You'll love this book if you like England or tea. The writer is an unusally skilled interviewer and her subjects reveal more than you would ever expect from an English woman. They don't always say the expected thing!

The photography and presentation are excellent. Recipes are included. This is a lovely gift for someone else or for yourself. It's a charmer.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tea and Scones anyone?, May 20, 2000

By 

"gabbyjrw" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time for Tea: Tea and Conversation with Thirteen English Women (Hardcover)

I feel like I have had Tea with 13 different women and come away with 13 delicous recipes! The description of the countryside,and cities made me feel as if I was right there, I think I could actually hear the church bells ringing! The sharing of their lives was a fascinating read. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for such a book!