TEA IN ENGLAND...

Tea in England is a blog written by Denise, an American living in Surrey and a self-confessed Anglophile.

Denise is fascinated by tea culture and everything that goes with it (she’s even a graduate of the UK Tea Council’s Tea Masterclass!) Her blog is a combination of recipes, reviews, tips, giveaways, and a lot of tea wisdom.

After two years of posting her adventures and unique finds on her personal Facebook page, she decided that it was time to start sharing it all with you and the rest of the tea-drinking-England-loving world, so she created Tea in England.

This is a place for you to talk about tea, England and Tea in England,  and although her husband thinks that Denise knows everything, about tea, she says that in fact 'the truth is: I don’t.'
There’s still a lot to learn about tea and about England, so pop in every now and then and see where Denise has been.
 

THE VERY BRITISH 'DOWNTON ABBEY'...

The fourth series of the iconic British Drama 'Downton Abbey' returned to our screens on Sunday, the same night as the Emmy's in America.  I was as usual, excited beyond belief, I just adore that programme.

The seasons begins six months after the death of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), killed suddenly in a car crash, leaving his wife Lady Mary in mourning. It is now 1922, and Britain’s post-war boom has abruptly ended.

Love is in abundance with secrecy, longing and fear: whether it be a dilemma for Lady Mary’s sister, Lady Edith, or among servants tenderly and hopefully reading Valentine’s Day cards.

I loved the scene where St. Pancras has a cameo role in it and of course the stunning backdrop of the grounds of Downton.

Downton is a well-performed, beautifully scripted insight into another England. There are fascinating, subtle insights into the impact of class on human relationships.

Its no wonder that we all love it so much.

THE BEST OF BRITISH CRAFTMANSHIP IN BRIDLINGTON...

According to a brilliant website called This is Your Kingdon which has some amazing things to see and do in the UK. One of which is to visit the best of British craftsmanship at Wayside Flower in Bridlington, written by Amy Bartle.

Wayside Flower is a gem tucked away in the old town of Bridlington, away from the bright lights and candy floss of the sea front. This gorgeous shop is a haven of vintage style and British design.

White washed walls and large windows showcase simple rails full of clothes. A mixture of well edited vintage including high-end designer pieces from the 60s and 70s such as Dior, Balenciaga and Courreges sit comfortably alongside new designs from the shop’s own labels, Wayside Flower and NorSea Industries.

 

BRITAIN'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONTH IN OCTOBER...

According to http://www.national-awareness-days.com/ this October we are being asked to Make A Difference.

The event is organised by the Community Service Volunteers (CSV), a volunteering and training charity.   Founded in 1962 they aim to help our society by encouraging people to volunteer to create happy, healthy communities!

In 2010 they were recognised as the winner of The Charity Awards following the hard work put into the Volunteers in Children Protection that gave support to 130 families affected by neglect and abuse.

CSV train over 12,000 young people every year, building their skills and giving them confidence.  Especially at a difficult time, this is CSV’s way of making sure everyone’s voice is heard and valued.

Do you look after your community?   A big emphasis is put on our environment and what you could do to preserve it.   What should we be preserving?  Green spaces, old buildings that are a part of Britain’s history ... what about protecting habitats for our wildlife?
 
Make A Difference is the biggest event of its kind, encouraging thousands of people across the UK to take part in voluntary work.   At the official Make A Difference website you can find out everything you need to know to get involved.

If you want to set up your own activity they have lots of resources, help and advice to get you started.   Schools, universities, friends and workplaces can get involved, or you can simply volunteer for one of the thousands of projects happening across the country - details of which can be found on the site.

31 days and 31 ways
Each day of October our intrepid volunteers and brilliant partners are going to help us to provide inspiration so we will all get up, get going and get active.

Whatever your passion, whenever you have time and where ever you are – we're working with some of the nation's favourite charities to showcase the ways that you can volunteer in your community.

Everyone can make a difference

From stories of first-time volunteers, words of wisdom from volunteering veterans, and how-to guides from charity partners our 31 ways will showcase how easy it is to get involved with the community and how great it feels to make a difference.

In the meantime, as we gather momentum for an exciting October of volunteering, this will be your place to find out how to get involved and help us inspire others to take part.

How can you make sure you keep up to date with our Make a Difference month?

This your chance to try something different and get hands-on with your local community, so why not give it a go?

FOX'S CAUSING HAVOC IN THE UK...

In 2010, nine month old twins Lola and Isabella Koupparis were severely wounded when they were mauled by a fox in their cots in Hackney, East London. Today a month described her terror when she found a fox licking her young daughter's face while she slept.

Both fox's appear to have come into the house through an open door and both are in London, with the most recent one in Clapham Common in South London.

They say that a lot of people seem to feed the foxes, and forget that they are vermin, but people should be aware of how vicious they could be when on the look out for food.

Apparently foxes eat anything so people should make sure their bins are well maintained and not try to tame foxes. If they lose their fear they become more bold and that's when they get into houses.

They say there are around 33,000 urban foxes in the UK.

THE TYPICALLY BRITISH RED TELEPHONE BOX...

The red telephone box is a symbol of Britain, however with the modern world now using mobiles most of the time, it is fast disappearing from our streets.

Did you know that they can also be found (working) in Malta and Gozo. Also, Australia and New Zealand once had similar telephone boxes and some have been preserved as historic sites.

Some people have them in their back garden, including the Hollywood actor Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs).

They also say that there is a phone box in the Lancashire village of Dunsop Bridge which is supposed to be situated in the very centre of the British Isles.

Kingston upon Hull is the only place in the UK that does not have the red telephone boxes but cream ones instead. It is apparently because it was the only area of the UK not under the Post Office monopoly so the boxes were under the control of Hull's city council.