The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

r Tea Collectables The man at the next table was a Canadian - and this was the morning after an all night flight from Toronto to London, The waitress had 'just brought him the cup of tea he ordered, but, it was a cup of hot water and a tea bag. His annoyance was obvious to everyone as he became sharply vocal about lazy waitresses and slovely service. We all heard him exclaim, "lI came over a thousand miles to visit this country, one of the things I expected to have was English tea. Now, you get out to that kit- chen and bring me a decent POT of tea and a CHINA cup!" Alas, it was not to be. The indifferent waitress informed him that he had been serv- ed tea as it was sold in that restaurant. he collected his embarrassed wife and their friends and departed. Lovers of a good cup of tea would unders- tand his disappointment. Very few restaurants on either side of the Atlantic understand the im- portance of a properly brewed pot of tea. It is hard to believe that tea was once so popular that a whole culture grew up around it's use and that utensils of many kinds were developed specifically for the tea ceremonies, notably afternoon tea, that delightful Victorian custom which lasted until well after the First World War. Tea has been enjoyed in Asia for centuries, it made it's first appearance in the new world in the 17th century, brought here by the Dutch East India Company. At first thought to have medicinal value, it was not long before it became popular and by the end of the seven- teenth century it was the most popular beverage in England. It was expensive, costing several pounds sterling per pound. It was brought to Canada by the settlers of eighteen hundred and proved to be a most durable im- migrant. So much so, that when it was unavailable some settlers experimented with other plants in an effort to reproduce it's distinctive flavour. As might be expected, customs grew up around it. You will hear that milk goes into the cup first, then the tea, otherwise flavour is im- paired, or the other way around. "Coffee might be drunk from a mug, but tea tastes best from a china cup," how often have you heard that? "We have been provided with some in- teresting antiques connected with tea drinking. Because it was expensive it was kept in beautifully crafted wooden boxes which lock- ed. Called tea caddies, these were made in GAZE 8 GLAZE CERAMICS 108 WATER ST. PORT PERRY 988-8888 *** Going Out of Business Sale *** Everything in the Store ... 1/3. OFF Everything Must Go! Store Closing March 30, 1985. You could save money and time if you come to the income tax specialists! OUR CAREFULLY TRAINED TAX PREPARERS are ready to prepare your income tax return They are up-to-date on all the tax credits and deductions that apply to farmers At H & R Block. well take all the time necessary to do the job rnght because we want you to pay the lowest legitimate tax Come to H 8 R Block We could save you money this year HaR BLOCK ROA UA ---------------- THE INCOME TAX SPECIALISTS 8 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tues. February 26, 1985 THE LURE OF ANTIQUES by Helen Ingram various sizes, some are large enough to hold a glass or crystal bowl in which the tea was mixed before it was brewed. Along with the caddy there is the caddy spoon. There is so much variety in these little spoons that they are a study by themselves. These are short handled, with wide bowls and as the name indicates they were meant to fit the caddy. Mostly these are silver, but where necessary they were made from other materials as well. Let us not forget the infuser, that silver ball into which tea leaves were placed, and hung in the tea pot it kept the loose leaves out of the brew, while permitting the tea to steep. These are still to be found in various shapes. One that is particularly interesting is the spoon shaped infuser which permits one cup of tea to be made. This spoon has a cap on it's bowl, which holds the leaves, through the perforations in the cap the tea steeps in the cup. These combina- tion infuser and strainers were designed to per- mit tea to steep while keeping loose tea leaves confined. Tea strainers rest onthe cup, others are suspended from the tea pot and swing into place beneath the spout when the pot is tilted. Many tea sets have matching strainers. There is in addition the small silver ladle with the finely perforated bowl. The two handled strainer which looks at first glance like an egg separator, until you see how closely it is per- forated. In addition to all these there are teapot stands, teapots also come in many shapes and sizes, some of which are very unusual. Cake stands were an indispensable part of the Victorian tea-party. Made to fold when not in use they were little tables with three wooden trays to hold cake plates and a curved handle at the top. Made from fine wood, papier mache, bamboo, wicker, they are charming relics of the past. They are still being made in India and new ones do turn up. It's best to be careful. This is a hobby that will produce endless hours of enjoyment ; it's an investment that will repay the effort and the learning that you put into it. Don't imagine that the best have already been found, there still arc many delightful "finds" to be made. I have outlined here only a few of the many interesting and unusual tea-related items that are to be had by the discerning collector. Helen Ingram is a dealer in antiques and has been an avid collector for more than 20 years. She lives in Seagrave. Ge Hearing c Aid (entre ¢f Port Perry Dennss J Hogan ann Hearing Aid Consultant DOr. E. Mannen"s Office - 24 Water St. S., Lakeview Plaza, Port Perry, Ontario LOB 1NO. 985-9192 AT THE CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE THE RRSP LEADERS MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU! 985-3003 OPEN LATE For your RRSP contribution Hospital Auxiliary has plans for Fair by Luella Graham The Port Perry Com- munity Hospital Ladies Auxiliary meeting was held on Monday, February 18th with 17 ladies present. The President welcom- ed all, and the meeting opened by all repeating the Auxiliary prayer'in unison. The minutes of the last meeting were read by the Secretary, and approved as read. The Treasurer gave her report, and the Corr. Sec., had sent out one 'Thank You' note, and two 'Get Well' cards. Bonnie Gerrow reported on Baby Booties which had been made and said 12 girls and 7 boys arrived at hospital since our last meeting. The President thanked the committee who work- ed on the February 14th euchre. There will be a doll draw, along with our Dec. Bake Sale. At this time Mr. Lorne Hunter, OPP, was in- troduced by Marg McConnell. He showed a film followed by a most interesting talk on Drink- ing and Driving, and was most willing (0 answer all the questions we had for him. We are reminded again of our Spring Fair being held on Saturday, April 27th at the Lat- cham Centre, and I will be getting in touch with the different organizations. Our next meeting will be March 18th at 1:30 p.m and we hope for a good turnout, also better weather. The meeting then clos- ed with all repeating the © Auxiliary prayer in unison, followed by a social half hour, and refreshments served by Hazel and Luella. $3,000.00. Fire Calls SCUGOG HALL NO. 1 FIRE CALLS Feb. 16 to Feb. 24 Monday - 6:55 p.m. - House Fire in Seagrave - Firefighter injured. Cause - Electrical. Damage - Approximately $50,000.00. Sunday - 11:30 p.m. - Car Fire Scugog Street. No injuries. Cause - Unknown. Damage - Friday - 8:31 a.m. - Community Memorial Hospital. Alarms activated. Cause - Malfunc- tion. No injuries or property loss. Investment Tomorrow's Antiques Limited Quantities - Come Early for Best Selection. COUNTRY STORE 3 oy £1 LE | ABOVE THE POST OFFICE TILL 8 P.M. -- UNIQUE GIFTS -- QUEEN ST., PORT PERRY February 28 - March 1, '88 207 QUEEN STREET 985 3011 PORT PERRY 1000 AM to 7:00 PM - MONDAY thru FRIDAY 9:00 AM. to 1:00 PM _- SATURDAY PHONE 985-9803 ROW UNDER NEW MARAGEMENT Phone 985-7344 Ww [ ane $y Deadline March 1, 1988. ES ($Y La