Yes, I confess, I’m definitely a true Brit – one of the good old bull dog breed!

I love the Royal Family and all that it stands for, love my boiled beef and carrots, toad in the hole and traditional afternoon tea of sarnies, scones and Victoria sponge and, of course, drink gallons of tea.

However, I’m dismayed to learn that for the last 35 years or more I’ve not been making my afternoon beverage correctly.

I came across this article

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/125693/How-to-make-the-perfect-cup-of-tea

and have found that I’ve been doing it all wrong!

On a daily basis I tend to sling a tea bag at a half pint mug, poor boiling water onto it, give it a good prod with a teaspoon, add some milk and then after about a minute, scoop the tea bag out, give it a squeeze against the side of the mug and hey presto – one reasonably tasting cup of tea.

On special occasions I do get down on hands and knees and, with bum in air, stretch to the back of the least used kitchen cupboard and, having reached Narnia, grab the bone china tea cups and saucers, milk jug and sugar bowl from within.  Having dragged them out, I blow the dust out of the receptacles and wipe the cobwebs off the saucers before placing them on a tea tray complete with linen doily to present to my guests.  I place the tea in a warm teapot and pour boiling water onto it.

So far so good … now this is where things go awry.  I leave my tea ’stewing’ for a good five minutes or more rather than the recommended three, and, horror of horrors, I pour the tea into the cup before allowing my guests to add their own milk.

I also have a habit, during the tea brewing and pouring ‘ceremony’ of getting engrossed in conversation with said guests so the tea isn’t actually piping hot when it’s served.

Oh well, out of the four stages of perfect tea making I reckon I score 0.5 – for dragging out my bone china once in a while!  No wonder I don’t have many people calling round for afternoon tea!