A Cup Of 'Tea'se!

Here's my entry for this weeks Mono Monday challenge with the theme 'heritage'. Drinking tea is part of the British heritage and we are famous for it.

Tea, that most quintessential of English drinks, is a relative latecomer to British shores. Although the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China, it was not until the mid 17th century that the beverage first appeared in England.

Tea gained popularity quickly in the coffee houses, and by 1700 over 500 coffee houses sold it. This distressed the tavern owners, as tea cut their sales of ale and gin, and it was bad news for the government, who depended upon a steady stream of revenue from taxes on liquor sales. By 1750 tea had become the favoured drink of Britain's lower classes.

When tea became popular in Britain, there was a crying need for good cups with handles, to suit British habits. This made for tremendous growth in the pottery and porcelain industry, and the prosperity of such companies as Wedgwood, Spode, and Royal Doulton.

The blip photo is a bit of a tease photo - instead of the shadow of the cup it has a shadow of a tea pot. I hope you like it. The idea is one from Greg Lovett after he got the idea from my spoon shadow last month. I thought I'd have a go!

Wide Angle Wednesday -

From 11 May (tag 'widwed27') any theme (to encourage entries) but judging preference given to photo's with 'circle' theme

18 May ( tag 'widwed28') any + theme 'light & shadow)
25 May (tag 'widwed29') any + theme 'yellow'