Why do British people love tea? (from Here For The History)
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What historical events led to the British love of tea?
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Autoliitto auttaa. Avaimet jää autoon. Autoliitto auttaa. Hyytyy tien poskeen tai tartten apuvirtaan. Autoliitto auttaa. No mites tämmöset sit kotipihalla, mökillä tai Saksassa ja Lofoteilla? Lofoteilla. Siellä on kaunista. Autoliitto auttaa. Entäs jos kala nappaa? Vapaa ylös ja siima kireelle. Jos mutkia tulee matkaan, Autoliitto auttaa kelloon katsomatta. Liityplus jäseneksi autoliitto.fi
Hello, You're Dead to Me listeners. I'm Alice Loxton.
And I'm Ben Henderson.
We're big fans of You're Dead to Me, so we're really looking forward to the new series, which is just around the corner.
But before it arrives, we're delighted to be able to pop into this feed and tell you about our new history podcast, which I hope you'll like too.
It's called Here for the History, and each episode we find out about how stories from the past have shaped our lives in the present.
Yes, we'll uncover the origin stories behind the traditions, stereotypes and beliefs that make up everyday life. Why we speak the way we do, why football is our national sport, who came up with the package holiday…
And in this episode, we're telling the story of how the humble cup of tea became so ingrained in British culture.
It's a riveting tale. And if you want to hear more unusual origin stories, listen and subscribe to Hear for the History on BBC Sounds.
If you're outside the UK, you can listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also watch us on our YouTube channel.
Hello, I'm Ben Henderson.
And I'm Alice Loxton.
So Alice, obviously I spend most of my free time with my nose in your best-selling history books.
How did Catherine of Braganza influence tea culture in Britain?
Thank you. But I think the first time I came across you was when you posted a video online to your legions of followers about some black railings on the street in London which looked slightly misshapen, am I right?
Oh, yes. People absolutely love that video. It really went viral. There are these wonderful railings and they were actually used originally as stretchers in the Blitz in the Second World War. And people just love seeing, you know, the history behind these ordinary objects.
Yeah, it's fascinating. I love that. And I saw it was even written up in the papers, you know, national news.
Thank you, Ben. Thanks for reading. You're a loyal supporter. Well, I've also seen your stuff. You've been making history programs for the BBC for years now. And you have your own social videos about history too. I loved the video about the origins of the British stiff upper lip. I think that's the first one I saw of yours. And it was always something I just accepted, but never really questioned why.
Ah, well, it's funny you should say that, Alice, because that's exactly what we're doing on our brand new podcast, isn't it? Here for the history.
Exactly, Ben. I'm so excited. We'll be uncovering the historical backstories that have shaped our lives.
Yes. So we'll be finding out things like how English turned into the language we speak today and how the suit became every man's uniform and even where the weekend came from.
And I've been really surprised by some of the things we found already. Some of it's really weird, some of it's quite dark, and some of it's just hilarious. So I can't wait to reveal it all.
So to you listening, we're here for the history.
What role did the East India Company play in the tea trade?
Now let's crack on with the first episode. Alice, could you start by telling me your dream morning routine?
Well, the first thing that I have every morning is a cup of tea, as I did this morning. And I'll get out of bed, try and wake up. And the first thing I do is put the kettle on. I'll have an English breakfast tea. I've got a special mug. It's from the Durham Cathedral Gift shop which I bought a few years ago and I'll have I'd say a dash of milk semi-skim milk and it normally ends up being the colour of a digestive biscuit so I'm very particular about that but if I get it right it does set me up for a perfect day what about you how much milk do you have
Well, I don't want to ruin my popularity this early in the show, but I'm actually more of a coffee man.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What historical events led to the British love of tea?
0:00–2:11
2
How did Catherine of Braganza influence tea culture in Britain?
2:11–3:48
3
What role did the East India Company play in the tea trade?
3:48–5:26
4
How did the Opium Wars affect tea consumption in Britain?
5:26–7:26
5
What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on tea drinking habits?
7:26–9:27
6
How did tea become a staple for factory workers during the Industrial era?
9:27–11:19
7
What was the significance of tea during World War II in Britain?
11:19–12:47
8
What is the future of tea in British culture today?
12:47–35:22
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from You're Dead to Me
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