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Tea & Conversation: Develop the art of conversation with afternoon tea
Friends gather; tea is brewed and conversation flows.
Everything tastes better with social niceties from days when afternoons were longer.
Everything tastes better with social niceties from days when afternoons were longer.
- GenresNonfiction
64 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 11, 2016
What a quirky little book! Beryl Peters has put together a book that harps back to the days when afternoon tea was de rigueur for the gentile folk who did not have to work. Interspersed with appropriate quotations about the art of taking tea, the text is in the style of the 1890s through to the 1920s and as such it is rather quaint, for many of the offerings would look quite out of place in the 21st century!
The author informs us early on that afternoon tea and conversation are natural soulmates and, after a brief history of how the tradition began, she tells us we are continuing a custom from a time when life was more leisurely and afternoons seemed longer.
There are tips on how to receive guests, 'your first object should be to make them feel at home', and how to accommodate them, 'see that your guests are comfortably seated at a table and their wants attended to'. And the author's view is that those ladies going out to tea 'prefer to be seen out and about, visiting quaint little tea shops' and she adds, 'Nowadays the motor car widens our horizons and an afternoon outing, with time for intimate conversation while travelling, is a special treat'!
Other snippets are such as, 'She [the hostess] must match the colour of the tablecloth and napkins to the month of the year', 'guests will be delighted to receive dainty sandwiches with various fillings such as cucumber [ugh, horrible!]' and 'Guests should not be pressed to take more than they have inclination for.'
There follows suggestions for conversation in the four seasons of the year (but I'm not too sure why it should differ), and suggestions for young men's conversation at tea parties, spring being the suggested ideal time to 'introduce young men into adult gatherings'! And one should always remember, 'Bumptiousness, loudness, selfishness and swagger are unattractive, while undue or marked deference to rank or age is ill-bred'.
There is advice on silence, 'Long silences can be very embarrassing', gossip, 'The word gossip has fallen into disrepute; it is associated with slander, trivial carpings, and criticisms of others. This type of gossip should never be used' and subjects to avoid, 'Never boast either openly or indirectly' and 'do not tell long stories about yourself'!
There are plenty more examples in this delightfully dated little book that not only bring a smile to one's face but also takes a nostalgic look at a world that has long since disappeared ... or when I was recently in an (unnamed) supermarket, has it? Afternoon teas were offered there at an astonishing price of £19.99 ... and there were people partaking - I wonder what their conversation was?
The author informs us early on that afternoon tea and conversation are natural soulmates and, after a brief history of how the tradition began, she tells us we are continuing a custom from a time when life was more leisurely and afternoons seemed longer.
There are tips on how to receive guests, 'your first object should be to make them feel at home', and how to accommodate them, 'see that your guests are comfortably seated at a table and their wants attended to'. And the author's view is that those ladies going out to tea 'prefer to be seen out and about, visiting quaint little tea shops' and she adds, 'Nowadays the motor car widens our horizons and an afternoon outing, with time for intimate conversation while travelling, is a special treat'!
Other snippets are such as, 'She [the hostess] must match the colour of the tablecloth and napkins to the month of the year', 'guests will be delighted to receive dainty sandwiches with various fillings such as cucumber [ugh, horrible!]' and 'Guests should not be pressed to take more than they have inclination for.'
There follows suggestions for conversation in the four seasons of the year (but I'm not too sure why it should differ), and suggestions for young men's conversation at tea parties, spring being the suggested ideal time to 'introduce young men into adult gatherings'! And one should always remember, 'Bumptiousness, loudness, selfishness and swagger are unattractive, while undue or marked deference to rank or age is ill-bred'.
There is advice on silence, 'Long silences can be very embarrassing', gossip, 'The word gossip has fallen into disrepute; it is associated with slander, trivial carpings, and criticisms of others. This type of gossip should never be used' and subjects to avoid, 'Never boast either openly or indirectly' and 'do not tell long stories about yourself'!
There are plenty more examples in this delightfully dated little book that not only bring a smile to one's face but also takes a nostalgic look at a world that has long since disappeared ... or when I was recently in an (unnamed) supermarket, has it? Afternoon teas were offered there at an astonishing price of £19.99 ... and there were people partaking - I wonder what their conversation was?
April 17, 2024
What a cute little quick read. This book included recipes, etiquette tips, historic facts, and quotes about tea and conversation. A must have for every tea lover’s bookshelf.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews