fancy a brew?
DESCRIPTION
Tea, Yorkshire , TraditionTRANSCRIPT
Fancy a Brew?
By Hollie Bevis
Tea didn’t originally come from Britain as it was imported in the early 1600’s but only began being sold in a tea rooms in the early 17-‐1800’s. Even though tea was originally from Asia, we seem to have become a nation that is somehow dependant on this tradition and haven’t stopped drinking it since. The first tea drinking started off in London and was served in ‘ Tea Gardens ’. At the tea gardens there would be fireworks, dancing and then the evening would be finished off with tea for everyone. This would happen on Saturdays and Sundays. Then tearooms came about which only served tea to favourite customers and was an expensive treat, but then was requested by the lower class and people with less money which led to people as a whole drinking tea. Throughout Yorkshire we all enjoy a cup of tea every day whether its in a café, at home, work or on the go. You can get a cup of tea from pretty much anywhere in Yorkshire. Tea fits every occasion and unites people together. Whether your having a bad day or good day tea is always the answer, we raise a cup to good news or accept bad news, or even drink to just simply pass the day by. Everybody prefers their tea in different ways strong or weak, milky, sugar or no sugar etc. The ritual that we practise drinking tea also varies in the people for example in Betty’s Tea Room , your pot of tea is accompanied with a pot of hot water, a tea strainer, jug of milk, and sugar cubes. Whereas at home or at a friends you have all the ingredients in the tea before you have even sat down. You can buy a tea for one pound in Leeds market but compared to tea in Betty’s you would be charged six pounds. This reflects the cost of inner city living where less affluent people may live in poorer living conditions and have less means than an area such as Harrogate which have a higher standard of living. In the contrast of places tea also has a different function, as in Betty’s the tea will be a afternoon treat, Leeds market on the other hand would be a cuppa to keep you warm or to keep you going whilst shopping. In this set of images Hollie Bevis explores the world of tea rooms throughout Yorkshire by visiting small tea rooms and cafés in Pudsey, Harrogate and Leeds. The photographs explore and find out if tea is still as traditional as it used to be or if the traditions have changed.