Too Many Cuppas--There Will Always Be An England Redux

Believe it or not, the grid guardians of England's electricity were nervously anticipating a huge spike in usage at halftime during England's match against Ecuador Sunday in the World Cup, equivalent to "800,000 electric kettles being switched on" simultaneously.

According to the BBC, "The power surges are mainly down to people making cups of tea, switching on lights and getting drinks from fridges during breaks in the action. "

England won and the grid is still standing.

Comments

[Geoff Brown]

Tea is still the favorite at-home beverage in New Zealand (a somewhat faithful British offshoot), despite the growth of espresso cafes.

[KathyF]

My gourmet group went there, but I couldn't go that day. I did take a tour of London with my History of London class and we went by the first coffee house in the City.

[Foodie]

You should hoof it to the Museum of Tea and Coffee, KathyF,and Cynthia, near the new Globe Theatre--the curator will happily bend your ear re the history of tea and coffee in the UK. and

[Cynthia]

I just wrote an article for hungrymag.com about dining traditions in England, and among them, I mention Enggland's long history of coffee. In fact, England had coffee houses before France or Austria did -- the latter two countries creating coffee houses after coffee proved to be such a hit in England. But it was still something of a treat, something for which you headed donw to Kardomah, and which you consumed with much conversation. Tea was still the primary beverage being consumed in homes and after meals -- but it sounds like that may be changing.

[KathyF]

Most of the people in my classes have been retirees; I'm usually the youngest one! Actually coffee has a long tradition here. It started long before we dumped their tea in the harbor.

Although the coffee they drink is the instant kind, usually, especially when they make it themselves. They don't seem to understand the coffee brewing process the way they understand tea.

And don't ever order tea with your meal...it's supposed to be AFTER a meal, or you get strange looks!

[Cynthia]

How odd. All my British friends are still tea drinkers. But then most of my British friends are within a decade of my age, so perhaps we're just tradition bound. Of course, my friends and I are all health-conscious, as well, and many of us drink tea rather smuggly, knowing that this tradition will keep us healthy longer.

[KathyF]

Except, no one here drinks tea anymore. It's coffee, or if you're a football fan, more likely beer.

In my classes during break I'm always the only one ordering tea. The British are no longer civilized, imo.

[Cynthia]

What a hoot (and far more amusing because it didn't cause a shutdown). Of course, that's exactly what would happen -- everyone would head for the tea kettle. I had never thought what the combined effect of so many electric kettles might be.