TEA DRINKING.

Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, is reputed to have originated the idea of afternoon tea in the early 1800s. She conceived the idea of having tea around four or five o´clock in the afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner. She found a light meal of tea (usually Darjeeling)and cakes or sandwiches was the perfect balance. Some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread. These habits soon became a good reason for social gatherings, and started a trend. Afternoon tea quickly became an established and convivial repast in many middle and upper class households.

As the popularity of tea spread, it also became an essential part of people´s entertainment outside the house. Tea gardens then opened all over the country, with tea served as the high point of the afternoon. Dancing was included as part of the day´s festivities so from the tea gardens came the idea of the tea dance which remained fashionable in Britain until World War II, when they lost popularity.

But rapid urban growth in the early 1800s led to the closure of the gardens and the only places left serving tea were the inns, taverns and hostelries. Tea now began to play an important role in the temperance movement´s battle against the very high levels of alcohol comsumption.

Between 1741 and 1820, industrialists, landowners and clerics tried to put a stop to the tea break, maintaining that tea drinking and rest made working people slothful. Nowadays. it is believed that regular tea breaks are a vital part of the day and help to maintain a positive balance and good health.

KING ARTHUR: FACT OR MITH

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has been very popular in Europe for more than a thousand years. The Knights of England wanted to choose a new king. They found a huge stone with a sword in it. There was a golden writing on the sword which said: "the man who can pull the sword out of the stone will be the king". Young Arthur, who was a boy at the time, pulled out the sword Excalibur from the stone, which no one except the next king could do. Then he became king. Arthur lived in the castle of Camelot, the ideal court. It was famous for bravery, chivalry, romantic love and magic, which was practised by Merlin, the magician.

But England and Arthur began to lose power when Arthur learned about the love affair between his wife, Guinevere, and his best friend, Sir Lancelot. Then Arthur began the search for the Holy Grial (the wine cup used at Christ´s last meal) which Sir Galahad finally found and brought back.

Arthur grew strong again and he went into battle to save England from his evil cousin, Mordred, whom he liked. But Arthur himself was seriously wounded in the great battle. Before he died, he gave his magic sword, Excalibur, to his friend, Bedivere. He told Sir Bedivere to throw the sword into the lake. The hand of the Lady of the Lake came out of the water and caught the sword. Three beautiful queens took Arthur´s body away in a boat to the magic island of Avalon, his resting place.

Did Arthur really exist? It is said by some people that he may have been a Celtic leader of the 6th or 7th century. It is claimed by some that many stories of the Arthurian legend were invented by Geoffrey of Monmouth. But it is believed by others that Arthur really existed, and there are many places in Britain which claim to have connections with the story or to be the actual site of Camelot. The legend says that one day Arthur will return if England is ever in danger again. Perhaps we will never know, unless England is in trouble and Arthur reappears with his Knights to rescue it from danger.