Comment

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on December 13, 2012 at 2:26am

For sure, this is a quote...and by rights should perhaps be posted on the "Beautiful Quotes" page, or on the "Poetry" Group's page....But, since it pertains to the humble, much used item in everyone's home, THE TEAPOT...I felt it should be shared here:

What part of confidante has
that poor teapot played ever
since the kindly plant was
introduced among us?  Why myriads
of women have cried over it,
to be sure!  What sickbeds it
has smoked by!  What fevered
lips have received refreshment
from it!  Nature meant very
kindly by the women when she
made the tea plant; and with
little thought, what a series
of pictures and groups the
fancy may conjure up and assemble
round the teapot and cup." 

-William Makepeace Thackeray, "Pendennis"

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on October 14, 2012 at 9:24am

The article below, which I have posted here for our edification..... is one which I received from a lovely site called "Tea in England"....well worth a visit!

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on October 14, 2012 at 9:22am

It is a known fact that the Brown Betty teapot brews tea better than any other teapot design. This is because of the shape of the pot which allows the tea leaves to be gently swirled around as the boiling water is added, and the special clay used in its manufacture that holds heat so well.

Why is it called a Brown Betty? Well…it is brown, thanks to a Rockingham Glaze.  But why “Betty”?

In the 1800′s no self-respecting house in England was run without at least one servant. As “Elizabeth” was a very popular name at that time, odds were that you had a servant named Elizabeth. And Elizabeth – shortened to Betty – would have served the tea. Some believe that the special brown teapot came to be known as a “Betty” or a “Brown Betty“. But no one knows for sure.

Cauldon Ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent hold the exclusive design rights and are the sole producers of the Brown Betty teapot. They have been making Brown Betty‘s since the end of the 17th century. (Stoke-on-Trent is the historical home of English ceramics and features on the Tea in England banner.)

I have always owned a Brown Betty. At the moment, I have a 2-cup personal size, and a larger 6-cup size for when company visits.  Based on my experience with a wide variety of teapot designs, I definitely believe the Brown Betty produces an excellent pot of tea – but the quality of the newer models by Cauldon are sometimes less than perfect.

Should you decide to buy your own Brown Betty, don’t be fooled by imitations! An authentic Brown Betty will have a small [removable] Union Jack sticker on it,  and the bottom will be marked, “Cauldon, Made in England”. The newer ones are also stamped “©Original Betty”, and carry a swing card with the history of the Brown Betty.

 

 

If you own a Brown Betty, do you think it is the best teapot for brewing tea?

Comment by Victoria on September 25, 2012 at 10:19pm

Your cup is beautiful!  I love the color and design.

Thank you for all your wonderful tips.

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on September 25, 2012 at 7:37am

This is another set of lidded cups & saucers I own....  almost exactly the same as my white set... (as I say, they ARE supposedly Custard Cups...) but I  use them for tea!  These cups are exquisitely decorated inside the rim and are slightly square-ish in shape at the top...but round at the bottom!

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on September 25, 2012 at 7:30am

Sometimes it is perhaps a good idea to look around for someone who repairs and re-furbishes old porcelain.  I found a retired gentleman who works from home.  Having several pieces which I own from various sources that were chipped or cracked and in one case broken and badly repaired, I had the pieces repaired.  They were all of significant nostalgic value to me...so I think worth the effort and cost.  (I found the repairs to be fairly reasonable!)...

However, if you can't have it done professionally, I also did repair one of the items myself (I think because of it's name and age...the cost was a little inflated!) so I purchased a type of clay called "Sculpey III", which can be oven baked to set firmly.  The idem I repaired looks quite good - there had been a piece of it missing, however I managed to reshape it....baked it for the specified time in a coolish oven and painted and sealed the repair myself.  I am so happy with my attempt - and think most anyone could do the same!

However, I was thinking of your cracked dish Lady Victoria.... if you were to use it for say a floral display...you could place a small plastic or glass dish inside of your beautiful china one - put oasis in that....and then make up the arrangement - this would prevent the water from leaking through the crack and you could enjoy having a really pretty dish of flowers on your Tea or Dinner table!

Shelving is also a good option for displaying pretty pieces, or even the top of  taller furniture pieces such as a book-case, sideboard or kitchen dresser and kitchen cabinets!  

Enjoy your Doll making....it's lovely to be involved in any form or creativity....it grows one's patience and fills one's soul with well-being plus it gives others much pleasure too!

Comment by Victoria on September 23, 2012 at 2:25pm

Thank you.  I love that center dish too.  Your Christmas display is a wonderful idea!  I also have a china painted casserole dish with lid from my grandmother.  I have always wondered what to do with it because the lid was dropped and broke in half.  I glued it but the crack shows slightly.  Because of sentiment I kept it.  A Christmas display would work well for that. 

 Anyway, the center pictured piece below has chips and I don't find markings on the bottom but some of the other pieces not pictured but including the gold demi cup pictured are marked Bavarian on the bottom. 

I have to think about how to display some of these pieces as I am without china cabinet.  But there is still so much to do with everything in boxes and still moving from the other house.  After the move and the estate is finished I hope to be able to clean and decorate the house and then get back to my much loved hobby of doll making!

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on September 22, 2012 at 12:19pm

I love your collection!  Particularly the dish in the centre picture - it reminds me of a piece I inherited from my own mother-in-law.  It is a design called 'Roses' and is Bavarian Porcelain, with the name 'Kunst Kronach" printed beneath a small gold crown and some other very curly initials!

I love this container, and have often used it over the Christmas period to hold my floral table display! Or, just a a heap of pretty Christmas baubles and some tinsel, with it's lid laid beside it! 

Enjoy your beautiful acquisitions - they were once much loved - and deserve to be shown, since they now have more than just aesthetic value!

Comment by Victoria on September 22, 2012 at 6:11am

 

Thank you Lady Elizabeth.  Your garden picture is beautiful.

This is more of the china pieces I received that belonged to my mother in law.  The set below is 6 piece cup and saucer.  The pictures I took were hurried as you can see I'm still packed and in the process of moving.

I received some other china pieces and lovely crystal pieces.  Since most are old I'm not sure what I will be able to use other than in decor because of the lead content in the pieces, especially the crystal.

Comment by Elizabeth Wallis on September 22, 2012 at 2:10am

I love your cups Lady Victoria!

They are so elegant and feminine in form.  In particular the pale green one at the back of the setting has such a pleasingly  elegant shape!  Some Oolong served in that one would do me just fine, thank you!  

You seem to have managed quite admirably to post your pictures, I know I was also very cautious (and nervous, in case I 'wiped' everything out! iniially!).  You will, however,  become more confident, eventually I am sure.

Thank you for your kind weekend wishes My Lady Deborah!  I sincerely hope that your weekend too, is wonderfully relaxing.  We have a holiday here in South Africa on Monday 24th Sepember,  it is Heritage Day.  And, many will be hoping to celebrate with friends round a 'braai' (pronounced br-eye!) which is our equivalent of your BBQ!  However, today we have had some wonderful rain already... everything is lush with the water which fell this morning - and the air is fresh, much cooler than it was yesterday.  

I know from past experience, it is not a great idea to have a braai planned at this time of year (since my birthday falls on the 10th October!).  It is SURE to rain on your parade... Teas are definitely, more sensible to present at this time of year!  Which is where - and how - the germ of the "Victorian Teas" was originally - born for me!

After about my 3rd  hosted Victorian Birthday Tea, a friend said I was absolutely crazy to not be doing it for a living...and thus I now serve Teas in my very own Tea Parlour.... also incidentally how I found the site!  The name I had chosen was "A Spot of Tea" and when I came across Lady Estelle's page...it was the first thing that caught my eye!

And, how happy am I to be here since! 

Best wishes to all here,

Enjoy a week-end of Tea-drinking in the very best of Victorian Styles!

Lady Elizabeth

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