Winning Again: Tea Time : Burford Times.

This is the picture R. sent me yesterday (19 / 09 ) from Lords Cricket Ground; where Gloucestershire defeated Surrey  in the final of the Royal London Insurance 50 overs  Knockout Cup.

So a big tip of the hat is required to the team, who losing the toss were put in to bat and made a modest 220 all out in 47.4 overs They never lost heart and finally defeated Surrey needing just six runs to win with three balls to spare.  And there is more great news.

Gloucestershire secured a clean sweep of victories at the weekend as the county’s one-day side won the Royal London One-Day Cup and their under-11s boys’ and girls’ teams won the first Gilbert Cup competition.

Frampton on Severn and Cam Cricket Clubs secured victory in the boys’ and girls’ categories of the eight-a-side soft ball tournament at the historic Lord’s ground by beating their Surrey counterparts from Spencer Park and Cranleigh Cricket Clubs. As well as playing in front of thousands, the boys and girls trophies were presented by Emgland stars, Steve Finn and Charlotte Edwards.

Well done the Shire- the glory days are back.

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A little ' pink- piggy  point towards new tea emporium T2, which I brought to your attention in the last post.
It certainly delivers on tea and plant blends;( beetroot was on the tasting table when we went in), but the colours and decor are very bright and in your face. Worse, music was being played and further took away, from we would perceive as tea culture.

 Looking at it, and here I am being stereotypical, I could understand why the company originated from Australia, with its bold and brash approach. The tea itself was on the expensive side, some oolong tea was £20 a shot (ouch), but most products were at a  more reasonable £7 - 8.50  ( 125gms).
Pun intended: get a flavour of the shop from this link:

T2 green.


But brush my leaves, Tea is undergoing a real renaissance on the promenade, because further up the prom, towards Imperial Gardens and the Queen's Hotel, we espied Whittards, with a new fresh tea display.

This was wonderful, devoid of music, with a great display of more teas than you could shake a spoon at and  a staff that really cared about the product.

Here is their Signature Tea Collection featuring 21 of their best teas from around the world.

A ceramic pot and cup from the store

So I raised my hat and skipped out  with my purchase of cherry blossom  flavoured green tea.

Cuppa anyone ?

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Deep in Cameron Country on the Oxfordshire border lies the town of Burford.
 D. and I like to visit now and again and the last occasion was Wednesday (23 / 9). We like the free car park, tucked discreetly away from the main trading street

Burford, a quintessential  Cotswold  place, is in a sense a frontier town. The people who live and run businesses there, want to keep it as it is; a recreational spot for the great and good.
 Here the people browse the shops; the young in designer jeans and casually expensive tops and shirts: the older generation; men in jackets, hats  and cord trousers,( usually of the brighter hue);  the ladies in long coats and trouser suits.

Here are antique shops, bric- a - brac, butchers, shoe and dress emporiums, taverns and coffee shops.
There is little encouragement to enter premises, in the way of advertising, but should you sally forth, you will be received with polite decorum. There are no banks to be seen, it being presumed wallets and handbags are furnished with abundant credit facilities, should the need for purchases be necessary.

Of all the shops in the High Street, the one which deserves our attention is the Oxford Shirt Company. It is only as you walk past the store with small windows to gaze in at, that you see the notice and arrow pointer  which says " Entrance further down the street ," that you begin to realise that all is not what it seems and indeed that is the case.

Here is their legend:

 "A new concept in traditional and lifestyle designed Ladies and Men's clothing, Accessories and Furnishings based in 8 prestigious linked shops.

The Oxford Shirt Company started with a small shop in Burford 30 years ago and has grown to be the Cotswold's largest and leading retailer of exclusive clothing, accessories and furnishings covering in excess of 15,000 sq. ft. in eight linked shops. "

Once inside, by means of inter-linked passages and three floors, one is transported into a veritable cornucopia, of Ladies and Men's fashions, with naturally a slight nod towards outdoor pursuits. Here one may become becalmed in Barbour; caressed in merino shirts and socks and seduced by cashmere 

You will not be pounced upon by assistants, but merely wished 'good morning / afternoon. '
Naturally should you have an enquiry, you will be assisted in every way possible; otherwise you may wander to your heart's delight. It is an oasis of calm  and as long as you don't actually look at the prices,( as I do,)  you are unlikely to raise your blood pressure or cause heart palpitations.

You are never completely sure where the exit is,  but after three circuits, I managed to escape without troubling the till; a rare event here  and  I felt strangely  mollified by my behaviour.

I thought these vintage motorbikes in store , were a welcome addition to the merchandise.
I especially liked the Honda in the lower photo, which I remember hankering for in the late 70's.
Oh well!

Finally, even the pub signs give a sense of well being in Burford.

The Angel watches over, as you quaff your pint of locally brewed Hook Norton.
Topping stuff.

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Well next week sees the end of September; but fret not , I'm told October will be a largely benign month. Next week looks very settled indeed.

Now a word to the wise:

The Single Use Carrier Bag Charges legislation, which comes into force on October 5, will make it compulsory for retailers with more than 250 employees to charge its customers at least 5p for every single-use plastic bag.

So now is the time to ensure you have adequate shopping bags ready. You might want to keep a few plastic bags for recycling purposes etc. before Monday week.

Happy Shopping!

Cheerio For Now,
Ck.