Is it not amazing that some of the greatest ideas are some of the simplest and a rather splendid aqueduct in Southern France is a good example.
Last summer, Caron and I were in Avignon not far from the famous aqueduct at Pont du Gard which is stunning in its simplicity and although we did not visit the structure whilst we were there, (we just ran out of time)we fully intend to visit Pont du Gard when we are next in the area.
Pont du Gard was constructed by the Romans to ensure that nearby Nimes had a reliable and adequate water supply and for many years, until the Roman Empire collapsed, this was the case.
Nimes is a great place to visit, but one slight difficulty we experienced was trying to get a decent cup of tea. In France, tea is in my view not so admired as coffee and I have experienced some truly awful cups of tea during my many visits to this gorgeous country.
But let me return to Nimes as after shopping around for a bit, Caron found a café which sold a decent cup of tea and although temperatures were nudging forty-two degrees, we still had to have a cup of tea to keep us going as like fools, we were trying to pack in as much as we could see in a day.
It was as we were returning towards the impressive railway station after a full days sightseeing that I had the bright idea of popping into this little café to get a couple of take away teas. What a brilliant idea as we would not have to suffer the SNCF bog wash which passes as tea on the French railway system. But all good plans have a flaw and ours was we became too interested in the water features not far from the station and let our tea get cold.
It was then I thought of insulation (well not exactly then, but a few days later when we had returned to the UK).
What about an insulated mug? That would have ensured that our rather expensive tea would not have cooled so quickly.
Lets say, if Caron and I had been in Nimes in January, then we not have been so flippant about the temperature of our tea as it gets jolly cold in Southern France in the winter.
Apologises if I am wittering on like a fool who because he has so much time on his hands, is fast becoming the only person in history to write about the availability and temperatures of tea in Nimes during the dog days of summer.
But there is a connection to the Arcade, as on occasions if you keep your eyes peeled, you can find insulated teapots, water jugs and other useful items. I first became aware of these when I was knee high to Tom Thumb during visits to my grandparents in Bishops Stortford.
Grandma liked nice things and her cabinets were full of fine china. But it was the scraggy old insulated tea pots (she had two) that really took my fancy as they looked like knights in armour. If I remember correctly, I called one Sir Lancelot and the other King Arthur.
I asked her where she found had them and she said that it is likely that she had purchased them in the years after the war.
To some extent this ties in with the results of my limited research, as I cannot really find any references to these items prior to about 1940. The actual concept is so simple as you with see from my photographs.
There is the basic china teapot which is covered by a tin dome (cover) which in turn is insulated by a rough wool underlay.
Sone teapots are more basic and do not have the underlay although, the egg cup that I have also illustrated is extremely well insulated. I do not collect these items and the ones I own have been gifts over the years.
Sometimes if you are lucky (and I have often seen these at the Arcade) one might find a full tea set and these are great fun to own.
Children will most likely think that they are something out of Star Wars which is miles away from my Knights of the Round Table.
At the time of its temporary closure, I do not remember seeing any in the Arcade but as soon as this nonsense is over and the dealers are dealing again, you are sure to see them once more.
I realise that we must all be sick of tea during our periods of isolation (I certainly am).
Caron and I have gone through all our herbal and geographically diverse teas as well as the ones we try to mix ourselves (don’t ask).
Times are a little difficult at present but things will get better and it will not be long before if you are visiting Hungerford, you will be drifting into the Arcade and maybe enjoy a pot of tea in the newly reburbished, in-house coffee shop, Alexanders (when the Government gives the go ahead for it to open after the lockdown).
Things will have more or less got back to normal and we will all feel stronger for the experience.
But, if you see an unshaven chap sitting glumly on the steps of Costa Coffee then, please ignore him as it will be me waiting for the chain to reopen as to let you into a little secret, I prefer coffee to tea.
Is it not amazing that some of the greatest ideas are some of the simplest and a rather splendid aqueduct in Southern France is a good example.
But there is a connection to the Arcade, as on occasions if you keep your eyes peeled, you can find insulated teapots, water jugs and other useful items. I first became aware of these when I was knee high to Tom Thumb during visits to my grandparents in Bishops Stortford.