by Peter Walsh
Stiggin’s Tea Stories………The Beginning of our tea story starts a while ago now. When on a day we were sharing cups of tea and a slices of cake. It was a cold day towards the end of winter, spring was just around the corner, although, it felt some way off just yet. Outside there was a sprinkling of snow on the ground and the skies were grey. Everyone was very happy to have finished work for the day, and the youngest member of the family was playing contentedly on the kitchen floor.
As bedtime approached for the little one, a warm bath was run in readiness before putting the child to bed. Mum was gathering the usual toys, things that were essential in the tub at bath time. These included various small dolls and items to be used to bath them. Things such as a hairbrush, or comb. as well as, small jugs and cups from a children’s tea set. Most importantly with the teapot, saucers, plastic spoons and other small toy’s that were safe to play with in the bathwater. What followed then was the usual, giddy splashing and screeching, water being poured around, with a general happiness that ensued. Making bubble beards and whiskers, candy floss hair and clapping hands full of soapy suds together, soaking everything around including mum!
Things eventually settle down a bit, the excitement of bath time changes from the fun of splashing around to more settled and less messy playing with the toys in the bath. A child’s imagination is free and vital. Sitting by them whilst they play innocently, listening to them making conversation with themselves and imaginary friends (didn’t we all have one?) is wonderful, and the unchained freedom of a young mind is a pleasure to behold.
This is the time when parents would be invited to sample the flavours of those cakes and drinks, baked and brewed using the content of the bath water, bath time cuisine, is a rare and lovely thing!! It was, in one of these carefree and joyous bath time adventures, that Stiggin’s Tea was born, and that is a story for another chapter in the book from Stiggin’s Tea Stories …………….
