I had a good laugh over the Posh Tea! I am still happily drinking Twinings Earl Grey Tea (from a tin of loose tea). My Father began extending the original tea plantation when he arrived in Ceylon in 1901, in order for his Uncle (and God-Father) to import larger crates to London to his wholesale tea company. Twinings bought out his company when he was 60. Great - Uncle Sydney turned 90 while I was in my last month at Boarding school at age 16. All Family members were invited to Tea at a large, well known Tea restaurant in Park Lane, London. I was allowed to leave school for 24 hours, just before taking my Cambridge School Certificate exam!
I finally met Daddy's youngest sister, one of my God-Mothers, who had left England when I was 3, Taking her 9 children to New Zealand after their Father died. She could not afford to pay for the last 7 children's education in England.
After the end of W.W.1, Daddy returned to Tea Planting, this time in India, in the hills "around "Ootycomand". At that time he opened a new plantation requiring many men and Elephants for the "Heavy Work" before actually planting the tea bushes. He had already met the local Marharaja, who as a teenager went to school in England, then to Cambridge University, where I believe they first met in a house belonging to a friend of Daddy.
Said Maharaja owned a number of working elephants. The first one that Daddy rented became unmanageable to the workmen, so naturally Daddy reported the problem to his friend, who immediately said "I have an excellent female which you are welcome to try her out". After an excellent lunch, they went to view the new animal which looked promising, upon leaving and shaking Daddy"s hand, Marharaja said, "Oh by the way her name is Suzanne."
Later Daddy thought, "If I ever have a daughter, that will be her name!"
Note: Featured image from Country Life.
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