Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Tuscan Blenheim, Murchie's Teas

Hi there tea loving friends and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea, a meme built around the love of teacups and drinking...or taking...tea, as it was originally called.  The list of some of the other blogs I am joining is at the bottom and the linky if you would like to add your tea related blog link.

This is a little shorter than most Tuesday Cuppa Tea posts. After we attended the Lover's Lunch for Valentine's Day and our 39th anniversary at the Tea Room At Port Gamble (see that previous post HERE), my husband, who has Parkinson's Disease developed a cold, so I have been a bit otherwise occupied. Parkinson's disease makes any little ailment magnified as the system is using all it's defences and antoxidants to fight the disease, and has little left over to combat other things. So any little thing hits hard and last long. But...we are so blessed compared to so many other things he MIGHT have, that it's okay. Just less spare times to do my thinking and posting! So I hope you can bear with me...

 My teacup today is a teacup trio, or cup and saucer with matching plate that I got in a lot of estate china i acquired recently. I absolutely love the pattern! It has such a nice contrast between the green and white with the flowers. The pattern is called Blenheim, after the estate of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, who, incidentally was the son of an American heiress who married into the family just like Cora on Downton Abbey.

 There is hand applied enamel painted accents on the floral transfers, nout not like the extensive hand painting done on the 1930s era Tuscan and Plant Tuscan china I love. But this is such a striking pattern!

 The teacup trio was made by Tuscan, England which was a trade name of R.H. Plant in the Tuscan pottery in Longton who also produced Plant Tuscan and Royal Tuscan and Decoro and ceased operations independently in 1962 when they sold all trademarks to the Wedgwood Group which used the name in a limited fashion until 1992. The pottery was completely shut down in 2006, when Wedgwood had further difficulties.  Available at Antiques And Teacups, just click on the photos for more info. 

When we were in Victoria, BC last weekend for the Victoria Tea Festival (to read that previous post click HERE) we also had a visit to our favorite tea store, Murchie's on Government Street, an easy walk up from the Inner Harbor in Victoria. We always have to stop for tea and to buy some to take home.

For tea we had a pot of Afternoon Blend and a Raisin pastry, as my honey had been thinking about Eccles cakes all afternoon. They didn't, of course have those quintessential English tea room delights, but the raisin pastry was as close as we could get.

And of course we had to bring some home. We brought Afternoon Blend and Blend #10, my favorite. I tried to photograph the packages, but as they are in plastic wrap they came out light struck and distorted, so I gave up.  Murchie's has a great selection of tea ware and teas, does their own blends and has a wonderful selection of sandwiches, scones and baked goods. It is always a pleasure to stop here.

So my lovelies, time to go make dinner, a hot honey and lemon for my honey, and get set for the final episode of Downton Abbey. Bwwwaaahhhhhh!!!!! Sniff...

Here is the list of some of the blogs I am joining and the linky . Thanks so much for visiting Tuesday Cuppa Tea and have a great week!

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 

Tea On Tuesday
Miss Kathy ~http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Tea       

Michelle ~ http://www.finchrest.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Betty ~ http://teacoziecottage.blogspot.ca/

Tea Tuesday

Phyllis ~ http://www.relevanttealeaf.blogspot.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Shawn ~ http://poetryinapotoftea.blogspot.com/

Poetry In A Pot Of Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

 Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday                                           

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Home On Wednesday

 A Tea Lover     ~http://the-teaist.blogspot.com/

Tea Talk Wednesday