Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea...
This week in January celebrating my love of birds...
And that was started this week by the January page featuring Blue Tits and Great Tits from Edith Holden's
Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady...
And here is a National Trust photo of the cute little guy...
I was very excited to come across this Tea For One by Roy Kirkham in the Garden Birds pattern...it was love at first sight!
This is my Garden Birds Tea For One! Roy Kirkham, England developed in England in Stoke-on-Trent in the mid 1970s...filling a conspicuous void when the major pottery closures and combining...or gobbling up as some call it...occurred. They tried for a couple of years to make things out of the UK in the early 1990s, but that was not a success, so they are now manufacturing their bone china in England again...woohoo!
This Tea For One has a wonderful collection of garden birds, with a breakfast sized cup and saucer...which is nice, because the others I have had had not had a saucer as well. Can you see the English Blue Tit and the Robin pictured on the teapot???
It has my favorite Blue Tit, Wren, Finch, Robin and others...so cute!
As usual, afternoon tea is on my table in the sunroom....and I have a few birdy friends as well to tea...
Besides my birdhouse, this is a Hummel figurine my parents brought back for me from Munich, Germany in the 1950s as a souvenir. They had gone for a conference. The little girls is singing a duet with a little bird...I was always a singer, and a professional for a time later in life...isn't she cute?
And then I have my birdy pair shelf sitters...an anniversary gift from my BFF for our anniversary 20 years ago....but treasured! The books are from my Aunt, whom I was named for, who loved birding...
I can see you are saying...I know what bird that is...a robin! Yes, but what country does he come from? This is an American robin, beloved visitor to our American gardens with his beady eyes, quick movements and commanding song. But his smaller English cousin, the English Robin, is linked with Christmas to the British people.
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The English robin is much smaller and more delicately made and is a favorite for decorating themes and stories, beginning with the legend associated with the cute little bird that linked it's red breast it to the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem.
The legend says that the robin, among the worshipping angels in the stable were so concerned that the baby would be cold that they used their wings to fan the embers of a fire into a warming blaze, but singed their chests in the process. The little birds were rewarded for their selfless love and care for Jesus by being given their red breasts as an eternal symbol of the warmth of the fire they provided that night.
Some of my favorite mugs feature English Robins, from English potters Emma Bridgewater and Dunoon. The Christmas designs live in the back of my china closet until the first of November, then makes an appearance until January....it is just headed into the back of the closet today....while the others are out year round...
These are my favorite four...3 Emmas and one Dunoon....
This mug is from the Birds line, and one of my favorite. I have quite a few different ones...
And if you follow this blog, you know I "found" Emma Bridgewater in 1987 on a trip to family in the UK...astounded that the mug I found at a poottery in Stoke-on-Trent was by someone with the same name as my grandmother...Emma Bridgewater...amd was hooked!
This mug of the English Robin is one that is out all year and is called Robin In A Snowstorm. Not only does it have my favorite cheeky little English Robin, but it's blue!
This one comes out for Christmas and is called Christmas Robin...love the Happy Christmas inside the cup...
The design below was from the Season's Greetings series of 3 mugs by Dunoon from 2008 by the artist Richard Partis, and I just love it! You have probably seen it over the years in one or another of my posts at Christmas...
I think it is the cutest thing.
They just make you smile, don't they???
You can see why I love them so much! They are an endearing reminder of my childhood and Christmas memories!
So thanks for joining me for Tuesday Cuppa Tea. I am joining...
So thanks for joining me for Tuesday Cuppa Tea. I am joining...
Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related
posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are
patient...it's there! I am so looking
forward to visiting you!
Such a darling bird theme and between the tea for one and the mugs - not sure which is the cutest - but BOTH! Lovely posting Ruth. We are certainly feeding them here with our snow!
ReplyDeleteRuth, I love your bird theme today! The birds always perk me up especially this time of year when I don't get out very much. The English Robin is a favourite of mine as well. My British uncle told me all about him and he always said that the robin was one of the things he most missed about England. Love all your mugs and the tea-for-one is adorable! I so enjoyed this post today and thank you for sharing. Hugs...Sandi
ReplyDeleteYes,your post made me smile!Beautiful legend and beautiful mugs too,just wonderful!Love your sweet figurine,so cute!The tea-for-one is very pretty.Thanks for hosting,hugs.Maristella.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked the generous sizes of the cups from the tea for one sets. I'm also a fan of Emma Bridgewater so I'm loving your collection of cute bird mugs. Thank you for hosting, Ruth!
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet bird themed post! I didn't know until now that there was such a bird as the English robin.Guess I always assumed there was only one type of robin. I absolutely love the legend behind its coloring-so meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of your Emma Bridgewater mugs. Such beautiful illustrations on them. I saw some this summer at Heathrow airport and was tempted to buy at least one, but all of them were a bit pricey.
Thank you for hosting!
Ruth, I love your birds! And I do hope you'll tell us more about your singing!
ReplyDeleteRuth, Loved the birds you shared this week. Sylvia D.
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful flock of birds gathered up. Loved seeing the tea pots.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute little blue and yellow bird! Love the E. Bridgewater pottery! Thanks for hosting and sharing at HSH!
ReplyDeleteI have that book and love it! Your new set is absolutely darling!! Thanks ofr sharing with SYC.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Jann