Entry for 19th January, 2008

Welcome to the Blog of the Kindly Cuppa
40 Cups of Tea With 40 Friends
is my goal in life.
And it must be done before 10th July.
Click here to find out why.
If you would like to be my friend and earn a QCT (Qualifying Cup of Tea) then let me know.
No. of QCTs to date: 3
I was observing a Tribunal this morning. I didn't know where the venue was, so I wound up arriving about an hour early. I quite like arriving early for meetings, as it gives you time to get your bearings and have a cup of coffee beforehand. However, on this occasion, the only place I could find nearby was a particularly soulless McDonalds restaurant, beside a busy main road.
I'm by no means against McDonalds restaurants. Sometimes their vanilla shake is absolutely, positively the only foodstuff that will satisfy me the morning after the night before. But as I sat there this morning drinking my coffee, the place struck me as bit sad. The people were lovely - great service, helpful, cheery - but the place seemed to be so utterly devoid of beauty and imagination. It was a little industrial unit; a little food factory devoted to profit, and without spirit.
My favourite cafe sits on the main street where I live. They make the best French toast that has ever been made with the exception of Saturday morning French toast made by my dad in the early 1970s. They serve coffee in proper cups chosen by the owner because they are nice cups, not because they are the cheapest cups. There are spicy sausages and cakes and cold meat for sale. And the staff seem to be a little family that have invited you into their kitchen for a chat. It is a beautiful little place, with a heart and pulse and welcoming arms.