Paddington Bear, Marmalade and Me

Ahh, wonderful things: a decent brew and a quality marmalade.

A brew (not the alcoholic kind although l like those too) : TEA

Tea is the world's most popular beverage. From the north of Russia to the tip of southern Africa, from the West Coast of America to the Far East, tea is enjoyed in endless different ways. Its versatility makes it the perfect drink, adaptable to every climate and culture. I like it hot.

What better to go with a hot brew than a jammy piece (A jam sandwich: plain bread smeared liberally with butter and jam); for me that jammy piece would be a marmalade one.

Marmalade- the best jeely piece around and another Scottish invention!

▪ Marmalade: James Keiller (1775-1839) In 1797 James Keiller (1775-1839), a Dundee grocer, bought a shipment of Seville oranges that tasted too bitter to sell. His wife Margaret boiled them and added sugar and that's how marmalade was invented. Keiller's became one of the biggest names in the making of marmalade and preserves and exported throughout the world.

Possibly my love of Marmalade (and duffle coats) came from a childhood cartoon, 'Paddington Bear' : Paddington bear speaks English although he comes from darkest Peru. He wears a Duffle Coat, Wellington boots and a battered hat which he refuses to part with. He is always polite and well-meaning (though he inflicts hard stares on those who incur his disapproval), loves marmalade sandwiches, and has an endless capacity for getting into trouble. However, he is known to "try so hard to get things right".

More likely however my love of this delicious nectar came from my father. My dad is a connoisseur of marmalades and makes his own. Whiskey marmalade is my favorite – just the smell is enough to blow your socks off ~ a fantastic kick start in the morning!

What can you not live without?