Ican't think why tea is always considered to be so terribly British. Obviously, we drink pints of the stuff, but 'afternoon tea' is celebrated the world over. The Moroccans can't get enough of it, Chai is the national drink of India, and don't let's get started on the Japanese, where the art of tea has been turned into a spiritual experience. I suppose it is the teashop which is so quintessentially a British invention. Doilies and fingers of cucumber sandwiches, washed down from a floral china cup.

The Victorians led the way with the invention of afternoon tea. It allowed women to have a respectable outing in the company of other women. There was an etiquette to eating tea, something which, bizarrely, I seemed to have learned along the way. Whenever I watch period drama, nothing annoys me more than seeing actors paying little heed to the ancient conventions.

No, you should not point your knife at others, or wave it in the air. Eat in small bites, don't shove a whole scone down in one go. Unfold your napkin (white and lacy, obviously), and remember why you have a small fork - for your Victoria sponge. Why bother with the sets, costume, diction, and lighting if you use your butter knife to gesticulate? We all have our issues; this one is mine. Manners and tea belong together.

The Victorians had tea dresses, tea parties, and tea gardens. Tea dances came in later, during the '20s. I am delighted to report The Waldorf Hilton still holds a tea dance, although not every Sunday as they used to.

Here you can shimmy to a live band, quaff a glass of sparkling wine, and delight in an afternoon tea - worth keeping an eye out for their next dates.

India, of course, grow the stuff. One of the largest tea producers in the world, most of the leaves consumed by their own population. They lead the way in what is known in the trade as 'tea technology', although the process seems more person than machine driven. The top grade leaves are literally hand-sheared, leaving the machines to cope with the low grades - the type that usually ends up in our teabags.

We hope that we have tea covered and these best sellers and perfect for Mother's Day. Here at Indytute, you can sip it on a bus, cut it with cocktails, team it with samosas and dhokla for a lavish Indian version, or enjoy a fusion of Japanese and Mediterranean treats while sipping a cup of green.  There's even Afternoon Cheese.

There is something about tea. It always seems very indulgent, the meal you don't really need. The china, the cake stands, and the profusion of delights is something you never get with lunch or dinner. Cream and jam in glass dishes, towers of warm scones, proper fancy small cakes. Too many to choose - a child’s fantasy.

My memories of tea are cemented by the food in children's books. Ratty and Mole unpacking their picnic, Alice with the Mad Hatter, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - the fox raising his glass of Prosecco to the assembled group, and then, of course, there is that famous tiger who dropped by. Disney cartoons are filled with images of teapots, while tea and love collide in the film Brief Encounter, oh, and let’s not forget, Queen Elizabeth 11 was charmed by a small bear over - yes, tea.

So go with the flow - from a height if you're drinking it in Morocco - and enjoy every small bite. This is absolutely the way to pass an afternoon.