Looking at photos of the Market Hall this morning reminded me of leaving the market with my mother in the Bull Ring and how I was run into by a young man with an enamel can of hot tea. He was in a hurry to get the tea back to a nearby shop. The cans were common on the buses too where the conductors would get off and have the cans filled to be drunk later at the bus terminus or clocking in point.
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Cans of hot tea
- Thread starter Tinpot
- Start date
Yeah forgot about those cans
having flashbacks now
That’s a blast from the past, the white enamel “Billy” can. They were found everywhere, factory’s, steam loco drivers cabs and building sites. I had one as an apprentice and quickly learned the knack of flicking it over my wrist to stir the tea. One guy I knew was giving his can a good spin when the handle came off.
I was working down Fichley Road, Kingstanding and gave mine to the lady at the house to put some hot water in for me. She offered to put the tea too in so gave her my packet of tea, a 1/4 lb box. It seems odd at first when she gave me the billy can back and not the tea, to find she had put the whole packet of tea in the can. You could certainly taste the tea.
I was working down Fichley Road, Kingstanding and gave mine to the lady at the house to put some hot water in for me. She offered to put the tea too in so gave her my packet of tea, a 1/4 lb box. It seems odd at first when she gave me the billy can back and not the tea, to find she had put the whole packet of tea in the can. You could certainly taste the tea.
