Drinking green tea has allegedly many health benefits but for many traditional tea drinkers in the U.K. that is a bitter sweet positive.

Let's face it if you have tried drinking green tea you will likely already know it can be a bitter drink with an equally bitter after taste.

But these days there are many green tea options.

This woman likes Tetley decaffeinated, not sure how that works, green tea with honey. It is packed in convenient tea bags perfect for work and home.

Pop a couple of the bags into your work or travel bag and all you need is hot water and a mug or cup.

They do not need sweetener or sugar adding unless you have a very sweet tooth. Making a cup of it for a hard working NHS junior doctor pre-retirement I was surprised that he wanted a couple of spoons of sugar adding. But he was an Asian doctor used to drinking hot sweet milk free tea.

The latest good buy green tea bag is by Heath and Heather retailing at £1.49 for 20 bags from Aldi.

Looking online Holland and Barrett have the same product retailing at £2.49 for 20 bags. At time of writing though they are on offer as a "buy one get one half price deal."

So not cheap either way.

This woman opted for the organic green tea and Moroccan mint variety. Packed in a pretty floral box as soon as the outer cellophane was broken a rush of mint filled the air. The bags are individually wrapped so that gives you an idea of the strength of the mint.

The aroma as you make the drink is strong mint almost spearmint.

But unlike so many herbal tea bags the mint flavour translates into the drink.

For this woman is was a nice relaxing and refreshing cuppa, no sweetener needed. To be fair she does not take sugar in tea normally

The Benefits of drinking green tea

Drinking green tea can reportedly aid weight loss and help reduce blood pressure. There are also claims it can help reduce cholesterol, control diabetes and improve heart health.

​Note: Possible side-effects

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/superfoods/Pages/is-green-tea-a-superfood.aspx

Op-ed: The unelected House of Lords is back in the spotlight.

As they debated the triggering of Article 50 Monday unelected PM Theresa May took the unprecedented step to sit on the sidelines in a somewhat intimidating way.

The Lords is also in the news as a fly-on-the-wall documentary airs on BBC.

With one Lady already confirming what most of us suspected, that some Lords and Ladies claim their £300 a day for doing basically sod all, does the House of Lords represent value for money?

Is it even fit for purpose?

Take a look at our earlier report from late 2014:

"Times are tough in the UK, at least for we plebs.

Most people balance a fine financial line which could snap at any time.

Homelessness, use of food banks, poverty in general, fuel poverty and the rich poor divide are increasing.

But fear not, as David Cameron and his ministers would say, we are all in this together.

If you still believe that blatant lie consider news reports that the House of Lords, often called the best club in London, refused a budget cut as it would mean cheaper Champagne. The story dates back a couple of years but is only now making headline news. The gist of it is still pertinent.

Lords and Ladies of the House, and I use those terms very loosely, are provided with £260,000 worth of Champagne each year. These 'people' are against a budget cut not as it will stop the free flow of Champagne but because it might mean they have to endure a cheaper version!

Their arrogance is unbelievable. But in recent days we have experienced a fair few 'Let them eat cake' moments in the UK which suggest too many politicians, elected or not, are completely out of touch with the real world; a world they shape and expect others to play along with.

• Firstly there was the House of Lords hitting headlines following revelations that previously convicted Tory peer Lord Hanningfield claimed a £300 a day allowance for days he merely showed up, briefly
  
• Tory MP Stephen Dorrell was accused of a blatant conflict of interest but the PM still to act on that one.
• Tory Andrew Mitchell lost his PlebGate libel appeal but even the judge showed a touch or arrogance when he hinted the police officer involved was likely not bright enough to make up such a story, involving the word Pleb.
• Then there was the Sun publishing pictures of Nigel Mills, [Conservative Amber Valley MP, elected in 2010] playing the hit online game Candy Crush Saga during a meeting of the works and pensions committee, of which he is a member - Tory MP plays Candy Crush during DWP committee meeting.
• Also this week Conservative peer Baroness Jenkin of Kennington said "poor people don't know how to cook" at a press conference. The arrogant peer was speaking in Westminster as results of a parliamentary inquiry into the use of and increased need for foodbanks in the UK were released - Poor people cannot cook Tory Peer apologises.

​There have been too many tales of Tory MPs asking cash for access or abusing the parliamentary system.

Perhaps ChampagneGate will be the final straw for the general public.

Read details of the Lords abuse of the system at the Mirror. A portion is copied below:

The First Born is a popular art work on regular display at the Ferens Art Gallery Hull. It is not however universally popular as some dismiss it as "chocolate box" art.

But is is a skilful work of art whether you like the subject matter or not.

It was painted by Fred Elwell a semi-local artist.

Fred Elwell

Fred Elwell was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1870 and died in 1958. If you search the Internet for him you will find that information is fairly scarce. However, in my city Kingston-upon-Hull his is a fairly well-known name.

Fred attended evening art classes, before winning a scholarship to the Lincoln School of Art in 1887. He was a successful student and won many awards. Although he experimented with modern influences he opted for the traditional style of painting which was currently popular.

Fred travelled abroad painting in Antwerp and Paris and had plans to move to London and make the capital his home. However, this was not to be. Financial constraints and poor health saw him return to Beverley.

There is little doubt that if circumstances had been different his name would have been more widely known.
In 1914 Fred married Mary Dawson, a local widow, who was also an established, local artist. With an improved financial position Fred and Mary travelled extensively and Fred became a full member of the Royal Academy in 1938.

Ultimately Fred believed that :-
"painting is 90 per cent perspiration and 10 per cent inspiration" and regarded modern art movements as "misguided attempts at being different ".

A traditional artist, many of Fred's paintings are disliked by modern artists and dismissed as chocolate box, sentimental and chintzy. There is no denying though that Fred was an exceptional artist and his work is charming and well as professional.

One of his most famous paintings locally is "The first born" which is part of the Ferens Art Gallery's vast collection. The painting shows a young husband sitting on the bed of his wife as she holds their newly born first child. It is sweet and very much of the time.

There are works of art by Fred Elwell on display at galleries around the country including in Beverley and Bristol.

Beverley, East Yorkshire is quite rightly proud of Fred Elwell and his local links.

For 2009 a Fred Elwell trail was created organised. It meant that some of Fred's paintings were hung in prominent positions around Beverley; places significant to each piece of work.
​
Most of Fred's paintings incorporated areas and settings in and around Beverley.

Beverley still has a quaintness, retaining much of its old world charm, despite having modern shops and roads.

Ferens Art Gallery

The Ferens is located in Victoria Square in the centre of Kingston-Upon-Hull and is free to visit. It is owned, run and maintained by the local council.

The gallery has permanent collections on display which include works of art by Canaletto and Frans Hals as well as modern works and temporary displays.

The gallery's gift shop sells greetings cards and posters of The First Born and more.

​Beverley

Beverley is around 7 miles outside of Kingston-Upon-Hull in East Yorkshire, England. It is a small market town which is very pretty. Within a short distance there are the Yorkshire wolds, York, Harrogate and the coast.

Beverley has a through train station with links around the country and a good bus service. As a base for exploring East Yorkshire it would be a perfect.

Beverley though small has a racecourse with a good programme of events. There is a large market held every Saturday and a smaller Wednesday market.

The Westwood, a short walk from the centre of Beverley, is a great place to picnic or just stretch your legs. Beverley has a good selection of shops, restaurants and cafes. Good antiquarian book stores and antique shops are dotted around.

​Beverley has a Minster and the historic St Marys Church which are also worth a visit.

​Fred Elwell
Hull Museums
http://www.museums.eastriding.gov.uk/treasure-house-and-beverley-art-gallery/collections/the-elwells/
http://fredelwell.org/

Op-ed: So Mr and Mrs Trump are together in Florida.

Reunited at last.

The First Lady Melania Trump has not joined her husband in the White House following his inauguration, breaking with tradition.

So an unconventional couple and an unconventional POTUS and First Lady.

Whether that is in a good or bad way is up to you.

But the media have been questioning "where's Melania" and this old long time married woman picked up on one thing.

When Melania and Donald finally caught up with each other in Florida there was a photo opp and it was used for maximum publicity.

It was staged and showy with Melania playing the trophy wife to perfection.

But it did not show a traditional or conventional happy couple reuniting.

Pres. Trump, so often the big showman, has appeared slightly tamed at least vocally since his inauguration.

Except for on Twitter that is.

He appears to have undergone a slight makeover.

But body language can be a giveaway.

The way Trump pats Melania's hand when they meet looks odd.

Is he thanking her for joining him? Did she have to be persuaded? Is he a bully? Or was it simply reassurance as both of them settle into their new roles?

Mr Trump has been married three times.

Is marriage number three going through a wobbly period?

Time will tell.

​The Obama's faced questions about their marriage in the media which appear to have been purely malicious.

Related
​http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/donald-trump-president-body-language-9225180

If there is one sure fire way to create a shortage it is to declare a shortage.

This time it is some fresh produce which is imported into the UK from countries like Spain. These countries have experienced unusually cold weather this winter and it has hit crops hard.

​But let's get real folks.

UK shops and supermarkets carry a huge range of groceries.

This woman can remember when there was little choice. There were a couple of brands of soap powder, tinned goods, minimal vegetable choice and the like.

We have become used however in the 21st century to being able to buy any product at any time of year and that includes salad and summer fruits like strawberries in winter.

But in 2017 if one item is unavailable there is bound to be a replacement on offer.

Once a shortage is announced though it snowballs rapidly as people stock pile; that may not be so easy thankfully this time.

The twitter image above shows the old jungle drums are working overtime to spread the news. In 2017 social media will add to shortage woes.

Rationing in supermarkets adds to panic buying.

Previous shortages

People who lived through the war years know all about proper food shortages and rationing.

This woman has experienced first hand at least three food shortages:

• ​potato
• bread
• sugar

The potato shortage probably would not be such a big deal these days. There are so many alternatives such as rice and pasta. When I experienced a potato shortage decades ago I refused to pay inflated prices for any that were available. I looked for other options and discovered a whole new range of replacement foods.

The bread shortage almost passed us by. We are hit and miss bread eaters sometimes consuming very little. We found we could get by and use crackers, rice cakes and crispbreads when necessary

The sugar shortage was great. I quit taking sugar on cereal and in tea and my taste buds were soon re-tuned. To this day I only take sugar in coffee and then prefer to opt for a sweetener.

And those three shortages were great for the hips!

But all three resulted in sky high supermarket prices that some people just paid.

Definition of a food shortage?

​"Food shortage may refer to: Famine, a general and persistent shortage of food. Economic shortage specific to food (not necessarily long term or leading to starvation, but not filling demand for speed, quantity, or type of edible goods)."

Don't be a sucker

You can opt to chase around to buy stocks available, you can pay inflated prices or you can simply adapt.

This woman knows what she will be doing!

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