When I was a kid growing up on a farm, Christmas carols, concerts, dances, and farmer meetings were all held in the hall of our two-room school. The Country Women’s Association managed all social events and, at the end of the evening, a supper was served. The star of those suppers was Mrs Parnell’s light as air cream sponge.

In the 1950s, women’s fashion was all about being demure, tasteful and feminine. Colour co-ordination was paramount; matching shoes, handbags, and hats. White gloves for special occasions and church. Stockings held up by suspender belts. Pierced ears were condemned as ‘cheap’, as was too much eye-makeup. There were a lot of rules.

When I was a kid, the phrase "There's tea in the pot" was commonly heard, meaning that tea had recently been made and kept warm by a hand-knitted tea cosy, ready for anyone who was parched. There always seemed to be a pot on the go, and tea was part of the daily rhythm of life.

The Sixties is often referred to as the "golden age" of counterculture, characterised by hippie and ‘mod’ fashions, free love, and psychedelic music. But was it really as fun as they say or is it just a myth perpetuated by the baby boomer generation?

Tea ladies were important members of office culture from the early 20th century. They were a source of comfort, cheer providing steaming cups of tea and biscuits, to office and factory workers. But who were these tea ladies and how did they come to be a part of our workday routines?