3 is for...Cup of Tea
Here at Littlewoods Bingo we’re unravelling the mysteries of all the bingo calls from 1 right the way through to 90. We’ve only made it to number 3 so far so keep checking back with the Littlewoods Bingo Community to find out the truth behind each and every bingo call.
The Bingo call for the number 3 is Cup of Tea. As we all know, many bingo calls have come into being simply because they rhyme and despite our digging we can’t find any other reason for the association between 3 and Cup of Tea than the simple fact that they rhyme. For that reason, bingo fans, we’re providing you with an insight into how our glorious cuppa came into being and travelled from China all the way to our kitchens here in the UK.
Tea began to be imported into the UK in the 1600’s from China and it was originally intended to be drunk for medicinal purposes. By the end of the 1600’s, tea was seen as a drink only for the wealthy but within 50 years it because the national drink. For those of you who enjoy a sugary cup of tea, that love for sweet tea stems from the fact that just as the importation of tea increased rapidly in the 1700’s, so too did the importation of cane sugar from Africa and the West Indies. During the 1700’s tea was expensive and heavily taxed which led to huge illegal importation of tea! The amount of tea legally imported was around 5 million lbs in comparison to 7 million lbs were illegally imported annually! By 1784 the government realised the heavy taxation was causing serious issues and significantly reduced tax on tea, making it more readily available to the masses.
Tea became a fundamental part of British trading and has become a symbol of what it means to be British. During the First World War, the government took over the importation of tea to ensure that British people could still have their vitally important cuppa during the time of crisis.
Dunking a teabag in hot water only began in the 1970’s after the tea bag was invented in America some decades previously. Here at Littlewoods Bingo, we’ve realised how lot we’d be without the humble teabag and let’s face it, the pyramid shaped ones rule!
So there you have it, the origins of the humble, delicious cuppa. Without it, we’d be without a bingo call for the number 3! As they say, 3 is the Magic Number!
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