One of the most recent offerings from the British Library women writers series is Tea is so Intoxicating by Mary Essex. If you have ever dreamed of leaving the rat race and opening a little tea shop somewhere then this novel could serve as a good reminder that these things are rarely as easy or straightforward as we may imagine. While I have never wanted to run off and open my own tea shop, I am rather fond of visiting them – and so with my fondness for novels set around this time period, this novel was right on brand for me.
Mary Essex is one of several pseudonyms used by writer Ursula Bloom – who under her various pennames wrote over five hundred novels. Those that she wrote as Mary Essex apparently more humorous and less conventionally romantic than many of her other novels. Mary Essex’s tone is deliciously humorous, she shows us her characters in all their absurdities – and doesn’t give us a neat, conventional ending. As in life – not everything is tidied up. Some marvellously colourful and well-drawn characters too make this novel a joy to spend time with.
Commander David Tompkins and his wife Germayne went to live in the village of Wellhurst before the war when they first set up home together. Now the war is over and David along with the rest of the country is ready to improve their fortunes and look to the future.
“I shall turn this into a tea-house, with lunches if requested, and shall serve pleasant meals in the orchard,” announced David, “and with my penchant for cooking I ought to make a fortune.”
“Oh dear!” said Germayne.
David and Germayne met while she was married to someone else, she had become a bit bored with Digby – and began a relationship with David. She also had a young daughter Ducks – who we are given to understand is a right little madam. Germayne leaves Digby and Ducks and sets up home with David – eventually they marry. Now after several years together and the war a couple of years behind them – David has discovered the delights of cooking. Unfortunately, he’s not very good at it – but tends to think he is. He previously worked for the Dolly Varden Cosy Tea Shops company – who provided cheap and cheerful teas for the masses. David was not involved in catering – he worked in accounts, still he persists in believing this experience will be invaluable.
The villagers of Wellhurst are not all very keen on the idea of David’s tea garden – Mr and Mrs Perch at the Dolphin are certainly a bit ruffled – as they serve a few teas in their small garden. David is less than tactful when he explains that he won’t be in direct competition with them.
“there was no question of competition at all, because he was catering only for the better-class-tea-seeker, his Cherry Tree Cot would appeal only to the more sensitive with its fine china, delicate sandwiches, and home-made cakes.”
Starting to realise perhaps, that some of the catering for his beloved tea garden might just be a bit beyond him, David employs Mimi as a cake cook. Mimi is from Vienna originally – and has quite the talent for fluttering her eyelashes at men to get what she wants – she particularly likes lots of sympathy and attention. Women are not so taken in of course, but Mimi’s presence has already impressed itself upon several local males, and irritated Germayne who can’t help but notice that in David’s eyes she can do no wrong.
Mrs Arbroath at the big house rules the village and also believes she can bend the local clergy and the doctor to her will. She dislikes the social changes that have come with the end of the war – and looks back to the world of her youth with affection. She particularly dislikes the idea of David’s teas, dreading an influx of visitors – and sets out valiantly to turn the village against the Tompkins.
While David becomes ever more obsessed with his arrangements not to mention his shaky financial projections that herald great success – Germayne harried to pieces with everything that is going on, gets ever more worn out. Then, just to add more complications, and with the Tompkins marriage clearly under severe strain, Germayne’s daughter (now sixteen) and her first husband Digby turn up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel – and I also liked the unconventional nature of the ending – I would love to discuss this further – but really can’t give away any spoilers. However, I wondered whether something of Mary Essex’s (Ursula Bloom) own attitudes can be glimpsed in the way she settles things for some characters and not others.
Another lovely re-issue from the British Library – and I am very invested in this series which really could have been made for me.
Yay, really glad you liked this one! I was a bit nervous about choosing it for the series, because it’s definitely lighter than some of the others, but reading it makes me really happy. And it seems to be going down well with others too!
I definitely needed something lighter, so this was perfect with its humorous tone and quirky characters.
This sounds wonderfully entertaining. I’m left feeling very curious about that ending and my mind’s boggling at the prospect of over five hundred novels!
It was definitely entertaining. I know 500! It’s an astonishing output.
This sounds joyous! I have dreamt of running away and opening a tea shop, so I should probably read this to dissuade me of the fantasy 🙂
Ha ha, I know so many people who would have the same fantasy. However, I hate cooking and washing up, so I would much rather just visit them. It was a delightful read.
Oh, this sounds like great fun! I’ll have to read it soon so we can talk about the ending! I could do with something a bit lighter when I get to the end of the current read (600 pages….)
Ha ha, glad to peak your interest. My gosh 600 pages, thank goodness it’s half term.
Absolutely love the sound of this, which is just as well as I have a copy to read. Hooray! I wasn’t aware that Essex was in fact a pen name for Ursula Bloom – not a writer I have read as far as I know, but I do recall seeing her name before. The idea of running away to open a tea shop seems rather appealing to me, but it’s almost certainly much harder work than it sounds! Lovely review as ever, Ali. You do make this sound very enjoyable indeed…
Ooh I look forward to hearing what you think. There’s something about a lovely tea shop in a village that makes it look like a nice life.
This sounds like fun. I’m glad I have this one on my TBR shelf.
It is a good one, hope you enjoy it.
Just found the book! Thanks for the introduction!
Oh that’s good, really hope you enjoy it.
When is tea involved, there is happiness and enjoyment!!! Just like reading one of your deliciously informative posts!
Another one I have that’s calling to me. I shall have to answer that call soon!
Oh good, I hope you enjoy it too.
I have a copy now so saving this until I’ve read it!
I hope you enjoy it. 😊
Five. Hundred. Sheesh. At first I was reminded of Angelica Deverell in Elizabeth Taylor’s Angel, but I don’t think even she wrote that many! I’ve been meaning to ask this about this series (which sounds/looks wonderful)…are those cutouts on the covers (like 1980s paperbacks) or does it just look like they are?
They aren’t actually cut outs, but it does look like that from a distance. Definitely a series I have come to love already.
I somehow managed to forget to come back and read your review of this, having read it before Christmas and reviewed afterwards. I really enjoyed its quirkiness and never being sure who the actual hero/heroine was!
Yes the quirky storytelling is good, and I enjoyed the various village characters. Glad you liked it too.