Check this, measure that, don't slurp - and enjoy...
The debate over whether you should pour the milk or the tea first has at last been solved. Dr Andrew Stapley of Loughborough University has demonstrated that it's better to pour the tea on top of the milk to avoid "denaturation" of milk proteins.
The university research dictated that the perfect cup of tea required freshly boiled water that had not been previously boiled, soft water and 2g (a teaspoon) of tea per cup. The tea should then brew for three to four minutes (depending on the tea) and fresh chilled milk should be poured into the cup before the tea.
The perfect temperature to drink your tea at is 60-65°C "to avoid vulgar slurping", advised the doctor.
...or you could just whack a fruit tea bag into a mug
Britons might now know how to make the perfect cup of tea, but the popularity of the nation's traditional favourite drink is being threatened by the herbal and fruit variety.
Britain is second only to Turkey in tea consumption, but sales have fallen from 127,000 tonnes of tea bags in 1997 to 114,000 tonnes in 2002. Meanwhile, sales of fruit and herbal teas rose by almost 50%, according to Datamonitor.
Apparently, herbal teas are no longer considered fit only for "New Age puritans", but now have "mainstream credibility as a healthier alternative to tea and coffee".
According to Datamonitor consumer analyst John Band, a fruit tea drinker is perceived as "stable, modern and with it".
Hotel offers a taste of the great outdoors... indoors
The official press launch of the soon-to-open Grove Manor House hotel in Chandler's Cross, Hertfordshire, was a treat for nature and horticulture lovers.
Guests were treated to turfed floors (even in the loos), while potted trees blew vigorously in a wind provided by well-positioned fans.
Avoiding the blowing branches, you might have spotted adventurous guests frolicking in the four-poster bed so generously provided by managing director Michael J O'Dwyer.
The 227-bedroom hotel is due to open in September after seven years of preparation.
Bosie's descendant picks arresting venue for show
The Cadogan hotel in London, where Oscar Wilde was famously arrested, is the venue for a show by the great-great-nephew of Bosie, Wilde's lover.
Viscount Drumlanrig, heir to the current Marquis of Queensberry, is exhibiting his miniature paintings at the hotel. Wilde's grandson, Merlin Holland, is expected to attend the show, which was opened last month by Michael Portillo.
Self-service at the UN café... while stocks last
When workers in UN cafés in India went on strike recently to protest at the non-payment of wages owed to them, customers, including diplomats and UN staff, helped themselves to food. Some even stocked up for future meals in their well-furnished rooms. Presumably they thought it was perfectly all right to help themselves as there was no one around to serve them.