[beckercpa]

LONDON (AFP) - Never mind the radiation: British contingency planners worried there would be a dramatic shortage of tea in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, recently declassified documents showed Monday.

The shortfall of the staple British beverage would be "very serious" if the country were to come under attack with atomic and hydrogen bombs, said according to a memo drafted between 1954 and 1956.

"The tea position would be very serious with a loss of 75 percent of stocks and substantial delays in imports and with no system of rationing it would be wrong to consider that even one ounce (28 grams) per head per week could be ensured," it said.

"No satisfactory solution has yet been found."

Another memo, written in April 1955, warned: "The advent of thermo-nuclear weapons ... has presented us with a new and much more difficult set of food defence problems."

The contingency planning documents listed a number of issues for discussion including arrangements to ensure stockpiles of food and the availability of bread, milk, meat, oils and fats, and tea and sugar.

The memos were among a number of documents released by the National Archives. Source

[Fausqueuego]

No stereotyping there then, mind you i do like a nice cup of tea with 2 sugars

[ddxbovMQ]

LOL!

You know there was some tea junkie that brought this scenario to the table.

There's probably still a horde of tea buried somewhere in their yard to this day. No more than a weeks worth of food in the house, though.

[lollypopz]

TBH if someone said id have to give up earl grey just because someone dropped a nuke id be pretty annoyed too.

Got to have a cup to start the day.

[krasniyluch]

coffee > tea

[Bromikka]

coffee > tea

Coke>>>>>>>>>coffee>tea

[thumbup]

[h98hhYxM]

What does earle gray tea taste like?

[Mmccqrtb]

What does earle gray tea taste like?

...crap.

[h98hhYxM]

...crap.

Why? Is it made with your FM forum posts?


ahahaha just kidding.

[Mmccqrtb]

Why? Is it made with your FM forum posts?


ahahaha just kidding.

I just don't like tea. I don't know why anyone would drink that crap. I don't mind a bit of iced tea but the idea of a warm cup of tea and biscuits, ew, it makes me shiver.

[RogHammon]

I just don't like tea. I don't know why anyone would drink that crap. I don't mind a bit of iced tea but the idea of a warm cup of tea and biscuits, ew, it makes me shiver.

and by biscuit you mean cookie, right?...bleh


iced tea is good though.

[Mmccqrtb]

and by biscuit you mean cookie, right?...bleh

Yeah and I meant to add a warm cup of tea with milk. The last time I had to drink this stuff was when I worked as a support at an 'Old Time Music' group. A bunch of slightly senile old folks listening to old music and reminiscing. I had to load the tea with so much sugar it would become barely palatable.

[Paiblyelaxy]

Earl grey tastes like a combination of washing up liquid and perfume!

Absolutely foul stuff.

Definitly an acquired taste!

[prearpaccew]

good old english breakfast tea is where it's at.

[vintsqyuid]

I love me some good ol southern sweet tea. You know the stuff thats got a gallon of sugar and filled with a future of diabetes?

It is good though.