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Storm in a tea shop goes worldwide
9:31pm Thursday 9th August 2007
Comments (24)A tea shop owner's Victorian-era code of etiquette has gone global after an article on his strict rules was published in The Argus.
On Tuesday we reported that David Daly, who runs the Tea Cosy Rooms in Southover Street, Brighton, asks customers to leave his premises if they stray from the strict rules which include not putting your elbows on the table, not insulting the Queen, never handling sugar cubes and not sipping from teaspoons.
But many of the people who may have forgotten how to mind their manners are receiving a stark reminder after Mr Daly's tearoom gained global notoriety.
Since Tuesday's story, Mr Daly has appeared on BBC South Today and in several national newspapers including the Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Times.
He has also appeared in the Evening Standard and the Metro and will be on Meridian next week teaching people how to mind their Ps and Qs.
Radio interviews have included speaking to Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans and teaching him how to use a cup and saucer properly, as well as stints on local radio stations.
Mr Daly has also landed a regular Saturday slot on Gaydar Radio as Mr Manners as well as making international headlines in Australia and Italy.
He said: "It's still continuing today. Yesterday we had more than 100,000 people on our website and it crashed so we had to move over to a new server.
"Lots of people have been emailing us from all over the world saying it's fantastic that we are teaching people manners and that people should have more rules.
"I am self taught in etiquette and we had to research it big time. It was quite a struggle to hold a cup and saucer properly at first. Now I know how to hold a cup and saucer very well and I make sure everyone else can."
Next week Mr Daly will film a piece for the Richard and Judy show on Channel 4 and he says the offers to do radio and television pieces are steadily rolling in.
However, customers will not be able to enjoy the Tea Cosy from August 15 to September 1 as it will be closed as a mark of respect to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Princess Diana.
Mr Daly said: "We usually close for a month but this year because things have been so hectic it's only for two weeks.
"People have been recognising me in the street saying, 'Oh my god, it's the man with the manners'.
"We are thinking about starting up etiquette classes in the evening because a lot of people bring their children here to teach them how to sit at a table - although some of the adults are worse than the children.
"The past few days have been amazing and it's all thanks to The Argus."
Your Say YourThe Argus
bill, BN0 says...
10:10pm Thu 9 Aug 07
Julia, brighton says...
10:12pm Thu 9 Aug 07
teaqueen, hove says...
10:14pm Thu 9 Aug 07
Fred, USA says...
10:20pm Thu 9 Aug 07
Sean Catskills, preston park says...
12:31am Fri 10 Aug 07
"People have been recognising me in the street saying, 'Oh my god, it's the man with the manners'.
Hmmm - more like "oh my god its the bloke with the massively pretentious valueless view"
sandra, worthing says...
1:03am Fri 10 Aug 07
chris, hanover says...
1:20am Fri 10 Aug 07
Sue, Hove says...
5:58am Fri 10 Aug 07
Surely good manners should be part of every age. It is not cool to behave badly - english children are the worst behaved in the world. It is wonderful to be in a polite situatiuon with no mobile phones and inane conversations.
Bring back manners on the pavement as well please. I am fed up of having to move out of the way for everybody because no one is looking where they are walking.
Instead of saying it is a Victorian era - make Brighton the city of respect and good manners. It would make the place a better place to live.
Kit Napier, Hove says...
7:21am Fri 10 Aug 07
P.S. would there be enogh parking spaces for the 4 x 4s
Nick, Hove says...
9:14am Fri 10 Aug 07
liz, brighton says...
9:52am Fri 10 Aug 07
Someone to, lean says...
10:30am Fri 10 Aug 07
Paul, Brighton Seafront says...
10:35am Fri 10 Aug 07
My prep school taught me to always open doors for people, always be polite and show levels of respect. If you show some repsect, then you are more likely to be respected yourself.
I will neevr forget Sid Snell (my old Headmaster) telling me to value the 3 C's. Care, courtesy and commitment.
Well done to David Daly and the Tea Cosy.
mark, brighton/hove says...
11:25am Fri 10 Aug 07
Mac, N.B. Canada says...
11:52am Fri 10 Aug 07
sal, hove says...
1:01pm Fri 10 Aug 07
j, brighton says...
4:15pm Fri 10 Aug 07
Marij Sak., West Midlands says...
5:35pm Fri 10 Aug 07
"Living in what became of post-war England came as a shock to me. Nobody, young or old, defers in that way to anyone.
Instead hostile eye contact signals a wish to walk in front of people who are in their way."
Speak for yourself! I am always polite, I say sorry and excuse me when passing people, or having to go between people stopped to have a conversation, and most of the people I mix with, both locally and in London, have the same standards. Please try not to generalise. And maybe, if you treat people as you would like to be treated, you'll find it pays dividends. I do.
simon, hove says...
6:36pm Fri 10 Aug 07
june, Hove says...
10:44pm Fri 10 Aug 07
tim patrick, Burgess hill says...
12:27am Sat 11 Aug 07
Nick wrote:Shouldn't that be 'are' appauling? tut tut!
He may be hot on Etiquette, but the grammar and spelling on his website is appalling. Big let down!
stephen, hove says...
10:09am Sat 11 Aug 07
Mr Indigo wrote:very informative my indego. no reasons why or further comments. I give up on this world. people just cant help but be nasty about other people who are doing well. best of luck to them is what i say
Daly is an arse.
me, says...
10:50am Sat 11 Aug 07
David Daly outside his Tea Cosy Rooms
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Valerie Paynter, Hove says...
10:05pm Thu 9 Aug 07
The English enjoyed a reputation for speaking well, behaving well, making things well and taking pride in all that.
As a child I was taught always to walk behind someone I wanted to pass, amongst other things.
Living in what became of post-war England came as a shock to me. Nobody, young or old, defers in that way to anyone.
Instead hostile eye contact signals a wish to walk in front of people who are in their way.
This is a huge change in the mindset of the English. And it is ugly.
I salute you Mr. Daly. Enough is enough and it is time people stopped hating each other so much. For bad manners IS hateful and full of hate as practised in public now.
We make life as hard for one another as we possibly can in some spurious, misguided attempt at exercising and feeling power.
On the receiving end you feel so awful. We all need to relearn the 'why' of manners. It is so everyone can feel as comfortable as possible.
It is about well-oiled machinery functioning smoothly.
Go on! Next time you eyeball someone, soften that gaze, smile and instead of demanding right of way, acknowledge you are disturbing someone and either walk down another aisle in the shop or walk behind the person you are disturbing.
It won't hurt. Promise.