Storm in a tea shop goes worldwide

9:31pm Thursday 9th August 2007

Comments (24)   Have your say »

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."