Helen and Irene’s story is the second response that I received from the invitation that I sent out with my Christmas newsletter, to be a Guest Tea Towel 2020. I was really excited when my Christmas card arrived with this story and the photograph. I then tried to work out whether Helen was my cousin, second cousin or first cousin once removed (or something else). I can never remember how to work this out. It’s one of those things, when you ‘crack it’ it’s obvious but two minutes later your understanding has disappeared. Maybe it doesn’t matter; we are from the same blood line, just not sure whereabouts on the Family Tree. Helen and I have met up on a number of occasions, usually at funerals but we send each other Christmas cards every year, without fail. We’re also good at updating our address books, since we have both moved around over the years. Helen and Irene (individually or together) seemed like good people to invite to take up the challenge. Here is their response:
“We have enclosed a photograph of one of our tea towels. It is our favourite because it shows how to use left-over food, rather than putting in it in the waste bin! We hate waste.”
I love a tea towel that provides information; they are always in use so you can be regularly reminded of what to do. Good for Oxfordshire County Council producing such a tea towel, following the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) who launched the LoveFoodHateWaste programme. Thanks to Helen and Irene for their story and a very interesting tea towel.
Update: Tea towels open up history that is long forgotten. I can now confirm that Helen is my first cousin once removed (always good to know) and in that process have found out family history, not to be shared in Guest Tea Towels!
Virtual Tea Towel Museum 
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