Tea but not much sympathy at the Palace

WHAT KATI DID NEXT: I found myself in Manchester city centre today.

I was parched and I had a meeting with someone, so I went into The Palace Hotel where I was seated on a very modern cream leather sofa by an extremely attractive waitress and ordered a pot of tea.

A simple pot of tea, nothing more nothing less.

The extremely attractive waitress brought said pot of tea, milk jug and cup and saucer over to me and I, foolishly, handed her a largish (£10) monetary note without looking at the bill, which she had so attractively sandwiched between a very well designed card envelope with The Palace Hotel emblazoned across the front in gold.

I popped said monetary note inside attractive card envelope and handed it back to her, with the air of a very rich somebody and busied myself with the task of pouring said tea and milk into said cup and saucer.

Sipping on this warm, not searingly hot as it should be, beverage, my extrememly attractive waitress passed me a silver platter on which was laid my change . . . £6.50’s worth.

One five pound note, a pound coin and a 50 pence piece. Let me repeat, one five pound note, a pound coin and a 50 pence piece.

As she sashayed away, I dragged my chin off the floor and hurriedly searched for the receipt . . . £3.50, my cup of tea cost me.

Three of my hard earned pounds and then to top it all off, another 50 pence.

I nearly wept. No I won’t lie and I am pregnant, so I actually cried real tears.

“What the Dickens,” I felt like screaming, “What the Dickens is this? This tea is warmish, smallish and not that nice.

“Can somebody tell me what is in this watery concoction that makes it worth £3.50.”

I didn’t though. Do you know what I did? I supped my warm tea quietly, had my meeting and left.

I felt ashamed and yet totally, uncompromisingly British.

As I walked up Oxford Road, I passed McDonalds, or at least I thought I had.

Packed full of modern furniture in shades of jade and plum.

Where’s the red and gold? Jade and plum? £3.50 for tea? Has the world gone mad? Or is it just me?