2009 TATS Awards

Bob Hoskins was right when he said ‘it’s good to talk’. And sometimes it’s good to have a moan too. I like a whinge; but, you know, not all the time. Whining is particularly prevalent among expats in my experience… especially when it relates to the UK. I can’t stand unremitting grumbling. I feel quite strongly that if I complain about something I like to balance things up by praising where it’s due too. We quite often forget to do that; we’re happy to gripe but forget to congratulate. It must be done.

Therefore, TeaStains is proud to announce The TATS awards, the TeaStains Award for Tremendous Service. All of the following awards relate to my recent UK trip.

• The woman in Leon (The Strand) for giving me a free cup of tea because I looked like I needed it! (Don’t worry Leon Powers That Be, I also bought a choc tart and your recipe book.)


• Errol – downstairs in the café at Marks & Spencers in Marble Arch.


• The staff in Fat Face Cov Garden, during the ‘your husband is here and we’re transferring him to hospital’ debacle. They found me telephone numbers and checked out the location of the hospital for me and were lovely while I panicked.


• The (cute*) underground man who let me through the non public access way at Oxford Circus because I’d waited for the children so long…


• All the rail men who didn’t bat an eye lid (or laugh out loud in our faces) to Jen and I for being such dozy travellers and who helped us get our travel back on track…


• 02’s lovely techie staff who talked me through (several times) how to get my emails on my UK sim card in my Thai Blackberry …


• The Waterstones near the Hazlitt Theatre man (Ben? also cute*) who gave me the Orange Prize ‘bag for life’ free of charge because they’d run out of cotton bags to buy…

*Small print: can I point out that being cute in no way clouded my judgements. Their cuteness was noted quite separately from their earning a Tremendous Service award.

So have you had any great service lately? To whom would you present a TATS Award?