Embrace the café culture By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk There might be a few people who exclaim, ‘not another coffee shop!’ when a new one appears in our local towns, but the vast majority of local people welcome them. And they are proving it with people of all ages patronising them on a regular basis. In fact, on one Saturday morning in Wimborne, my friend and I had to go into several before we found a spare table – and then it was the last one. You have to look back to 16th century Turkey to find the origin of the culture of coffeehouses. The first coffee house in England was established in 1650 in Oxford and would become known as a penny university, the price of a coffee at that time being one penny. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, coffeehouses in London became popular meeting places for artists, writers, and socialites, as well as centres for political and commercial activity.
And if you’re planning a holiday to Albania, you would find that has surpassed Spain as the country with the most coffeehouses per capita in the world! Not only does café culture cement friendships, it encourages people to get out and about, which is so important in our long winter months. A number of organisations have realised that setting up a regular date in a local café enables people who would otherwise be lonely to meet up with like minded people. See article on Chitter Chatter Club on page 32. Sociability is one of the keys to reducing your risk of dementia, and where better to have a good old natter than over a cup of coffee or tea, and/or a light lunch or a cake. And if you haven’t yet found the pleasure involved in meeting friends for refreshments, what are you waiting for?
Competition to win coffee and cake for two With the growing coffee culture and socialisation over a cuppa, wouldn’t it be nice to meet up with a friend and enjoy a coffee and cake each for free! Pulford Publicity is running a competition for one person to win coffee, or tea, with a piece of cake for two. For your chance to win this sociable prize courtesy of Pulford Publicity at the coffee outlet of your choice from those advertising on this page, answer the following question:
Where was the first coffee house in England established? When you send in your answer, remember to say which coffee house you would like to visit. It must be one advertising on this page. Good luck! Enter online at www.dorsetview.co.uk or send your answer to the address on page three of this magazine. Closing date is 14 March 2024. The first correct answer drawn will be the winner. Employees of Pulford Publicity Ltd are not permitted to enter. There is no cash alternative. The coffee and cake voucher will have to be spent within three months of being awarded. The winner must state where they wish to spend their coffee and cake voucher or their entry will be invalid. The editor’s decision is final. Personal details will be stored securely and will only be processed to determine the winner of the competition. The winner will be announced in the magazine and their name and phone number/email address will be passed to their chosen business for the purposes of allocating the voucher.
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DORSET VIEW February 2024
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