When I was a youngster in the 1930s I lived in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for five years. Like Geoffrey Richards (letters, March 31), I visited a tea estate and factory, where the processed tea leaves (namely broken orange pekoe) were packed in the ubiquitous plywood tea chests, which, when empty were very much used by furniture removers. The residue (dust), known as fannings, was everywhere. I don’t think it had any further use; we didn’t have tea bags then.
Arrivals by sea at Colombo were made aware of the island’s major export by a huge illuminated sign overlooking the harbour announcing “Ceylon for Good Tea”.
R Styles
Brookfield Rise
Whitley
Melksham