WOULD you like a cup of tea? This has to be the most wonderful question ever uttered by humankind.

It is on a par with sentences such as ‘So, I’ll leave you alone then’, and ‘I’ve already taken the bins out’.

This week my daughter asked me if I wanted a cup of tea.

Having learned how to make a cup of tea, she is keen to practise the art over, and over, again.

So, it began. I was asked if I wanted a cup of tea in the morning, and then again during the evening. And then again, later in the evening.

The novelty still hasn’t worn off. In fact, things have moved on.

She now asks ‘Would you like some biscuits with that?’ or ‘some toast’.

She managed to top it all off with the ‘Would you mind some croissants?’ question.

Now, with great power comes great responsibility. It would be quite easy to take advantage of this politeness.

But one should be glad to be waited on, rather than having to serve, for a change.

When I was a young lad, I was pretty good at frying an egg. It was a skill I mastered early on. After a few months I smirked at those sad souls who couldn’t keep the yellow bit intact.

It wasn’t until I managed to add baked beans to the equation that I was taken seriously by my older brothers and sisters.

Being the youngest of six, this was a big deal for me.

My skills came into real use during the holidays.

I remember I managed to cook a hell of a lot of eggs on toast during one especially bitter Christmas holidays.

It wasn’t until later I realised I may have been doing things that no-one else wanted.

Being the vengeful person I am, I decided not to cook unless forced to.

So, the moral of the story is..

When you are asked if you would like a cup of tea, make sure you return the favour every so often. Festive advice a fortnight early.