Teasmade

A teasmade is a machine for making tea automatically, which was once common in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries.

Teasmades generally include an analogue alarm clock and are designed to be used at the bedside, to ensure tea is ready first thing in the morning.

[3] On 19 September 1891, Charles Maynard Walker of Dulwich published details of an "Early Riser's Friend" in Work magazine.

On 2 May 1932, George Absolom submitted an application for a patent on his invention, an electric automatic tea maker.

He applied for a Registered Design using the name Teesmade, but this was not accepted by the Patent Office on the grounds that the unit was not made on the River Tees and that this might confuse the public.

[citation needed] Although the name could not be formally protected, from 1932 Absolom continued to trade as Teesmade Co. Goblin were in no position to object, as the name had the indisputable advantage of prior use.

[6] Brenner subsequently sold the patent (414,088 1934) to the British Vacuum Cleaner and Engineering Co. Ltd. who marketed it under the Goblin Teasmade name.

In the 1986 Art of Noise single "Paranoimia," an insomniac Max Headroom hears an off-screen ringing sound and wonders if it's his Teasmade, but ultimately ignores it because he "can't stand tea".

In the episode of the British sitcom Mr Bean titled "The Trouble With Mr Bean", the title character, played by Rowan Atkinson, uses a 'Heath Robinson' style adapted teasmade to wake himself up out of bed by piping the boiling water onto his toes.

In Season 3, Episode 2 of ITV series Endeavour (2016), a Goblin Teasmade figures prominently as the source of an explosion which kills a person.