CONSIDER your own workplace situation for a moment if you will.

Are your beverages served up in inadequate plastic cups which are too hot to handle?

Perhaps you have a kitchen whose cupboards are brimming with an eclectic mixture of mugs with deeply ingrained stains, with chips and cracks abundant.

If either situation strikes a chord then it must be time to invest in your very own, `make no mistakes, don't anyone else use it', workplace drinking vessel.

We have scoured the shops relentlessly to bring you a collection of cups that you'll be proud to take tea in;


Morning Message - Chalk Cup - é4.99 from www.iwantoneofthose.com

If you are ever "getting them in" at work you could well use a book of mini post-it pads to remember who has what and with how many - this is a much more practical solution.

And it, of course, means that you'll always get the right drink and not someone's sickly milk and six sugars mixture.

Thirsty Work - Half Pint Mug - é9.95 from www.firebox.com

Shaped like a pint glass with an ingenious twin wall design serving two important purposes.

On the one hand it keeps your drinks warm and keeps the outside cool and the bonus is that it is in a recognisable form which most of our hands are used to.

A Mugs game - Despair Pessimists Mug - é9.95

The honesty of this mug is heart-warming - if you are sick to the back teeth of all this "positive thinking" and need to know that your occasional pessimism is totally acceptable then take your tea in this.

Lighten the Load - Dunker Mug - é12.49 from www.thedoghouse.co.uk

You will never know how much you have needed one of these mugs in your life until you've spent a week together.

The compartment underneath acts as your "dunker depot" and has the added benefit of saving on the washing up.

Keep an eye on this one though we think it may well have mass appeal.

Take your Pick - Selector Mug - é13.94 from www.thedoghouse.co.uk

Using the moveable stainless steel rings this mug allows you to select exactly which hot drink you want, avoiding any mishaps, unwanted additions or confusion.

The selections are almost as varied as the ones you would find on a vending machine with some interesting extras such as ginger, soya milk and syrup?

Warmer for Longer - USB Cup Warmer - é9.99 from www.iwantoneofthose.com

An ingenious gadget providing a warm jacket to wrap up your mug and so keeping keep your break-time beverage at a drinkable temperature for longer.

Plug one end into your computer's USB socket and it'll provide enough power to keep cold tea at bay - Not for use with plastic cups.