TEA, we are informed at the beginning of a new documentary about Blackheath tea hut, has been a cherished social occasion for many decades. Something French film maker Alexandra Moskalenko (pictured) found still in practice at the Blackheath Tea Hut, when making her film Tea Time.

Alexandra first planned a-day-in -the-life-style short but soon realised this would be no where near long enough to capture the stories and spirit of the stall nestling between the hustle of the A2 and sanctuary of the heath.

She ended up surveilling the hut (open 24 hours, all year round, shutting down for just a week at Christmas) for a whole year during 2003. Four years of editing and many litres of tea later, Alexandra's film is complete.

The hour-long film is a charming look at the hut and reveals the little structure as not a mere freshment stand but a spot where people meet up, emergency service workers refresh, friends socialise and some even find love.

Regular customer Nick shares the good (visits as a child) and bad times (taking refuge here during his separation) he associates with the tea hut. There's also insomniac John who after coming for tea on a fair few sleepless nights, ended up with a job there.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, though. The Blackheath Society see the hut as a blot on the landscape and have lobbied the council to get it removed. Both the society and hut owner Peter get to vent their point of view on film.

To sweeten the brew, Alexandra charts the changing seasons she spends at the ever-open hut with real artistic flair and there are plenty of nicely-framed shots of the heath and hut blanketed in snow and bathed in sunshine.

The interviews are fairly interesting but the moments in which people are captured unawares offer the most touching footage. Tea Time is at its best focusing on banter between regulars, customers sharing bacon butties with the birds and late-night queues jostling for their cuppa.

Tea Time will be screened at Greenwich Picture House, Feb 3, 1pm.

You can by a DVD from the hut and at teatimemovie.com