Nicola,
What a fun article! I remember seeing "high tea" in films and thinking "How on earth do they stay thin? That's more than I have at supper!" Well, you answered that in your article...supper at 8 or 9...EGADs:)
My grandma would make this cucumber sandwich with cukes and onions she soaked in some vinegar with salt and pepper on buttered bread. Her parents were English but I don't know if it was some sort of hybrid English/American thing she put together (she was shall we say, an "interesting" cook).
I admit though, I still love granny's type of cucumber sandwich.
On my toast, I love apple butter or raspberry jam.