We have been having afternoon tea for many years now, as my regular readers will know.

We have been to many places in pursuit of this delicious pastime, over that time, too.  Sadly, some places are much better than others.

Some give very good value for money, and some seem to fall short of that, in my humble opinion. (You may disagree, and that is absolutely fine, too). 

I won't be naming names, because that would lead to all sorts of problems, as you can imagine, but I will explain what I look for when searching on the internet for a nice afternoon tea.

It is very important to scrutinise the menu in depth, to see exactly what you will be getting.

So let us have a look at this in depth.

Not all afternoon teas are equal, at all.  Some are very pricey, and you get little food, for too much money.

I always look for a good selection of sandwiches.  I would say a minimum of four different sandwiches is what I would expect. 

For example, one salmon and cucumber, one ham and mustard, one egg and cress, and one coronation chicken sandwich.

Some may differ and actually add more things to the sandwich/savoury selection, which is excellent!

The next layer on the cake stand, is the scone section.

Now, this is where things can go a little wrong.

I would expect no less than one fruit scone, and one plain scone, per person.

Served with clotted cream and jam.

Many times I have been for afternoon tea and there was only one scone per person. For me, this falls short, I have to say.

My reason for saying that is quite simply that I often finish a one scone afternoon tea, and feel as though I am not quite full.  That extra scone really does make all the difference in the world!

Now we move onto the top layer on the cake stand.  The small cakes and trifles!

I would expect a minimum of 3 different servings and a small trifle, or a 4th cake option.(i.e. 4 small desserts).

That concludes my recommendation for a lovely and enjoyable afternoon tea.

You may well be full with less food than this, but I would rather have slightly too much, than not enough, especially when one is paying some of the prices for an afternoon tea!

You can always ask for a cake box to take home what you can not eat!

(This is my opinion. Opinions may vary)

That's all for now!

LRB ~ x

On Monday the 14th of February 2022, we arrived at Sandringham, which is the much loved retreat in the North Norfolk countryside, of Her Majesty The Queen.
It has been the private home for no less than four British monarchs, since 1862.

We have actually been to Sandringham several times before, but this was our first return for about two years (due to COVID). The restaurant at Sandringham has recently undergone a rather substantial refit and makeover, so we simply had to go and see what had changed since our last visit!

At first glance, the menu is very compact, and some may find that a bit restricting, but for us on this occasion, we thought that it was sufficient for having a bit of a light lunch.
The chef prepares freshly made dishes, using seasonal ingredients and locally sourced produce, as stated on the menu.

Food is available daily, from 10am until 4pm.

On entering the restaurant, it was very obvious that the plain pine tables had been replaced with sage green painted rattan tables and chairs, and lots of lush green plants to compliment the green sage, theme.

Another surprising but beautiful change, was the gorgeously elegant matching bone china tea cups, saucers, milk jugs, plates, dishes and teapots. Stunning! It is not very often I come across such beautiful crockery, whether it is a fine country house, or quaint tea shop, and I do have to say it really does make the whole experience seem extra special!

The restaurant has changed from a “down to earth, café feel”, with its chunky pine tables and chairs, to an elegant summer tea house, vibe.

So, on to the tea and food!

First to arrive were two teapots. One Lady Grey, and one breakfast, – both contained loose tea and had sufficient tea for at least 4 to 6 good-sized cups of tea, per pot. We also asked for hot water, because we prefer our tea, not too strong.

We did not feel very hungry, so we opted for an interesting selection of food, actually, some from the light menu, and some from the children's menu.

My husband ordered a plate of pancakes, drizzled with honey, and 2 rashers of streaky bacon on the top, with a dusting of icing sugar.

I must add, that half of the food that we ordered, was actually from the children's menu! I wanted sandwiches for lunch, and the only sandwiches available were only on the children's menu, so I ordered those.
The choices were Egg Mayonnaise, Norfolk Ham, or Cheese.

The sandwiches consisted of two slices of brown, or white buttered bread, with one of the three choices of filling. I chose the Ham, which was very nicely presented on a matching fine bone china plate, with salad leaves on the side, and a portion of plain crisps.

After our main courses, I had ordered the fruit scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and my Husband ordered the Chocolate Fudge Brownie and a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, which once again, was only available of the children's menu. The portion was sufficient.

The final bill was under £30
We both rate our light lunches at 9/10

We both had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, the staff were very friendly and helpful.  We will definitely be back!

This Jacobean manor house sits in approximately 200 acres of land and was built and owned by the Hanbury family and has seen ownership and usage change from family home to boarding school and now a hotel and country club boasting a five star rating...

One can not help but stand back and just admire this gorgeous building and huge trees that frame your view of this building from the outset.

Every tree and bush seems different from the next and seem to reach to the heavens in this feast for the eyes.   One would be very hard pushed to beat this mansion and grounds for impact and beauty...

Once you set foot inside and look around and upwards, you then feast your eyes upon all the dark woodworking and fine craftsmanship that has gone into the decor of the inside of this astonishing building.

We were greeted by a staff member and shown through into the drawing room, where we would be having our afternoon tea. 

Once more seated beside an impressive fireplace, [which was thankfully not lit on this lovely August afternoon!].

Again, as one would expect of a hotel of this caliber, the food was excellent, and of a similar quality and choice to the other places that we have had afternoon tea at, so far.

Without further ado, our verdict is as follows:

Atmosphere and Surroundings 10/10

Service 8.5/10

Food  8/10

Value for money 8/10 (Approx £30 pp)

Would we go back again?

Of course!

Afternoon Tea review by
Lady Rose Bloomfield and Entourage ~
x

Oulton Hall is a four star hotel on the outskirts of Leeds, West Yorkshire,  and is nestled amongst 300 acres of countryside.

This beautiful 18th century house was once the property of the Blayds/Calverley family and was used as a hospital in the first and second world wars for injured soldiers.   Today it is now owned by a large hotel chain and offers many services from a spar facility, golf and of course, afternoon tea...

As always, it is the afternoon tea  which is of interest to us and prompted our visit.

On entering the reception area you are greeted by one of the butlers and shown to your seat in the drawing room, where afternoon tea is served.  (Oulton hall can cater for up to 40 guests).

There are other choices of food on offer, should any members of your party not want afternoon tea.

Also on offer are several choices of teas and coffees.

Champagne is available by the glass or bottle.

Afternoon tea is served daily from 2.30pm until 6pm.

Our first impressions of Oulton Hall was one of wonderment.   

It is such an imposing and beautiful building, sat in the fabulously well kept grounds that  surround it.  

It is truly a delightful place, both inside and out...

Afternoon tea is served using bone china plates and tea cups with smart silver teapots, water, milk jugs and sugar bowls/tongs.

There are several different sandwich fillings, as per usual, with two scones (one plain & one fruit) per person, with clotted cream and jam, also a couple of slices of fruit cake and cheese, followed up by a lovely selection of patisserie and desserts.

So our verdict is as follows:-

Ambiance and Atmosphere 9/10

Service 9/10

Food 9/10

Value 8/10 (£22- £25 pp)

Would we go back again?

Absolutely yes!

Afternoon tea review by
Lady Rose Bloomfield
and Entourage
x

Things really do not get any more British than attending the Buckingham Palace Garden Party, with it's sumptuous gardens that cover an enormous 42 acres!

Every year Her Majesty The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal family welcome in the region of 30,000 people during the summer months to the Buckingham Palace Garden Parties.

The garden parties have been held at the Palace since the 1860's and have continued to grow in size over the decades into what we have today, which surely must rank as the biggest garden party of it's kind in the United Kingdom, hosting up to eight thousand people in one day.

Guests start to arrive from 2pm onward and the list of people attending ranges from serving members of the armed forces, to people who have contributed in some way, to their local communities.

Very quickly you soon find that the people attending are chatty, delightful and are overwhelmed.  For most people, this is a once in a lifetime experience.

So what is the dress code for the event? 

Gentlemen wear either a morning suite, lounge suit or blazer with medals and the ladies, a day dress with a hat or fascinator. 

Also worn, are uniforms or National dress.

You will not find any alcohol at the garden party, which is a rather good move, I could imagine things getting very boisterous otherwise!

After the arrival of the Queen, tea, sandwiches, cakes/patisseries Strawberries & cream are served in the marquees.  

But what can the guests expect to eat and drink?  

Well, for a start there will be around 20 thousand sandwiches, 20 thousand slices of cake, and various patisseries and a whopping 27 thousand cups of tea! 

There is a  choice of around six different sandwich fillings and about nine different cakes, patisserie, deserts to choose from.

Top Tips: wear comfortable shoes and bring and umbrella.  If it does rain there are plenty of marquees to shelter under.

Lady Rose x

After discovering this delightful 'Art Deco' style four star hotel on the internet, we decided a visit was simply a must to sample their afternoon tea, so we rang and booked a table.

The Earl of Doncaster is actually just outside of the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and is situated on a pleasant road that leads to Elmfield Park.

We turned off the main road and onto Roman Road, which leads you to the back of the Hotel and it's car parking area.

Outside, the Hotel echoes the Deco style, which carries on through to the interior of this delightful building.

No doubt about it, the Earl of Doncaster was designed to impress and it does not fail to do so!   It is decorated in an opulent style throughout.

From the reception area, we were swiftly ushered through to the dining area and seated down. Our drinks order was taken as we studied the Afternoon Tea menu

The dining room is a delight to behold and you simply cannot but help continually look here and there, in fact everywhere you look, there is something else of beauty to look at. It is simply a visual delight!

Perusing the menu, the customer has a choice of 5 or 6 versions of “Afternoon Tea,” which is a nice change from just the usual offerings at other places.

The choices were as follows:-

Cream Tea

Children’s Afternoon Tea

Classic Afternoon Tea

Savoury Afternoon Tea

Chock-A-Holic Afternoon Tea

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea

Atmosphere: 8/10 (Due to poor music choice) or this would have been 10/10!

Surroundings: 10/10

Food: 8.5/10

Service: 8/10

Value: 9/10

Verdict: Well worth visiting!

Lady Rose Bloomfield x

Whilst walking down the streets of Shrewsbury a few weeks back, I was just commenting to his lordship about the lovely buildings in the city and how a lovely tea shop would not go amiss here.

It was totally astounding that the words had hardly passed my lips when a familiar sign honed into view, as if by magic.      I honestly swear I had no idea this tea shop was there, but it was right there in front of us as we walked around a corner.

Behold!    It was Patisserie Valerie, no less!

I do know that there are a few of these up and down high streets of the united kingdom, but I have not been into one before, so this was a perfect opportunity to sample the delights within, wasn't it?

Firstly, we stood outside the shop and viewed all the wonderfully presented cakes and delights in the window, before going in.   I tried to memories all those goodies and at that point was totally undecided about which one I was going to have.

We went inside and we were greeted by the staff who showed us to a table.

After looking at the menu for a minute or two a waitress came over and took our order.

Gosh, there was a fab list of goodies to choose from too, the menu had a nice picture by the side of the description, whicht made ordering a bit easier.   I decided upon a chocolate creation and his lordship a frangipane type pastry offering that looked delicious..

About five minutes passed, then the waitress arrived with our tea pots, cups and saucers shortly followed by our cakes. 

Ooh, mine looked quite large, and as I prodded it with the fork I decided  that it was very soft and very squidgy, it also had a chocolate choux pastry ball filled with fresh cream on the top, too...Delight of delights!

After a few forks of the chocolate creation, I decided that the portion was quite big and it was going to take a sterling effort on my part to finish it off.

You know when you have over indulged and that afterwards you would regret that last fork full?....Oh dear.

After we had finished our tea, I could not help but notice what the others sat in our vicinity were having. Everything looked lovely and was well presented.

On reflection, I would probably go back there and sample one of the other delights if our paths were to cross again in the future.

Atmosphere & Surroundings 7/10

Food & Tea 7/10

Lady Rose x

Once again we are travelling back in time to childhood...

This time we are reminiscing about Christmases past.

What super fun when we were about 6 or 7 years of age, when we still believed in you know who.

Once Halloween and Bonfire night was over, our next focus was Christmas! Yippee!!

It was all so much excitement and anticipation, wasn't it?  Yes it was.

I would leaf through catalogues saying, could I have this or that, with Mother looking on and probably thinking that I simply wanted the entire contents of the catalogue.

Actually she was probably right, I did!

I must say at this point, I did not get everything that I wanted. I remember that I never did get one of those girl heads, where you could trim the hair and do it's make up and there was a particular bicycle that I asked Santa for,  which turned out not to be the bicycle I was expecting on Christmas morning, but I never complained or mentioned it, that would have been ungrateful, I think.

But lets go back to the lead up to Christmas.

Again school played a large part in the build up to the day.   We would have the yearly nativity play, with angels with wobbly wings and gold or silver card crowns, held together with a gold split pin, with oodles of glue and blobs of glitter representing jewels.

The boys would have a tea towel on their heads, and their parents best rope tie backs from the lounge curtains... and have a Hessian type fabric tunic.   Someone, (never me) would be Mary.   I think the best casting I managed was an angel on one occasion, other than that I was relegated to the audience in the years following.

Then there would be various Christmas parties going on at school.  I seem to remember that each age group at school had it's party on a different day in the week leading up to our school Christmas holidays.

Father Christmas would also make an appearance during that week, and hand out a small present to each child.  We were always pleased with the small offering, which would usually be a selection box of various chocolate bars or something similar.

Then Christmas Eve arrived after seeming to take forever to do so.  That night, I would lay in bed trying my hardest to get to sleep, whilst listening for sleigh bells for ages, and by George, I thought on a few occasions over the years, I did indeed hear them!

The next morning, Christmas Day, I would gingerly make my way downstairs to see if he had been.

I remember switching the light on downstairs and seeing a vast quantity of presents overflowing onto the floor from a Christmas sack, and yelling “He's been!”.. the small galss of sherry, mince pie and carrot had gone from the mantle, too!!

Simply magical times..

I do hope you all have a truly merry Christmas.

Blessings and Best Wishes,

Lady Rose x

Let us travel back in time to childhood...

Cast your mind back to Bonfire Night and the excitement that we all had. It all seemed to build up at school in the weeks leading up to the 5th November, where we would chatter amongst ourselves at playtime, comparing what we would be doing that night.

In art class, a few days before, our tutor would ask us to draw and paint bonfires and fireworks, which would create more anticipation of the night to come.

Also, I think bonfire night seems to evoke memories as you smell the wood smoke wafting around, don't you think?

The 5th of November seems to herald the coming of winter and the promise of cosy nights in front of a log fire, sipping on mulled wine or warm ginger tea...

I remember that the fire wood would be collected over the week or so leading up to the 5th of November and then the day before the bonfire, it would be stacked together in the shape of a triangle with a Guy Fawkes effigy plonked on the top, like some sort of macabre fairy on top of a wooden Christmas tree.

I seemed to remember Father trying to start the bonfire, which would always be a total farce most years, (usually because the wood was soaked through due to rain having wet it all prior).

But nothing else quite captures bonfire night like being stood by a raging inferno of a hot bonfire and nibbling on baked potatoes that had been cooked in tin foil at the bottom of the bonfire until they were just done to perfection, and boy, didn't the bonfire cook them just so?

The potatoes would be cut in half, and a generous helping of butter would be mashed into both halves, and then carefully eaten with a fork. What a truly scrumptious, but simple snack!

The adults would usually have pork pies and mushy peas, in a dish, with mint sauce. I think the only time pork pies were ever eaten would be on such occasions when one would want something hot and tasty that did not take too much preparing, nor much transportation outdoors into the field.

Usually the children (us) would drink dandelion and burdock fizzy pop, or ginger beer(which was not really beer, but just a ginger flavoured fizzy drink), what a delight!

Then our eyes would be drawn to the dark cakes and treats, usually situated on the top of a large tree stump sitting in a Tupperware type plastic box.

There would usually be bonfire parkin( a ginger cake that was a darkish brown colour), gingerbread men and bonfire toffee/cinder toffee, all enjoyed with with your family and friends.

The finale of the evening would undoubtedly be the “firework display”. Is it just me, or did the fireworks back then seemed to be more impressive than the ones these days?

I was never a big fan of fireworks, I always seemed to be very aware of how dangerous they were, even as a child, but never the less they were good fun, hence the odd firework faux-par and near miss!

Happy 5th November!

Lady Rose x

Halloween decades ago in the United Kingdom used to mean borrowing a white bed sheet from the linen cupboard, whilst your Mother carved a Halloween lantern out of a large turnip, which was a UK custom from times past.

I believe that the turnip certainly took a lot of hard work to scoop out the flesh, unlike the now popular pumpkin.

Then, once it was dark outside, the children would stand chatting to other children, excitedly telling ghost stories huddled around their candle lit lanterns. Occasionally some sort of mischief was committed, such as going up to a neighbouring house, knocking on the door and running away, or daring someone to go to a spooky abandoned place near by..

Oh how things have changed today, as we shall explore.
Halloween is a huge industry now, and we have lost our traditional, quaint little Halloween.

It has been replaced by a glitzy, large commercialised version from over the pond, where children now have an 'off the peg' costume and go around houses knocking on the doors collecting sweets/sweeties (or 'candies' as our American cousins call them). Many houses are now decorated with things bought from the supermarket and every year it becomes larger that the last.

Many cities and rural areas now have events going on for families, so there is something for everyone, if you just do a little search on the internet and have a look in your area, but I would not rely upon just turning up on the night, indeed not. Pre booking is always advisable to avoid disappointment.

For older children and adults, some farms are offering 'Haunted Hay-Rides', (which can be quite scary for younger children). This idea is straight from USA and involves sitting on the back of a trailer, pulled by a tractor, which is then driven round slowly from one 'scary scenario' to another on the farm, this can involve zombies and 'crazed lunatics' with chainsaws, so I would not advise taking anyone too young.

Also on offer in various places, is the Haunted Maze Maze type events, which is great fun for the smaller children, without being too frightening.
For adults looking for something nice and fun to do on Halloween, then what could be more exciting than having a day and evening out at one of the many haunted locations in the UK, on or near all hallows eve on the 31st October. Lots of large houses and castles also have a cafe or tea room and there will be special afternoon tea available for the occasion, sometimes followed by a ghost walk in the evening.

If you have a look around the area you have chosen, I am more than sure you will find somewhere just perfect.

Have fun and Happy Halloween!

I do believe that it was my Mother who bought me this little book a couple of Christmases back.

The book its self is only about 8 or 9 inches long by 6 or so inches wide, but is beautifully put together and boasts some really fabulous pictures inside. On the outside cover of the book, the photograph depicts a cake stand, a beautiful soft blue and cream jug with the most gorgeous bunch of fresh flowers, in pinks and cream.

The table is perfectly dressed, with wine glasses, tea cups, saucers, knives and forks, simply delightful to look at and perfectly draws in all lovers of afternoon tea, perfectly. Yes, you certainly could just imagine yourself sat at this table, it's magical!

Glancing at the index, there is a good selection of recipes, from Almond Buns down to Victoria Sandwich. There are over 30 recipes to choose from.

The book has about 47 pages in total, and literally every other page has the most delightful photograph of everything one would expect to see at a traditional afternoon tea party, such tea pots, tea cups and saucers, cakes, drinks, flower arrangements and so forth, all expertly dressed and staged by a lady called Ursula Ryan, who works from her 18th century cottage in Kent.

She has a passion for antiques and flowers, it really does show too. I strongly suspect that the flowers and bone china depicted throughout this super little book, are all hers. Each photograph is different from the last..a complete delight to see, and even if you do not bake one recipe from this book, it is worth buying just for the fabulous photographs alone.

All the recipes are aimed at anyone who wants to create a quintessential English afternoon tea, for family or friends. Some notable recipes include Angel Cake, Custard Tarts, Plain Scones, and Strawberry Shortcake.

I have seen this sort of book before, usually located on an upright stand in a gift shop that one might find in places like the Cotswold's or the Lake District.

The company who has put this book together, have also made quite a lot of other books too, such as Children's Baking, Country Preserves and West Country Teatime, to name but a few.

Judging by the series list in front of me, there is probably about 50 or 60 books which all boast beautiful illustrations and photographs throughout, so do look out for them, they are relatively inexpensive, and really do make a smashing stocking filler for Christmas, or as a simple gift for someone.


Lady Rose x

Please note that the photographs depicted here are not the ones in the book, due to copyright issues.

One of my followers on Twitter, @sallyacb275 was married last November (2015) and I was lucky enough to obtain several photographs of their  special day. 

With Sally's permission, I share them with you...

What or who was the inspiration for your wedding theme?

There wasn't really a theme per-say, but I wanted my Grandmother to be included.

I based my dress on her wedding dress from 1943 and it was made by a friend who has a vintage millinery and reproduction clothing business, 'The Little Shop of Gorgeousness and Fripperies'.  She, (Kerry Barker) and I used the pattern from a late 1930s dress which she had made for me and incorporated it with photos of my Grandmother's dress.(The first photo).

Thank you once again to Sally for allowing me to use these photographs.

Lady Rose x

P.S If there are any more brides out there who would like me to feature your vintage wedding day, then simply drop me a line and I would be happy to write about it. LRB x

So, tell us a little bit about Exclusive Floral Designs?

Long story short, flower shops have been in the family since the 1980's and I worked in the family business for many years before branching out and getting my own shop. The internet side of things suited us more, so we became an internet only based business back in 2012 and the rest as they say, is history.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

What would be fair to say that inspiration comes from all sorts of places, but at this point I want to say that I am not responsible for all of it, my staff do have a prominent voice too, when it comes to designing a new collection.

Where does your love of Vintage come from?

That's a little complicated. I have had a thing for vintage for many years and I think that stems from the films I watched as a child.  Also, stories from my Nan and Grandad about their parents which involved looking at many old photographs, so I suppose it sparked an interest in things from the past.

Do you have many bouquets that are Vintage inspired?

We do have a few, yes.   We have a selection of bouquets and buttonholes that are inspired by the vintage era, complete with feathers, pearls and diamantés. Some are quite striking colour schemes, such as black, white/ivory and others are more subtle, such as pastel shades, with lace handles, pearls, or diamantés.

What is the most popular flower a bride will pick?

Without a shadow of a doubt I have to say the humble rose.   Roses top the list and the most popular colour would probably be Ivory.  That said we do get orders in a vast array of colours from white at the top of the colour spectrum down to black and all shades in between.

What if I wanted one of your bouquets, but with more diamantés, pearls or some lace, would that be a problem?

Not at all. We do all sorts of small adjustments like that.   Some people want more bling, or as you say, some lace here and there, or the bouquet handle changed from a satin wrapped one, to a lace wrapped one.   Or indeed we can change the colour of ribbon from one colour to another for you, no problem at all.

How long will it take from start to finish and dispatch?

Providing we have the flowers in stock and it is not a busy period, we can have an order turned round in a week or less. Sometimes it can be 3 or 4 weeks at busy times, but the average is 2 weeks from the order coming into us, to dispatching that order to the customer.

Thank you, to Andrew Nicholas of Exclusive Floral Designs for the interview.

Further details and information can be found on the Exclusive Floral Designs website www.exclusivefloraldesigns.com/

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Mr Kipling's Frech Fancies and the Aldi French Fancies?......Well, we have!

His Lordship & I were in conversation the other day and we thought that we would do a comparison of the two different sorts of French Fancies, because on the face of it, they look the same.

So I popped into Aldi to buy the “test box” of French Fancies, then we dropped in at the local Tesco to purchased a "test box" of Mr Kipling's French Fancies.

Like two spies on a secret mission, we made haste back to Bloomfield Manor to compare them.

The kettle was boiled and the tea made when we sat down with the two boxes and gleefully opened them.

I cut three Aldi French Fancies in half, (pink, yellow and brown) and the same with the Mr Kipling's Fancies.

We studied the boxes carefully, both ingredients and nutrition information, and I have to say that there was not much difference.

I weighed each colour of French Fancies and measured them with my  trusty ruler.   Both were exactly the same sorts of weights, some colours in both packets vary by a gram or two, but all looked the same with both sets of fancies.

Both sets of packaging was exactly the same, except for the print and colour on the Aldi box. Both sets of internal packaging (inner box and cellophane) was exactly the same shape and texture.

Next came the taste test.   Undoubtedly the best part of the whole exercise!

We taste tested three colours from both boxes and the overall consensus was that they both tasted exactly the same!

So there you have it.

One big difference was the price, of course.    The Aldi French Fancies were the least expensive by quite a long way. 

If you want to do your own taste test, then simply do the same thing.  I would be very interested to see what you think.

Lady Rose x

The little car was packed chock full of cakes, sandwiches, china, tablecloths, candelabras, bunting, and a thousand other items were crammed into a second car.

Dresses, uniforms and aprons were pressed and put on and we were all set to go for our debut pop up afternoon tea in a pretty village hall in Warrington.

Room Forty Afternoon Tea was set up just a few months ago after a year of planning, scouring charity shops and vintage fairs for crockery and endless baking experimentation.

Some say it took guts (or madness) to pack in a steady, reasonably well paid sensible job as a marketing manager and follow my dream, but when the inspiration struck to combine my love of tea, baking, fine bone china and vintage glitz, I knew I had to give it at least a good try, and I’m pleased to say I haven’t looked back even once.

Room Forty delivers vintage afternoon tea parties to homes, venues and workplaces in and around the Warrington area.

Fortunately, the response to the marketing has been better than I had hoped and I’ve already had to turn a couple of customers down as I’m too busy.

The first Room Forty booking was the day after I left my job – straight in at the deep end, it was by no means, straightforward, but at the end of the event the guests asked me how many bookings I got a week and I admitted it was my first.

They were flabbergasted and it really spurred me on.    They even booked again within a couple of weeks for a baby shower with party games!

It was always the plan to do pop up events every couple of weeks, and we held our first on 23 July, with several friends volunteering to smooth the event for me, for which I am eternally grateful!

The Mission Hall in Woolston was built in the late 1800’s and was the perfect charming village hall and convenient as it is only a few minutes’ drive from Room Forty HQ.

Checklists. And more checklists for the checklists.

This was our biggest event yet with 44 guests attending in two sittings.    We made everything from scratch and the days preceding had been a flurry of baking, washing, ironing, buttering and packing.

The kitchen was in a semi-permanent fug of icing sugar (Oh, how it clings to every surface!)

Considering we were transporting crates of fine crockery, Babycham glasses and delicate cake stands the fact that nothing was broken on arrival was a vintage-esque miracle, sadly we lost a teapot in the course of duty, and a cake stand wobbled precariously, but there was nothing we couldn’t handle.

We had chanced on a perfect English summers day where the wild poppies danced in the breeze on the village green in front of the hall, and with our bunting up at the front we were ready to go.

Two hours to go before the guests arrived and the hall was a frenzy of activity.

Tables set up, vintage tablecloths and napkins laid and placed, candelabras, tea lights, posies from the garden, cake forks and china laid and positioned.

Our lovely friend Jane set up her beautiful craft stall near the entrance.

Final embellishments were piped onto the cakes, sandwiches cut and trimmed and yet more icing sugar dusted. The scene was set and the hall looked beautiful.

Once the 1930’s music started up and the dulcet tones of Al Bowlly struck up, the atmosphere was perfect.

Our guests started to arrive, beautifully dressed for the occasion and we were off!

Sandwiches, tea and elderflower presse were delivered to the tables, followed by brownies, drizzles and fresh fruit tartlets, scones, jam and of course clotted cream.

The day was sadly over in a flash, we are so proud of the lovely, comments and feedback including :-

“It was lovely, we had a great time, thank you!"
"A good excuse to dress up! "
"My husband is still going on about the brownies”

We’re buoyed up by the experience and looking at dates for Christmas, maybe with a little market place too.

We simply cannot wait!

For further details contact  www.roomforty.co.uk/

A few weeks ago I rang Wentbridge House, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire, to book afternoon tea for an upcoming birthday surprise. A polite lady answered the phone and booked us in for 2.30pm on the afternoon of our choice.

During our conversation, I explained that two people in our party would require something else, because they did not want to have afternoon tea. The lady said that would be fine, and the conversation ended.

We arrived at Wentbridge house a couple of days later at 2pm, for 2.30, and we were duly ushered to a comfortable and very smart seating area where drinks were offered to us. We perused the drinks menu before ordering.

I noted that there were other people already sat in the waiting area who were also there for the afternoon tea.

As the head waiter and a couple of waitresses flitted around tending to the other guests drinks orders, I could not help but overhear the conversation of the other guests seated behind us, asking the waitress about the afternoon tea.

The lady guest mentioned that she had been there before for afternoon tea and on that previous occasion she was asked if she would prefer brown or white bread, with our without butter, and was also given the choice of various sandwich fillings.

The waitress explained that they used to offer those choices, but they were no longer available and that it was now a set menu. The lady guest then asked the waitress if they could have their sandwiches without butter. The waitress said that she would ask the kitchen not to put butter on their sandwiches.

That raised an interesting point for us because some of the people in our party also did not want butter on their sandwiches.

After a few minutes we were ushered through into the restaurant, which was furnished as one would expect of a large country house and had crisp white linen table clothes and napkins.

The head waiter brought the teapots, sugar bowl and milk jug to our table. I noted the lack of sugar tongs and a hot water jug to dilute the tea down with.    After about ten minutes we had to eventually ask for a hot water jug, to dilute the tea down a little.

All the sugar lumps were individually wrapped in small plastic wrappings, which you had to fiddle with to get the sugar lump out.

There seemed to be much flurrying about with the staff and I had to literally flag the head waiter down to mention that two people in our party would not be having afternoon tea and would order something else from the menu. The waiter looked rather puzzled for a few seconds and announced that there was no other choice, but they could make a few sandwiches, if that was alright, so we were then in a take it or leave it situation, it was to be sandwiches or nothing, we said that that would be fine, but we did request that the sandwiches be made without butter.

When the sandwiches arrived they were made with butter, and had to be sent back to the kitchen.

The second delivery of sandwiches arrived and they were fine.

I did not say anything to anyone else in our party, because this was supposed to be a “special occasion” and I did not want to make any sort of fuss about the various things, but I did feel that this experience was not quite as good as it could have been. I did notice that the place was rather busy and there was a large function going on in another room.

Quite honestly, I felt deflated and at this point, and I wished that I had taken everyone to Betty's tearooms instead, where the service is second to none, it is slick, and the staff are so attentive, AND there are other options for people who do not necessarily want to have afternoon tea.

Our afternoon tea arrived on a three tier cake stand. The lower tier had a selection of sandwiches with three different fillings. The second tier had scones with two different varieties of jam and a small pot of clotted cream. The top tier had a selection of small patisseries and trifles.

All in all, I felt slightly underwhelmed with the whole experience. I personally felt that things were not as good as it should have been, and I have to say that the service did not quite meet the mark, in my opinion.

Atmosphere 6/10
Service 6/10
Food 6/10
Price 6/10

Would I return to Wentbridge house?  Highly doubtful, especially with all the competition that there is now, and the excellent standards elsewhere.

Did you know that there are several types or versions of afternoon tea?

Let me explain further..

The first type I shall call the local 'cafe style' or 'pub style' afternoon tea.  and the second type is the large country house or upmarket hotel.

So let us deal with the local cafe or pub style afternoon tea, first.

These can be good fun, and are usually best for those off the cuff times when you are out and about somewhere, and just fancy having afternoon tea, without all the hassle of getting dressed up.    

They are usually a few pounds cheaper than the country house/upmarket hotel choice, too.

At the local cafe/pub style afternoon tea, you can expect your sandwiches to come in a variety of sizes.    I have seen those served as a 'round' bread cake /roll sandwich(Fajita style), but they can also be served as the usuall finger/triangles too, and although cut into triangles or fingers, they can sometimes still have their crusts left on, and may be rather more haphazard, depending on the place.

Also the cakes and cupcakes served can be much larger than one might expect, and may be a bulkier wedge section of cake.    It is also usual to expect some scones, with cream or butter and jam, plus tea of course.

Your tea, if you are lucky,  will be served in vintage bone china tea cups and teapots.   Your food, hopefully will be presented on a vintage cake stand with two or three tiers.

The second type of afternoon tea is in a different league altogether.

You will pay more money here and the standards, from customer service to the quality of food and surroundings should reflect this price increase.

This establishment will be rather more grandiose and opulent, and one would expect to see linen table coverings, linen napkins, and bone china tea cups.   Usually your tea will be loose tea, and a tea strainer will be required.    Your tea should arrive in a silver teapot with a  matching hot water jug, and there should also be a sugar bowl with sugar lumps and tongs on your table.

The food at this establishment should be elegant.     

Finger sandwiches should be served with the crusts cut off and have a filling that isn't causing the sandwich to be bulging at the seams.      Scones should be warm and served with freshly whipped clotted cream with quality jam.

The top tire of the cake stand should have a selection of exquisite hand made deserts and patisseries.    They are usually smaller portions and are only one or two or three bites in size.

The waiters and waitresses at this last establishment should be dressed in clean smart clothing, usually black trousers or skirts and white shirts or  blouses, with a white apron.

The customer service you receive should perfect.    The staff have been professionally trained in customer service, and nothing should be too much trouble in making your experience perfect in every way.

The service, atmosphere and ambience in either establishment is not something that should be overlooked by either proprietor, and should be of a good to excellent standard, depending upon the establishment you have  chosen.  

The correct atmosphere can make or break your experience.     Suitable music should always be chosen by the staff at the establishment and should add to the overall experience to make it an unforgettable afternoon.  

Your overall experience of afternoon tea should end with you feeling that is is an afternoon that you will remember for a long time, for all the right reasons.

Outwardly, all appeared 'above board'.   Tables would be attended by a  waiter and your 'tea' would be brought on a tray,  but under the teapot lids one could find a cocktail typical of the era, which would be poured into lovely bone china tea cups.    Talk about "Keeping up appearances"..

Prohibition in the USA, occurred from the 1920's to 1933, which was a nationwide ban on selling, making and importing of alcoholic beverages.

Even though enforcement was being overseen by the government, it did little to discourrage people from consuming the banned beverages, people would simply open unlicensed 'Speakeasies' or 'Gin Joints' where customers would keep the noise down to not draw unnecessary attention to the club.

Admission to a club was all rather secret squirrel and very cloak and dagger.   A password was required to enter, and depending upon the answer you offered, would alert the owners of the club that you may be a government spy!

New York was a popular place for these establishments and Manhattans 21 club was the most secure.   Secret methods could be deployed to avert raids, and cut off access to areas of the building that housed the alcohol.

One of the most famous night clubs in the 1920's/30's was the renowned  'Cotton Club', who's clientelle often included the rich and influential from the city.

Famous names also played at the club, such as Duke Ellington's Orchestra and other high profile jazz musicians of the day.

On December the 5th 1933 prohibition ended in the majority of states in the USA.

In 1541 following the dissolution of the monasteries and the College, its lands and revenues were assigned to Sir Edward Knevitt, so it passed out of the family, but in 1845 the Thompson College estate was exchanged for the Suffolk estate of the 5thBaron Walsingham. Thus Thompson College, or College Farm as it became known, passed back to the de Greys of Merton. 

My parents moved here in 1973 when my father retired from a career in the army.

After the success of the wedding show I decided to apply for a license for couples to get married here and since then I haven’t stopped!    I limit myself to only 6 weddings a year so I can enjoy each one and make sure I give all my energy to each & every couple getting married here.
 
We have a local church about 5 minutes walk away (built as a pair with the house and where we were married) and it is possible for couples to marry there and then come back here for the reception afterwards.  In fact the wedding here in May did just that.

We are happy to host (and have had all of the following) weddings, hen parties, birthday parties, funeral wakes, christenings, family celebrations, bird watching groups, tourist events. 

Our most popular events are festival weddings with the ceremony outside and a marquee or tipi on the front lawn with straw bales, bunting, paddling pools, fire pits, outdoor games, etc.
 
Each party has exclusive use of the venue for 4 days.
 
We do not allow fireworks because of the animals here but we do allow use of a fire pit and also confetti (but not together!)

I have a list of tried & trusted suppliers and am happy to share this list. 

I do not take a cut from any of my suppliers and a few of them will give a discount for weddings and parties here at College Farm.
 
We have  field next to the house which is usually used for camping and parking.  We also have 6 en suite rooms in the house available for wedding guests and there are also lots of other B&Bs locally.
 
The bride & groom normally organise everything themselves but I often find I end of doing more and more as the wedding approaches.  Each couple is different and I try to fit in with their expectations and plans.

The 1930's heralded the golden era for Lidos, with many local councils building them to keep up with the demand for swimming in the great outdoors.

By the mid 1930's, Lidos were then at their pinnacle of popularity with a grand total of 169 dotted throughout the United Kingdom.

Designs for Lidos were very 'Art Deco' and seemed to range between rectangular or oval in design and was nearly always accompanied by a white building,  sometimes with various tiers/floors, that included a  sunbathing area and a cafe.  

This was very popular if you wanted to sunbathe, or simply spectate/people watch.

Many Lidos sported a fountain or a cascade of water and was very much in demand with swimmers on particularly hot days, where one could sit and watch the world go by, in a cool waterfall.

Water chutes/slides and the addition of a diving board/platform was also a prominent feature in many Lidos.

Unfortunately, as time progressed a few years later, foreign holidays had started to become fashionable and the Lido began to suffer, with many running into a state of disrepair and some shutting down completely,
but many still remain open to this day.  

Many Lidos have been saved from demolition and have been renovated and re opened.

For further details about Lidos, and there whereabouts, please click on the following link:- www.olivermerrington.16mb.com/lidos/

Whilst out shopping, we were browsing through the shelves of books at a shop called 'The Works' on the high street, and came across one called, Wartime Farm.   

We had previously watched and enjoyed the TV programme of the same name, so we jumped at the chance and purchased the acompanying book, featuring Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn and Alex Langlands.

Wartime Farm is full of smashing tales, sweet wartime recipes and stories about what happened during the war years, in Great Britain.

It is a good book, full of little bits and pieces from how to do your 'victory roll' hairstyles and make up tips from the era.

We found some of the information is quite compelling, such as the part about all farm land being surveyed by the government to make sure it was being used effectively to cut out inefficiency.    

In some cases, the land would be taken off the owner and requisitioned, then placed into the hands of a farmer of their choosing.     Every bit of land had to be used for food production. (Britain as a whole, is just over 57 million acres).

A large mobilisation of the population happened.    Whilst the men were sent off to war, the ones left behind were rallied together, the ladies working in various jobs that were once only the domain of men.

Suddenly, ladies were chopping down trees (Lumber Jills), Land Girls, Idle Women, who worked on narrowboats relaying supplies/cargo, loading and unloading the boats, to the ladies now working in factories keeping the war effort going.

For the first time ever, national service was compulsory for both men and women alike.

All in all, the 249 pages are full of lots interesting subjects, with some lovely photographs and illustrations throughout.    

If you are interested in this subject, then this is definitely the book for you. You won't be disappointed!

Lady Rose xx

On the 14/15/16th October 2016, once again it will be time for the Pickering (North Yorkshire) Wartime and 1940's weekend to get underway.

For those who have never been, it is an event that I would say that you must visit, especially if you are interested in the 1940's and WW11.

We attended last year and were quite surprised at the amount of people attending and even more surprised at how many people had really made a sterling effort to dress up for the occasion!

We queued a little while to get into the Pickering show ground, where you can park your car.    Parking in the town area is extremely limited and you would be very lucky indeed to find a space up there, so the Pickering show ground was acting like a park and ride, with bus fares at £1 per person, per trip.

After parking the car we walked down a dirt track which lead us to the main building, where some of the events, food, and stalls were situated.   They  had a multitude of things for sale, from tea cups and saucers to clothing for those interested in WW11 re-enactments and things of that nature.

We noticed a couple of buses that were taking people to, and from Pickering town centre, where other activities and events were taking place, and then back to the show ground, and the car parking and camping areas.

This is indeed a event with two halves.   One at the show ground and one in the town centre, about a mile away.

Frustratingly, the queues for the buses were vast and took an age to dissipate.   From observing what was going on, it was obvious that the two buses were not cutting the mustard and many people, after a long wait, were deciding to either stay at the show ground, or undertake the mile or so walk to the town centre.    We decided to stick it out and wait for the next bus, which ended up being about a forty minutes.

Once at the town centre, it was very busy, with lots of people going in and out of the local shops, bars and cafes, some being serenaded by entertainers singing songs from the 1940's, along with people dancing and generally enjoying themselves.

There were pockets of vintage stalls hidden here and there throughout the town, and also at the train station, where occasionally a steam train would take passengers for a short trip, and then back to the station.

As you would expect, the atmosphere was lovely, with lots of people clearly enjoying themselves, many people had made the effort to come dressed in clothing from the era, as they do at other events, such as the Haworth 1940's weekend.

The only 'sticky wicket' for us, was the bus service.    Hopefully this year it will be much better.

Each party has exclusive use of the venue for 4 days.
 
We do not allow fireworks because of the animals here but we do allow use of a fire pit and also confetti (but not together!)
 
I have a list of tried & trusted suppliers and am happy to share this list.  I do not take a cut from any of my suppliers and a few of them will give a discount for weddings and parties here at College Farm.
 
We have  field next to the house which is usually used for camping and parking.  We also have 6 en suite rooms in the house available for wedding guests and there are also lots of other B&Bs locally.

The bride & groom normally organise everything themselves but I often find I end of doing more and more as the wedding approaches.  Each couple is different and I try to fit in with their expectations and plans.
 
I am always completely exhausted after each wedding as I put so much time and effort into each one, but I LOVE having weddings here and feel lucky that I can be part of each couples unique & special start on their married life together. 

There isn’t a better job in the world as far as I am concerned!

For further information and contact details for Colledge Farm clink on the link here:- www.collegefarmnorfolk.co.uk/index.html

My blog spot this week features the lovely Heather Marie, a talented and professional singer who has been performing throughout the UK since 2009, and specialises in songs from a bygone era that is full of nostalgia and memories, for lots of people.

Having appeared as a featured soloist with the Royal Air Force Squadronaires, the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment and the Band of the Royal Air Force College, Heather Marie is a talent not be missed!

Heather Marie lives in Lincolnshire (with her husband, Squadron Leader Matthew Little, who is a Director of Music in the Royal Air Force), & frequently travels the length and breadth of the UK to perform songs from the 1940s, wartime, 1950s, swing, big band and musicals, for events such as festivals, corporate functions, charity events, vintage events, vintage tea parties, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, or for any special event that you have in mind...

For the last seven years, Heather Marie has performed in places such as Eastbourne, Guernsey, Cornwall, Durham and Liverpool, to name but a few, for private singing engagements and also for leading national and international charities and companies that include :-

The Royal Air Forces Association,
The Royal Air Force,
The Royal Navy,
The TA,
Royal British Legion,
The National Trust,
Royal Centre for Defence Medicine,
Manchester Pride,
Boots,
Specsavers,
Honda,
MS Society,
RSPCA.

Heather Marie has also featured on the BBC, ITV, BFBS and in Vintage Life Magazine, amongst other publications and magazines.

For for further information about Heather Marie, such as bookings, singing engagement dates and contact details, please pop along to her official website:- http://heathermarie.co.uk/
Or
Facebook  www.facebook.com/heathermarie40s
Or
Twitter @HeatherMarie40s

I managed to catch up with Donna, the proud owner of "Miss Molly" - the shabby chic/vintage inspired caravan, which offers anyone in the Hampshire region the chance to hire her for their special occasion, be that a tea party, birthday, or wedding.

It is so lovely to see these sweet photographs this vintage caravan, and I for one, can not wait to find out more about Miss Molly,  from Donna..

My name is Donna, and Miss Molly is my labour of love.   I've loved vintage for around 5 years now,  I suppose it creates memories of the early days and I'd love to have lived through the 1950's and 60's. 

Also as a couple, when my husband and I go out we love to find traditional tea shops and old fashioned sweet shops too.

A few years ago I used to sell old fashioned sweets online, making up gift hampers etc. 

Then I bought one of those sweet carts and took it out to weddings, which was really successful.  My kids loved the fact there was a never ending sweet supply!

I have had a full time job for many years, the last 5 years as a wedding planner, and I currently work for a stunning wedding venue where you see lots of different trends, and vintage caravans being used as photo booths and ice cream vans suddenly sprung on the scene ... But no such thing as a dedicated sweetie caravan.

I love the quirkiness of the little caravans and originally wanted one to put in the bottom of my garden as a little retreat for me.

Inspiration came after watching "George Clarke's Amazing Spaces" so I  made my mind up to seek one out!

So I trawled eBay and Gumtree, there weren't many out there that caught my eye.   It had to be dinky and I didn't want a full restoration project as I'm useless (and so is hubby)!

I joined a lot of pages on Facebook to get information on things and occasional people sold on there too, but in October 2015,  I hit the jackpot.

This cute little tin box on wheels became available.   She was originally called "Bella" and she was free from damp, watertight and towable.

The lady lived in Wales, so I couldn't just pop round to see it (I'm in Portsmouth, Hampshire).

After numerous conversations on Facebook and the telephone,  I took the plunge and agreed to buy her!    I organised a company to go and collect it for me and bring it to me which only took a couple a weeks and then in November, she arrived.

I was so lucky, everything was just as the lady in Wales had told me.

I knew that there had been a leak in the roof and it needed a slight repair, which was not a problem, because but I have a friend who is our handyman, who could do it.  

Miss Molly certainly wasn't pretty when she arrived, but I had a vision!

I left it until late December,  then spent practically every weekend until the end of February working on her.   I stripped out all the inside first ready to start again.

White paint for the walls and ceiling (took 3 coats to get it looking good).   I  painted the woodwork, shelves, and wallpaper was hung.

My friend has a sewing business, so she made all my curtains and new seat covers.  

The ceiling had to be redone, as the leak gotten worse with all that rain we had,  but now it's completely leak free!

Then, it was deciding what to do with the outside...

To get the caravan professionally resprayed costs thousands of pounds, which I didn't have.   All of the money in the budget was my own, there had been no bank loans, so I had to watch every single penny that was  spent.  

Along the way, people said to me she's old, she's vintage, leave her as she is, so with a lot of scrubbing and washing, one day I was amazed at how well she scrubbed up, so was happy to leave her as she was, and yes, there's a few little marks and dinks, but she is over 40 years old!

I knew she was only going to be used as a sweet shop and sometimes a pop up tearoom.  

I've been asked if she can go out as a photo booth, but I've declined.  There is far too much risk of damage to her, especially the floor, when lots  of people are in and out constantly.   Plus, there's a few photo booth caravans out there now, so I wanted something different to offer.

She attended her first wedding fair in March, where I took 3 bookings on the day for 2017 weddings, so now it's a case of slowly building the business up.

I love what I've created, and if at the end I decide I don't want to continue, I've still got a little retreat to go in my garden!

You can find out more details about Miss Molly from her official website, simply click on the following link below.  x

http://www.missmollythevintagecaravan.co.uk/