DO YOU FANCY A ROYAL AFTERNOON TEA?...

The Tea Cosy tea shop in Brighton www.theteacosy.co.uk is keeping up with the royals in all ways.

The walls are decked with commemorative memorabillia and the menu hosts the likes of Queen Mother's Cream tea to William and Harry's Tea, see below.

Menu

William and Harry's Tea
A selection of homemade biscuits with a pot of tea for one.

Beatrice and Eugenie's Tea
Cupcake with hot chocolate, cream and marshmallows.

Charles and Camilla Tea
Two pieces of toast with Pate or homemade preserve and a pot of tea for one.

Princess Margaret Low Tea
A piece of cake with a pot of tea for one.

Queen Mother's Cream Tea

THE RETURN OF DOWNTON ABBEY...

I can't wait for return of one of my favourite programmes, the British period drama series 'Downton Abbey',written and created by actor and writer Julian Fellowes, and based around the early 1900's and filmed in the Stately home of the Earl and Countess of Grantham.

You cannot help but think of how life was around that time where 'the table' was an important setting, the focus of much of the social life of that period.

Guests were invited to teatime where important rituals helped to reinforce a family's wealth and social standing.

Dinner parties were held to show off their daughters with all the social skills and foibles of the time.

Teatime, sometimes immediately followed on from dinner (now lunch-time). Some of the breads you could choose from were wholemeal bread, cheese bread, soda bread and crumpets. Then there were lots of different types of scones followed by unusually named cakes like, Surly Curd Tart, which included one teaspoon of Epsom salts in its recipe!!! Cherry cake was very fashionable at this time as well as 'boiled' Fruit cake and of course a large choice of home made jams.

You can follow them on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/DowntonAbbey or online http://www.itv.com/dramapremieres/downtonabbey/

FAMOUS BRITISH HAPPENINGS IN AUGUST...

Did you know that on the...

1st August 1774,(230 years ago)the English scientist Joseph Priestley discovered 'dephlogisticated air' (later known as oxygen).

4th August 1914, (90 years ago) Britain declared war on Germany and World War 1 began.

3rd August 1924,(80 years ago) Joseph Conrad, the Ukrainian-born English novelist died.

5th August 1729,(275 years ago) Thomas Newcomen, the English engineer and inventor of he atmospheric steam engine died.

5th August 1984,(20 years ago) Richard Burton, the welsh actor died.

9th August 1979,(25 years ago)Britain's first nudist beach opened in Brighton.

8th August 1974,(30 years ago) Richard Nixon resigned as the US president after being threatened with impeachment for his part in the Watergate Scandal.

AFTERNOON TEA WEEK

Throughout August to celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week you can get 25% off some afternoon teas in London and the UK.

Just click onto www.afternoontea.co.uk and click on the link for your 25% offer plus a gift voucher.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND AFTERNOON TEA...

The renowned and iconic British landmark that is Buckingham Palace is only open to visitors for a short time in the summer.

Enjoy exploring the opulent hallways and furnished interiors of this Royal Residence. See the state rooms and finish with an Afternoon Tea at either the Thistle Westminster or Grosvenor Victoria, both renowned four star hotels. For a limited time you can also see Kate Middletons wedding dress, tiara, shoes and cake.

The offer was from www.buyagift.co.uk has been reduced from £115 -£95 for an afternoon tea and tour of this superb building.

THE FIRST TEA SHOP TO HIT THE UK...

The Country's first tea shop was opened in 1864 by the Manageress of the Aerated Bread Company.

The company directors allowed the manageress to serve refreshments to favoured customers.

Then, demand for her service grew, which then sparked a new trend for similar shops across the UK. Within two years the Aerated Bread Company had opened 250 of it's self service tea shops.

These also helped to liberate the lives of women, as it was considered 'perfectly proper' and acceptable for a woman to meet her friends in a tea shop without needing a escort and without risk to her reputation.

J. Lyons & Co opened their first Lyons tea shop in 1894 at 213 Piccadilly. It was the forerunner of some 250 white and gold fronted tea shops which occupied prominent positions in many of London's high streets.

AFTERNOON TEA CATWALK...

With biscuits and fancies copied straight from the catwalk, and tea served in fine Paul Smith bone china, 'Pret a Portea' at The Berkeley Hotel in London is the place for post shopping refreshments.

It is designed to add a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea. You can find it in the Hotel's Caramel Room between 1pm-6pm.

The hew Spring/Summer 2011 collection sees Victoria Beckham, Miu Miu and Tom Ford make their début on the Berkeley's tea stand.

www.the-berkeley.co.uk

AFTERNOON TEA FOR PRINCE HARRY AND PIPPA MIDDLETON...

The Troubadour Bar in Chelsea has been serving afternoon tea to Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton.

According to the news the famous pub in Chelsea, sells tea for £3.50 and £2.75 for a muffin with jam.

WIMBLEDON'S FORTNIGHT, BRITAIN'S BIKE WEEK AND THE HIGHLAND GAMES...

Some reasons to get active this month, The Highland Games, which are a must-see, and take place from May to September countrywide. There are all sorts of games to choose from with the popular Braemar show, which attracts 10,000 spectators watching games such as caber tossing, hammer throwing and a highland fling.

For more details look on the website www.shga.co.uk

Or you could join in Britain's Bike Week which has events ranging from beginners trails through the Cotwolds to endurance charity races. There will also be pop-up bike clinics offering free safety checks. This is running between 18th to the 26th June and you can find more details on the website www.bikeweek.org.uk

On the other hand if like me you love Wimbledon fortnight but have not been able to get tickets (advance tickets have sold out) then don't miss out completely. Search over 20,000 courts and tennis clubs at www.lta.org.uk

BRITISH SUMMER WEATHER...

Summer June and July
They are saying that the summer is expected to start on a drier than average note, with that theme continuing at least in the south of the country into July.

Temperatures across the first two months of summer are expected to be close to, or just above average - so potentially a good deal of dry and warm weather to be seen.

Fingers crossed...

In Scotland, there is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes.
Billy Connelly

THE CLOSING OF A TEA SHOP...

It was sad to read in www.yorkshirepost.co.uk that after 92 years of service, a cake shop, called 'Sterchi's' in Filey, North Yorkshire is about to close.

It's heyday, it said, was in the 1930's when afternoon tea and light supper were an every day part of British life.

The shop opened in 1924/25 but now with big shops eating up all the little shops, it just came down to basic book balancing, that made them decide it was time to close the doors.

The owners Mr Philip Cammish and Mrs Sue Cammish, were very sad to have to close the shop. They have been overwhelmed with letters and phone calls bemoaning the closure.

BARACK OBAMA AND HIS 'SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP' WITH THE UK....

How lovely it was to hear on the BBC News that US President Barack Obama has hailed his country's "special relationship" with the UK in a speech delivered at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

He thanked the UK for its solidarity since 9/11 and in tackling the security threats that followed.

He also paid tribute to the UK's military forces for "standing shoulder to shoulder with the US for decades".

The banquet was hosted by the Queen and attended by royalty, politicians and film stars.

THE FIRST BRITON TO GO TO SPACE...

15 years ago on May 18th 1991, Helen Sharman became the first Briton to go into space.

THE VERY BRITISH FOODIE FESTIVALS...

It's that time of year again when food festival are happening throughout the UK.

Some of the most popular ones are -

Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival - 17-19th June, www.garden-events.com/cheltenham

Henley Food Festival - 21/22nd May,www.foodiesfestival.com

Hampton Court Palace - 28-30th May,www.foodiesfestival.com

Bristol's Harbourside - 24-26th June,www.foodiesfestival.com

Tatton Park Manchester - 20-22nd May, www.foodiesfestival.com

Battersea Park, London - 24-26th June, www.foodiesfestival.com

Holyrood Park, Edinburgh - 12-14th August, www.foodiesfestival.com

South Park, Oxford - 27-29th August, www.foodiesfestival.com

Spring Tide Food Festival, Hive Beach, Burton, Bradstock - 21/22nd May, www.spring-tide.org.uk

Bath Coffee Festival - 21/22nd May,www.bathcoffeefestival.co.uk

English Wine Week - 29th May - 6th June, www.englishwineweek.co.uk

Artisan Cheese Fair, Melton Mowbray - 11-12th June, www.meltonbusiness.co.uk

BREAKFAST IN ENGLAND...

'To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day'.
W. Somerset Maugham

TEA SMUGGLING IN BRITAIN...

Until the mid-18th Century, the tax on tea was so high that it encouraged a thriving black market.

No duty was pain on tea smuggled into Britain and tea was so popular that big money could be made illegally.

More tea was smuggled into Britain than was imported legally.

In 1785 after demands for legitimate tea merchants, the government slashed the duty on tea and tea smuggling was wiped out overnight.

THE TYPICALLY BRITISH 'GRANDMA'S APRON'...

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few.

It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that,it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

When company came,those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..

And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in tha apron.

From the garden,it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the Autumn, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpecte company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, to tell us it was time to come in for dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Grandma would also set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters now set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love

WHY DO THE BRITISH DRIVE ON THE LEFT?...

Well apparently when the horse was king, travellers like to keep their sword hand free to deal with hostile traffic.

As most were right-handed, they kept to the left and it became the rule of the road. The Highways Bill of 1835 made it law.

THE BEST PLACE FOR AFTERNOON TEA IN THE UK...

THE ANGEL HOTEL, ABERGAVENNY, MONMOUTHSHIRE. TEL NO 01873 857121

The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, www.angelhotelabergavenny.com has been chosen as one of the best places in the UK to enjoy afternoon tea.

The former Georgian Coaching Inn has won The Tea Guilds, 'Top City and Country Hotel Tea Award 2011'. Only nine Hotels outside of London have achieved this top national award.

It has been praised for its smart and elegant surroundings, attentive and efficient service and tasty sandwiches, cakes and scones.

ROYAL WEDDING AFTERNOON TEAS...

With the Royal Wedding only a few weeks away there are a number of venues cashing in on the latest 'afternoon tea' craze.

The Cavendish Hotel, Jermyn Street, London has a 'Royal Afternoon Tea' costing £15, http://www.thecavendish-london.co.uk/afternoon-tea-london.

Not only is the hotel an ideal base for those seeking the thrill of London's theatreland, world class shopping and restaurants, it is an oasis of calm where guests can escape, relax and unwind when in London. Whether staying for business or pleasure the hotel's 230 contemporary bedrooms provide guests with a warm, tranquil environment to escape to.

The Cadogan Hotel, Sloane Street, in Knitsbridge, London has a £20 'Champagne Royal Afternoon Tea' http://www.cadogan.com/html/cadogan_art_tea.html

The Cadogan Hotel has launched a new and indulgent Afternoon "ARTea" in conjunction with the well-established art specialists, The Kings Road Art Gallery.
Whilst enjoying Afternoon Tea in The Cadogan Hotel's Drawing Room, guests will now be able view an exclusive collection of works from The Kings Road Art Gallery. The paintings will provide guests with the unique opportunity to combine exquisite art with the time-honoured British tradition of high tea.

In celebration of the new Afternoon ARTea, the new Head Chef, Oliver Lesnik, has created bespoke "artist palette" biscuits, complete with edible paintbrushes. Oliver has a wealth of experience, having previously worked under Angela Hartnett, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Gordon Ramsay.

And finally the Thames Cruise has one on the day of the wedding for after you have seen the procession. You can then finish you day with a cruise along the Thames and enjoy their 'Royal Wedding Day Afternoon Tea'. Tickets for this trip are through http://www.intotheblue.co.uk/.

Watch the Royal Wedding procession in London and then celebrate with a Royal Wedding Afternoon tea cruise on the Thames that's fit for a King (and his Queen!). With this very special one-off departure, you'll enjoy a traditional high tea with all the trimmings as you glide down the River Thames to mark this most memorable day in modern British history.

THE TYPICALLY BRITISH WEATHER...

The Brits are obsessed with the weather. We talk about it all the time. Every shop owner must get sick of us all saying the same thing, day in day out. But this week has been the warmest week in April for a long time, so we are entitled to get excited about it.

'74F in April', say the weather men. In fact the forecast for the weekend is so good they are telling us to 'buff up our sunglasses and break out the barbecue' ready for our hot weekend.

Blue skies basked across most of the UK and beaches were getting busy. But with forecasts for a long wet summer already being talked about, taking the barbecue out this early could be a bit presumptuous.

The garden centres are buzzing and I've certainly spent up this week in one of them. After such a harsh winter many Brits have found a number of their plants and trees have suffered from it, so I'm sure that no matter what the weather is like they should be stay busy this summer.

SOME TYPICALLY BRITISH HOUSEHOLD TIPS...

To remove a scratch from a table, crack open a walnut and rub it along the scratch . Walnuts contain a natural resin which will conceil the scratch.

To get rid of ink stains from furniture soak a piece of cotton wool in water and cover the stain with it. That will then draw the mark out and into the cotton wool.

When defrosting a freezer, keep frozen food cold by wrappong it in several layers of newspaper.

Clean your microwave by placing half a lemon in water and setting it to boil.

To unblock a blocked sink tip a handful of bicarnonate of soda followed by a cup of vinegar straight down the plug. After a couple of hours, pour down a kettle of boiling water.

Spray nice smelling furniture polish behind the radiator to leave the room smelling clean and polished.

To clean your computer keys use a cotton bud and the same to clean the ball of a computer mouse.

Add a shot of vodka or lemonade to the water in your vases as this will keep your flowers fresh for longer.

AN ENGLISH POET...

WINE AND STRONG DRINK MAKE TUMULTS ENCREASE,
CHOCOLATE, TEA AND COFFEE, ARE LIQUORS OF PEACE,
NO QUARRELS OR OATHS AMONG THOSE THAT DRINK THEM,
ANDREW MARVELL – ENGLISH POET – (1621-78)

KATE MIDDLETON...

Anyone who exploits the Royal bride to be's name to sell dresses will be in for a surprise as they wil be sued, stores were warned today according to The Daily Mail.

COURSES ON THE GREAT BRITISH 'AFTERNOON TEA'...

If you have never enjoyed an afternoon tea, or if your an enthusiastic lover of afternoon teas then I'm sure one of the course from the company 'englishafternoontea.com' will be suitable for you.

The specialise in traditional afternoon tea courses and you learn in a friendly, informal environment and the courses are designed to introduce you to the world of afternoon tea.

They offer one-to-one tuition, covering baking through to the social history of tea. Course vary from one to five days. The courses, which take place in Sandgate, Kent offer are One-Day Gluten Free Baking Course, One-Day Cream Tea Course, One-Day Brief History of Afternoon Tea with Baking, One-Day Academic Course and a Five-Day English Afternoon Tea course with a tea party.

TYPICALLY BRITISH DINNER PARTIES...

'At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.'
W. Somerset Maugham

TEA TIME...

My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody
Wilkie Collins (1824-89) English Novelist

117 DAYS AND COUNTING TO WILLIAM AND KATES WEDDING...

With only 117 days to go until April 29th for William and Kate's wedding it's not surprise to find out that there are a number of companies thinking up different types of merchandise to sell about the wedding.

But someone else has come up with another idea to make money out of the couple by introducing a Kate and William walking tour of the capital for £15.

For £15 one of the things that you will be shown is where William climbed on to a night club table and yelled 'I'm free', after he dumped Kate in 2007 !!!

Surely, that the last thing fans of the royals would want to see.