virtual tea party.

Oooh yes what a good idea. I will bring my Royal Worcester tea set, Chelsea pattern including tea pot.

Must just make some chocolate muffins - ideal for afternoon tea. Full of chocolate chunks and healthy as the recipe includes sunflower oil and beetroot - good for the heart.

Starting at 3pm?

I also have a victorian violets china teaset, white with violets, with sugar shaker, cream jugs, teapot, hot water jug and a dozen plates, cups and saucers, and large sandwich plates.

I have just made some bread - a large sandwich loaf that I can slice thinly when it has cooled, and there is cream cheese and smoked salmon in my fridge. How about some dainty sandwiches without crusts?

What a lovely idea on such a snowy day.[snowflake emoticon]. Can I come along with my spotty mug? I don't have any delicate cups and saucers, although would like to treat myself to a set one day. I'll also bake my 'Mam's Boilin' Broonie' and bring along a few slices.
Your sandwiches sound delicious carol - perfect.

Ooooh sounds lovely, please may I bring a roaring log fire and some brandy snaps (with cream in of course). Will have to be a little rude and bring my own bone china mug as I hate cups and saucers. Hope that's ok ;0

These all sound so yummy I love cream cheese and salmon,that is one of my starters for Christmas and it always goes down well,I can't come to the tea-party as to-day it is my DS2s 30th birthday and we are off to Parkgate for lunch followed by some fabulous ice-cream and if weather permitting a brisk walk along the prom,so strange to realise that my baby is that age already

I'd offer to bring my Crown Derby teaset but it seems we all have a "good" teaset lurking in the cupboard while we dunk our everyday teabags in mugs! Perhaps in these alcohol-conscious days (plus the price of food) tea parties will supplant dinner parties (not that I do those either!) If so, I'd like one of those lovely cake stands.
I could make and bring a Fuller's cake, but I hope to be watching the rugby - with no natal or domiciliary involvement in either country, I might be able to enjoy it!

I have just made some scones and I have a fruit cake in the oven as I speak type, so I will bring them with me.
I haven't any " nice" tea cups so I will bring along my china mug with roses on it.
I will stop on the way there (where are we holding this tea party, some where with a roaring fire !!) and get some cream for the scones. We could do with some strawberries but I think we are going to be disappointed in that respect .
Also I am roasting a gammon joint so will bring that along also. What time are we meeting up

Sounds like we have enough sandwiches and cake - I'll bring some shampers!

susiecb

Oh, lovely! I love tea parties! Or, as DD3 used to call them "tea porties". I'll bring my late aunt's Royal Tuscan teapot and the [cough] remaining cups, saucers, and wee plates. It's all 'seconds' off Stoke market (she lectured at Keele Uni), but the imperfections are very difficult to find.

And some homemade oatie biscuits and ginger nuts.

i have some Darjeeling leaf tea and a tea strainer which I will bring with me. Dainty china had to be sacrificed when I downsized but I will bring my West Highland pottery mug. And I will dig a butterscotch cake out of the freezer right now so that it thaws in time for tea. Now have to go and take GD1 out for lunch.

What about a 'naice' venue? We need somewhere fitting for what is turning into a lovely high tea. I'm a bit hesitant about venturing into London at the moment (we know why, don't we glass?)

Any ideas?

I would once have suggested meeting up in Jenners in Princes Street but how about Prestonfield House? You get an excellent afternoon tea there, the whole works, but it'll cost. Cheaper to make our own cucumber sandwiches and cakes, but nice if you feel like being spoilt. www.prestonfield.com/Dining-AfternoonTea.html (I'm not advertising, GNHQ, honest)

Fifty years ago it was even better. When DH and I were penniless students we would sometimes go there for a coffee and biscuit. You could sit in the library upstairs in front of a roaring fire surrounded by books, including an enormous old volume of woodcut prints of the building and views. No-one else ever seemed to use the room. We would sit there like aristocracy for a couple of hours on two coffees and two chocolate biccies.

I'd love to join you but like gracesmum will be watching the rugby....I'll send along my beautiful Wedgwood teapot and I've taken the last of the mince pies out of the freezer for you to. Have a lovely tea party......

Would love to join you all ...the cakes especially sound wonderful ...but I don't have any "nice" china ...but I do have some lovely cake stands that were wedding presents for my parents.

Oh ...I could also bring some lovely mannuka honey.

Oooh afternoon tea sounds luvly, I can speak proper like and say noice things if I have to. I'll bring my Royal Doulton tea set and some vegemite sandwiches.

I can bring my Dunoon mug with a skeleton and musculature on it.
I can't type any more today as seem to have ?gout in my index finger proximal mcp joint. It hurts
I'll be good and read my files instead!

Elegran the library and roaring fire sounds just perfect, but would we have to smuggle in all our food and china? I'm willing to hang out of the library window and lower down a basket, if everyone else will take the risk?

One of us could take in a rope ladder wound round us under our jumper, and let it down to the rest waiting below with the grub. It will have to be the slimmest or they will suspect. Oh, forgot, you only get on the ground floor now so if we get seats near the window we can slip things in that way.

I just looked up their website, afternoon tea is £18 a head (£28 if you have champagne with it) so I don't think I'll be a paying customer.

The waiters and waitresses are very attentive so we may have to stash everything in our handbags. Don't put too much cream on the scones.

I just looked up their website, afternoon tea is £18 a head (£28 if you have champagne with it) so I don't think I'll be a paying customer.

The loos are very swish.

Does that mean no library with roaring fire?

If so, what about one of the unoccupied suites at Windsor Castle or Sandringham? The royals can't possibly be using all of them and we could soon put a match to a ready-prepared fire. Shall we?

Come on Hunt and Chocolatepudding where are you??

We're all organised ...venue? time? If it's still 3pm I'm going to be late!

Pssstt...!! Jacey...NO! don't say anything....I've managed to scramble over a wall into Sandringham and I've lit a fire in the library. Can you get over here with your cake stands and honey? I've put the kettle on - tell the others to watch out we don't get caught!

Sorry I'm late but I've been making preserves all day and have only just finished clearing up. Here's a jar of home-made crab apple jelly and another one of apple & blackberry cheese – nice with scones or crumpets.

Tea, anyone? I do love a nice cup of tea in china cups. Salmon sandwich? Shove another log on that fire absent it's cold out there - I haven't seen a soul around, so we might as well settle in and get comfy.