Afternoon tea at four o'clock -

I've just received an invitation to a friend's champagne tea party to celebrate her birthday, it's very trendy here in Devon to have tea parties at the moment. When I was a child, living in Enid Blyton fantasy land, I longed to have the sort of family where 'afternoon tea' was the norm. Now I host a tea party on the last Sunday of every month - it's an open table event and I never have any idea how many people will turn up, but there always seems to be enough food to go around and my lovely friends are very generous in supplementing the cakes etc.

Oh yes! Tea in the garden. My parents went on a three week camping trek through Europe with the local vicar and his wife in 1956 leaving two sets of elderly grandparents in charge of four children. The GPs got together in the afternoons and we had stunning tea parties. These were swiftly followed by sundowners and cigarettes (adults only of course) and I can still remember the scent of gin and Senior Service in the early evening air.

A month or so after the parents returned the vicar's wife was pregnant. Don't know why, but I always associate this with afternoon tea in the garden.

Innocent or what?

Aaah yes, but surely this should open up the great scone/cream tea debate, don't you think??

Gally At our local monthly craft market there was a stall selling only those
3 tier 'cake stand thingies' very sweet and nostalgic.assembled from well known china patterns.
I was tempted to buy one but didn't want to acquire more clutter.I might buy one next month for my GD -she loves making cakes.I'd better ask my DD first.
Another sign that afternoon tea is becoming trendy again.

When I met DH he was working on a farm where they all stopped for afternoon tea. The farmer's wife was a fantastic baker and on the occasion I was invited, I marvelled at the array of cakes and pastries. Those were the days when I suppose the calories were worked off and the evening meal was probably quite basic and light. These days we cut out afternoon tea and fall on our dinner/supper like ravenous wolves. I feel like Harry Hill......which is best????