A very English afternoon tea.

What could be more quintessentially English than tea and cake?  What could be more quintessentially English than fundraising with tea and cake?

Hire the village hall.  Get the Good Ladies of the Parish to closet themselves in their kitchens, dig out their favourite recipes, don their aprons and get stuck into a couple of hours combining butter, flour, sugar and eggs with favoured additions such as chocolate (got to have a chocolate cake), lemon (got to  have lemon drizzle cake), coffee, walnuts (got to have a coffee and walnut cake), dried fruit (it would probably be a criminal offence not to offer scones), and any other pièce de résistance that the accomplished home baker can offer.

And on the day itself, friends, family, passers-by, readers of the Parish magazine will all be tempted to drop in and cheerfully while away a half hour or so with a slice or two of cake, or even the makings of a light lunch, all in pleasant, light-hearted company.  All talk of calories and healthy options is banned.  This is waistline expansion in a very good cause.

On Saturday, we gallantly took ourselves over to Fewston Village Hall to support our sporty friends Barbara and Tim. The cause? Almscliffe Tennis and Bowling Club.  Now what could be more English than bowls?

All the home bakers ready for action in the Village Hall.
… and overlooking the proceedings at Fewston Village Institute ……

Click on any image to view it full size.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

31 thoughts on “A very English afternoon tea.”

    1. It did occur to me to point out to any Brexiters who might have been there that we haven’t so far lost control of things that Proper English Events can’t take place.

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  4. Mmm. I don’t usually go for Victoria sponges, but that raspberry topped one looks delicious. And you’ve reminded me that I now like walnuts, which has only happened recently, so I can try a coffee and walnut cake with a happy heart next time one is offered.

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  6. Can we swap lives? I’m not a beach or sun person – much prefer a village afternoon tea and lambs looking on
    Meg

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    1. Probably not, I’m afraid. I’ll have the sun please, but not the beach. And I’ll keep the lambs too … until they become sheep

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  8. If we must eat cake let it be homemade! Shop-made cakes don’t even come close! I really like the photo of the sheep and lambs with the trees on the horizon. I hope your real spring has started!
    Btw, we have been live streaming UK parliamentary proceedings this evening as we look on in horrified fascination … as time is running out in the face of the best efforts of the well intentioned in the parliament. So many if onlys …

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    1. No oven – STILL. Poor Sharon. And as you say, no pressure. When the day comes, your friends will love an oh-so-British teaparty.

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  13. Having always heard about afternoon teas in your country, that was one of the events topmost on my bucket list. I had never liked tea…but I do now! I brought several kinds home with me, purchased a really pretty tea pot, and have since enjoyed many private afternoon teas in my favorite spot, in my favorite living space, my very quiet front room.

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    1. Oh dear, I shan’t be able to join you. I am one of the few English people alive who can’t be doing with tea. And if forced to drink it, it has to be as weak as possible, with no milk. What a failure!

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